Leonard Franklin "Len" Fairclough was a long-standing Coronation Street resident, the first husband of Rita, and local builder and Weatherfield councillor. Len worked his way up as a carpenter for Birtwistle's Construction before setting up his own plumbing and building firm in 1962, later taking on Jerry Booth and Ray Langton as partners. In 1949, he married Nellie Briggs and a year later they had a son, Stanley, though he continued to socialise as if he wasn't married, treating Nellie like a drudge and ignoring Stanley in favour of drinking at the Rovers Return with Harry Hewitt. They divorced in 1963 when Nellie plucked up the courage to leave Len, moving in with Harry Bailey and taking Stanley with her.