Soul on the Street

William Roache, or Ken Barlow as he is better known, grew up in a comfortable liberal home which doubled as a surgery for his father and grandfather who were both doctors. It was his grandfather who exerted a particularly strong influence on William's thinking. As a Freemason, hypnotist, theosophist, spiritualist, homoeopath and esotericist with a special interest in Rudolph Steiner he was a man ahead of his time. He gave William the confidence to choose his own path and so although he started training as a doctor, after national service he stayed in the army and then broke with the family tradition to follow his passion for acting.

Now as the only surviving original member of the Coronation Street team, Bill has become a legendary and much loved figure. In this fascinating and inspirational book he talks through his life as an actor in 'The Street' and describes the times and events that have shaped his own spiritual understanding.

Written in a warm engaging style this book will appeal to both fans of Coronation Street and anyone interested in spirituality.

"I have nothing but respect for this man of peace and integrity" - Sir Cliff Richard.

After National Service Bill stayed in the army in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and became a Captain, spending a total of 5 years in the services with diverse postings in Jamaica, British Guyana, Bermuda, Germany and Oman.

After leaving the Army he turned to acting, with roles in Skyport, Knight Errant Limited, The Bulldog Breed and Marking Time. Whilst at Granada filming Biggles, he was picked out by Tony Warren as the Ken Barlow. He appeared in the first episode, and is the only remaining actor from that original episode to still appear in The Street. In 2000 he was awarded an MBE for services to TV drama.

autobiography | celebrity | coronation street | ken | soul | street