• Title: Ken and Me
• Author: William Roache
• Genre/Subject: Autobiography
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication Date: 1993
• Start date: 11/18/24
• Finish date: 11/20/24

Review:

This is the autobiography of both William Roache and Ken Barlow as their lives are completely intertwined, and both are as dramatic and fascinating as anything that the writers at Coronation Street could come up with.

First of all, a sort of disclaimer. This book is copyright 1993 and the amount of change in the 31 years that have elapsed make this dated, very dated actually. With that being said it is still a good read but you have to keep that in mind.

For those of you that don’t know, William Roache is a British actor who has played the longest running role in television history as Ken Barlow on the Granada Television series Coronation Street. He began playing Ken in the pilot episode which aired on December 9, 1960 and incredibly is still playing him today. Roache has been quoted as wishing to play Ken until he is 100 years old. He’s 92 now so this is not an idle promise!

The book begins like all good biographies do, with his birth and early childhood. The date of his birthday is even questioned as the records office back in 1932 (gasp!) was in the habit of recording births when they received the documentation, not necessarily on the actual date of birth. This sometimes resulted in a discrepancy of two or three days. Indeed the Roache family have never been entirely sure if the birthday listed in the birth certificate is the actual day that Bill, Billy, Will, Willy, William Roache entered the world. But he’s been here 92 years so we’ll overlook that.

If you were born in 1932, then you would be living through the second world war before you were 10, and this experience is recounted with candor and honesty. It can’t be easy for a young chap to have to understand what it means when your football mates don’t show up for a match because they were killed in a bombing raid. In fact, I can’t imagine what that would be like. But like any good actor Roache conveys his experiences with gravity and yes, even humor.

Skip forward a few years and we encounter one of the less remembered after-effects of the war, National Service. Meaning every 18 year old male was in the army for a term of 2 to 5 years and Roache was no exception. As a matter of fact he was an exception, in the sense that he was an exceptional soldier and was sent on to become an officer. In this role he also excelled, being posted overseas in Jamaica, British Guyana, and finally in the middle eastern trucial states, what would become the United Arab Emirates.

Upon being discharged from the British Army Roache decided that since he always enjoyed acting in school he would see how to go about doing that for a career. Initially he set a goal to send out 100 letters a week asking for job opportunities in show business. Like most stories of successful actors the initial response was disappointing to say the least. But, also like most stories of succesful actors, there was a big break… no, most stories including Roache’s were a struggle that began with small parts and gradually moved on from there. That is until he was asked to be in a pilot for a new TV serial called Florizel Street. Which, as Roache describes it, sounded like a brand of toilet cleaner. Fortunately for posterity this name was soon changed to Coronation Street.

And that about wraps it up for this review… no, not by a longshot. Roache is an actor who loves acting and this shines through in so many ways outside of Coronation Street. For example he had his own production company called, sensibly enough, William Roache Production. WRP was not a small screen or a big screen thing but an actual treading the boards thing. He’s starred in many live theater productions, been in movies and directed and produced in addition to acting. So, a true thespian in the best British tradition. But Roache is so much more than a TV star.

A sportsman, golf, cricket and first team rugby were among his favorite activities. The only exception seemed to be polo, which I learned is one of the three sports that can NOT be played left-handed, and Roache describes himself as unrepentedly left-handed. Curious as to the other two right-handed only sports? Field hockey and that all time crossword staple: jai alai.

He spends a chapter in depth exploring his interests in mysticism, druidism, astrology and other off the path metaphysics. Okay, well, yeah um. On to the next chapter.

I could go on but it’s really a good quick read and I highly recommend reading it instead of me banging on about it. William Roache is an extraordinary man and this was confirmed by the Queen when he was awarded the OBE. His life has been and continues to be a very unique and fascinating one and this made this book a unique and fascinating read.