Barry Grant

Barry Grant
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Paul Usher
Duration	1982-1994, 1995, 1997-1998, 2003
First appearance	2 November 1982
Last appearance	4 November 2003
Classification	Former; regular
Created by	Phil Redmond
In-universe information Father Matty Nolan Mother Sheila Corkhill Half-brothers Damon Grant Half-sisters Karen Grant Claire Grant Wife Lindsey Corkhill (2003-)

Barry Grant is a fictional character in the defunct Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. He was portrayed by Paul Usher and was in the series from episode one in 1982 until 1995 with several sporadic guest appearances in 1997, 1998 and the final episode in 2003.

Barry Grant is arguably the hardest and most feared soap villain of all time. Because of the rawness of Brookside, Grant would take things a step further than his counterparts in other UK soaps, once shoving a gun up the behind of an enemy as he attempted to rape his girlfriend (Lindsay Corkhill). The enemy was eventually locked in a container and ended up in Kenya and subsequently had to have a kidney transplant.

Background

Bobby and Shelia Grant raised their three children Barry, Karen and Damon on a run-down Liverpool council estate. Barry, the eldest, was always the black sheep of the family. Having been expelled from school at age 15 for attacking a group of bullies who constantly picked on and bullied his best friend Terry Sullivan.

Bobby Grant grafted for years in an effort to move away from the rough council estate flats. In 1982 Bobby and Shelia’s dream came true and they bought their first home and the family moved to Brookside Close.

1982 - 1989

Barry started out as a young 'scally' who, together with his best friend Terry, was always looking for easy ways to make money. He was the apple of his mother Sheila's eye but had a less sturdy relationship with his father Bobby who was eventually revealed to be his stepfather.

Although Barry was usually on the wrong side of the law, he was shown to be the more respectable of the Grant brothers in early episodes. In contrast to Damon's hot-headed recklessness, Barry was calm and responsible and made amends with the Collins after Damon vandalised their house. Barry was hard-working and smart in contrast to Damon.

In the early episodes Barry strikes up a friendship with the recently widowed Petra Taylor. The two run away for a holiday in the Isle of Man together where Petra miscarries. Petra later commits suicide.

1990 - 1995

Barry returned in August 1990 for the wedding of Terry and Sue. Terry and Sue allowed Barry to lodge in their house during this time. Whilst Barry had been away he had been running a series of illegal warehouse raves. This turned out to be a real money-spinner and he planned to do the same thing in Liverpool. Following a couple of successful warehouse raves in the city (and calling the police half way through the night do generate publicity for the next one) Barry planned the biggest rave yet, which required financial backing which came the form of two cockney brothers. Together they organised a big rave night but, didn’t go according to plan when Barry discovered one of the brothers dealing drugs to kids in the toilets. Barry, never a fan of drugs, dicided this meant the brothers should forfeit their share of the profits and made a quick escape with the bag full of notes. The brothers were soon on Barry trail, and after seeing Barry with Sue and her little boy Danny, they assumed it was Barry’s son and so kidnapped him demanding the money back for his safe return. Barry successfully negotiated his release, but the brothers exacted further revenge by locking Barry in an industrial freezer on Christmas day 1990. Barry made an ‘igloo’ out of frozen turkey boxes and was pulled out semi-conscious by Terry. After a few days in hospital Barry discharged himself, drove to London and planted a shotgun in one of the Brothers car before tipping of the police. Barry returned to Liverpool in high sprits to see in the new year.

Amidst all this Barry still found time to sort out Joey Goddon. Goddon had just been released from prison for the murder of Jimmy and Billy Corkhill’s brother, Frankie. Goddon was hell-bent of giving the Corkhill family grieve, threatening them, and dishing out general abuse. As the weeks and months went on, the war between the two families was escalating out of control but Goddon’s big mistake was to threaten Barry’s mother, Shelia. Barry drove to Goddon’s house, smashed through his back door and shoved a shotgun in his face, threatening to blow his brains out if he ever went anywhere near the Corkhill family again.

During 1991 Barry made friends with a millionaire property developer, and Barry ended up becoming the new owner of a development being built near the close. The development would consist of 4 shop units and 4 flats above. This was Barry’s big chance to got legit.

Barry was unable to sustain a long-term relationship with a women. Sure, he could gets girls into bed no problem, but when they found out what he was really like they were out of their shapish. Barry was completely jealous of the relationship Terry had with Sue and Danny. Barry was adamant that Terry could do better then Sue, and so he sets out to destroy her. After months of being deeply unpleasant to her, Barry turns on the charm and sleeps with her. Sue was wracked with guilt and threatened to tell Terry the truth. So, in October 1991, Barry pushed Sue and Danny from the scaffolding on Brookside parade resulting in their deaths. Barry has always maintained this event was an accident and he was only trying to put the ‘frighteners’ on her to stop her telling Terry their secret.

Nevertheless, Barry made sure the finger of guilt was firmly pointed towards Graham Curtis, a work colleague of Sue’s who had an unhealthy infatuation with her. Graham was charged and found guilty of the double murder, who himself was later murdered in prison for being a child killer.

Meanwhile Barry rented out his shops and flats. One of the flats was rented to a mysterious Asian man who paid well above the market rate for the flat in return for Barry not asking any questions and not keeping records about the tenants. With strong metal doors applied the flat and coming and goings throughout the night, curiosity soon got the better of him and Barry broke in to discover the printing of counterfeit bank notes.

By February 1992 Barry was getting tired of Fran, especially when she began to turn the corkscrew and release it was Barry who murdered Sue and Danny and not Graham. A desperate Barry took Fran hostage at gunpoint. Knowing he was going on the run, Barry broke into the upstairs flat and helped himself to £25,000 of counterfeit money. Barry was wrecked with guilt over what he had done to Sue and Danny, and let Fran go. He took Terry to a deserted beech and revealed that he had slept with Sue and murdered her and Danny. Barry gave Terry a loaded shotgun with the command “Do your own justice”

Terry couldn’t bring himself to kill Barry, and wanted him alive so he would have to live every day knowing what he did and Barry fled to Spain.

In December 1992, a young lady named Jo Halsaw was opening a nightclub on the parade with Barry Grant as her business partner. Jo gave Terry a package, which contained two flight tickets to Spain and a fist full of pesetas. Terry took Sinbad along for the ride. When they arrived in Spain he met up with Barry, who wanted to know if it was safe for him to return home as he was opening a night club with Jo Halsaw.

After getting the nod from Terry, Barry returned to Liverpool a few days later. The first thing Barry did upon returning was to torch Jimmy Corkhill’s shop. Jimmy had been squatting in one of Barry’s shop units and could not come up with the back-rent. Jimmy refused to vacate the premises, knowing he had time on his hands for the matter to be resolved in the courts. However Barry dicided to smoke him out and destroy his stock. Barry set fire to his stock and immediately called the fire brigade. However, the heating had been cut off in the shop and Jimmy was heating the place via gas bottles, which exploded the entire front of the shop out, much to Barry’s horror.

With Jimmy out of business, Barry felt slightly guilty he had destroyed his living so sent him on a course and gave him a job on the doors of the new nightclub, La Luz.

Terry asked Barry for £500, and while Barry was trying to question him what is was for Terry just demanded the money. Barry followed him to a house, and was just about to drive off when he discovered Fran emerge carrying a Barry’s offspring. Barry demanded access to his Son, but Fran wanted to make sure that the boy was to never find out whom his dad was. Terry gave Fran the entire proceeds of Sue’s life insurance policy allowing her to completely disappear. Barry has never been able to track down his Son, which was the ultimate revenge from Terry.

Meanwhile Jo Halsaw allowed the La Luz nightclub to become notorious for all the wrong reasons allowing drugs and prostration to operate out of the club and therefore the partnership between Barry and Jo never run smoothly.

Wanting Barry out the partnership, Jo got her hired heavies to force Barry to sign the club completely over to her. Barry planned to torch the club for the insurance payout but was attacked by Jimmy Corkhill when he reviled to him that he had done it before - to his shop.

Jo wanted Barry out the way for good and so invited him to club to talk about the future. Meanwhile Jo’s hired heavy, wearing Barry’s coat and steeling his car runs down Jimmy Corkhill. Barry is arrested for attempted murder of Jimmy. Just when it looks like its all over for Barry, the charges are dropped and he cautiously returns to the club, only to find his friend from Spain, Oscar Dean sitting behind the desk. Oscar has ousted Jo and bought the club himself. He immediacy offers Barry a 60-40 partnership and hands the day-to-day management over to him.

Terry finds happiness again with a young Polish woman named Anna Wolska. Anna was an illegal immigrant and worked as a prostitute out of La Luz when Jo had control of the club. Anna was desperate to stay in the UK and was willing to pay a man to marry her. Anna and Terry became very close and Terry offered to marry her to ensure she could remain in the UK, however Anna didn’t want to ruin her good friendship with Terry and so declined. Barry got wind of this arrangement and offered his own deal to Anna – he would marry her if she would have his baby. (Barry was very desperate for a child of his own). Although she agreed the deal initially, it wasn’t long before she regretted it and had generally fallen in love with Terry. Terry and Anna plan a secret wedding and a new life away from Liverpool and she double crosses Barry by pretending the deal is still on but secretly taking the pill. Barry is not a man to cross and when he discovers the pills in her bag he hits her across the face and phones immigration. She was arrested and returned to Poland just before she and Terry could wed. This event particularly broke Terry which led to his involvement with a religious cult headed by Simon Howe. The cult were squatting in number 5 Brookside Close (The Grants former residence) which Simon would call his ‘church’ and would hold regular meetings. Terry gets deeper and deeper into the cult as Barry tries to get im to see sense. Simon wanted Terry to buy the house so they could have a permanent place of worship, but before this happens Barry Grant buys the house.

Barry soon becomes impatient with Simon as he wants him out of his house, and to make things worse Simon and his followers start preaching about the perils of drinking and parting while handing out leaflets outside Barry’s night club. Barry decides to stop Simon once and, gun in hand, breaks into the house but is over powered, gagged, tied up and held hostage in one of the bedrooms. Terry starts preaching to him from the bible, but Barry doesn’t want to know. Nobody realises Barry is missing, thinking he has probably gone away on one of is many and mysterious trips ‘down south’.

Eventually Simon decides that since they cant have the house then no one can, and he builds a home made bomb to destroy the house. They release Barry but the bomb goes off with all three still in house. Barry and Terry are not hurt too bad, but Simon ends up in hospital fighting for his life.

Terry keeps his faith and stays by Simons bedside as his injures heal. When Simon recovers he moves into a flat with Terry. Barry, not happy that Simon has not been charged with causing the explosion, breaks into the flats and attacks Simon, saying “I’ve killed before, and if you don’t disappear your be next” With this Simon goes into hiding behind the close using a few Cardbox boxes for his home.

Later Simon tells Terry that their work is complete and its time to join the other side. They steal Barry’s car and drive into the woods, attaching a hose from the exhaust into the car, so that with both doors and windows shut the fumes will kill them both. However Barry arrives just in time to pull Terry from the fume filled car but leaves Simon behind to die.

Terry ends up with a serious mental disorder and is sectioned under the mental health act and taken to a psychiatric hospital. Barry refuses to let his mate waste away in an institution and illegally smuggles him aboard to have him nursed back to health by Oscar Deans wife in Spain. Barry didn’t return to Liverpool, and he gave his shops, flats and nightclub to Terry – who went on to sell the complex to commercial developers.

1997 - 1998

Barry returned to Brookside in 1997 and began a relationship with his step-cousin, Jimmy's daughter Lindsay Corkhill. He stepped in when his old flame Jacqui Dixon, who now owned Barry's old nightclub, was the victim of a protection racket by the Finnegan brothers. Barry demanded a share of the club in return. Lindsay was then kidnapped by the Finnegans which led to Barry locking Callum Finnegan in a container. Barry and Lindsay split up when it was revealed that Barry had married in his absence and had two children.

Final appearance

Barry returned for Brookside's final episode in 2003 when it was revealed that he and Lindsay were to marry. He returned to Brookside Close with Jimmy for a while for nostalgia. Barry became concerned about Jack Michaelson and tried to talk Tim O'Leary into killing him, Michaelson was later lynched from his bedroom window by unspecified Brookside Close residents.

During his brief stay, Barry has a private talk with Jimmy, telling him his brother's murderers have been released after fifteen years. Barry then leaves the close telling Jimmy confidentially he is going to kill them, something he has said he would do ever since Damon was murdered.

Jimmy went to live with them in the in a mansion near Newcastle upon Tyne.

Cars

Throughout the series, Barry was always shown in an upmarket car. In the first episode he drievs a Jaguar in contrast to Bobby's Austin Princess and by the last episode is seen to drive a BMW.