Paul Collins (Brookside)
Encyclopedia
Paul Collins was a character in Brookside
played by Jim Wiggins
between 1982 and 1990.
and his friends, and somebody had stolen the toilet. An indignant Paul confronted Bobby Grant, accusing Damon of being the toilet thief. Damon admitted to the vandalism, but denied stealing the toilet.
Unlike the Grant family, who had come from a run-down council estate to live on Brookside Close, the Collins family had previously lived in a large, comfortable house on The Wirral, but were forced to downsize to something much smaller after Paul was made redundant. In the early days of Brookside, Paul was unemployed and storylines centred around the family's struggle to cope with their new humbler surroundings and financial hardship, along with Paul's discomfort at having to sign-on alongside people he once looked down on. Paul's daughter Lucy resented her father for their reduced circumstances, especially after she was forced to swap her public school
for the local comprehensive, where her posh accent and privileged background saw her become the victim of bullying. Eventually Paul found another job, and the family's financial situation improved for a while. However, in 1986 he was again made redundant. This time he decided to take early retirement rather than face the humiliation of having to sign-on again.
Having once served as a captain in the British army
, he struggled to come to terms with his son Gordon's sexuality as well as his daughter Lucy's promiscuity. However, Paul could also be a kind and generous man; eventually forgiving wife Annabelle for her affair with fellow JP Brian Lawrence and putting up with her cantankerous and senile mother, Mona. Prior to losing his job in 1982 and again in 1986, Paul had worked as a production manager for a large petrochemical firm; however, by the time he was written out the character had retired. There was a 13-year age gap between Paul and Annabelle, with Wiggins being 60 when he took the role.
Paul was often optimistic that the family would be back in their former lavish circumstances soon, often using phrases like 'this time last year we'll be back in the Wirral'.
's death from cancer, the entire Collins family were written out of Brookside in the summer of 1990, moving to the Lake District
to help look after Annabelle's increasingly frail mother and her new husband. At the time of their departure, the Collins were one of the few original families left in the soap, and the only household to have survived since the programme started. By the 1990s the dynamic of Brookside was changing and the show was gradually moving away from the 'gritty realism' that had defined its early years through families such as the Grants and the Collinses.
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
played by Jim Wiggins
Jim Wiggins
Jim Wiggins was an English actor, best known for his role as Paul Collins in the long running television soap Brookside....
between 1982 and 1990.
The Collins family
The Collins family moved into Brookside Close during the first episode, having bought Number 8. From the start, there was conflict between the middle-class Collins family and the working-class Grants; in fact, the conflict between the families provided much of the early storylines. Upon arrival at Number 8, they found house had been vandalised by Damon GrantDamon Grant
Damon Grant is a fictional character in the defunct British soap opera Brookside, played by Simon O'Brien. The character was part of the initial cast, appearing from episode one in 1982 until 1987...
and his friends, and somebody had stolen the toilet. An indignant Paul confronted Bobby Grant, accusing Damon of being the toilet thief. Damon admitted to the vandalism, but denied stealing the toilet.
Unlike the Grant family, who had come from a run-down council estate to live on Brookside Close, the Collins family had previously lived in a large, comfortable house on The Wirral, but were forced to downsize to something much smaller after Paul was made redundant. In the early days of Brookside, Paul was unemployed and storylines centred around the family's struggle to cope with their new humbler surroundings and financial hardship, along with Paul's discomfort at having to sign-on alongside people he once looked down on. Paul's daughter Lucy resented her father for their reduced circumstances, especially after she was forced to swap her public school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for the local comprehensive, where her posh accent and privileged background saw her become the victim of bullying. Eventually Paul found another job, and the family's financial situation improved for a while. However, in 1986 he was again made redundant. This time he decided to take early retirement rather than face the humiliation of having to sign-on again.
Character
Paul was a conservative and deeply-principled man. However, he was never the most tactful or sensitive of people, and frequently antagonised his neighbours with his high-handed and snobbish attitude towards them. Paul described himself as the 'boss of the Collins household', yet in reality he wife Annabelle and daughter Lucy usually got their way.Having once served as a captain in the British army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, he struggled to come to terms with his son Gordon's sexuality as well as his daughter Lucy's promiscuity. However, Paul could also be a kind and generous man; eventually forgiving wife Annabelle for her affair with fellow JP Brian Lawrence and putting up with her cantankerous and senile mother, Mona. Prior to losing his job in 1982 and again in 1986, Paul had worked as a production manager for a large petrochemical firm; however, by the time he was written out the character had retired. There was a 13-year age gap between Paul and Annabelle, with Wiggins being 60 when he took the role.
Paul was often optimistic that the family would be back in their former lavish circumstances soon, often using phrases like 'this time last year we'll be back in the Wirral'.
Departure
Following Doreen SloaneDoreen Sloane
Doreen Sloane was an English actress best known for her roles in the soap operas Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Brookside....
's death from cancer, the entire Collins family were written out of Brookside in the summer of 1990, moving to the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
to help look after Annabelle's increasingly frail mother and her new husband. At the time of their departure, the Collins were one of the few original families left in the soap, and the only household to have survived since the programme started. By the 1990s the dynamic of Brookside was changing and the show was gradually moving away from the 'gritty realism' that had defined its early years through families such as the Grants and the Collinses.