Charlie Meakin was a journalist friend of Ken Barlow's. In 1990, when looking for work after quitting the Gazette, Ken sought help from his contacts in the profession and caught up with Charlie outside the Daily Mail building, where he worked. Charlie was happy to help Ken but told him that there was nothing going at his place as far as he knew. Musing on the decline of Weatherfield's once booming newspaper trade, Charlie suggested that Ken try his luck at the Lamb Hotel, as it was a popular spot for the journalists who had stayed in the profession.