| abstract | - Brian John Tilsley was the son of Ivy and Bert Tilsley, first husband of Gail and father of Nick and Sarah Louise. Brian moved to Coronation Street with his parents in 1979, by which time he was already in a relationship with Gail. Brian was a car mechanic and had little money, but he and Gail were young and in love and decided to marry right away. The first years of the marriage saw Brian and Gail face problems of money and accommodation. They were often dependent on Bert and Ivy, and Brian, who had a history of being dominated by Ivy, often bowed to her wishes to keep the peace. Happier times followed as their son Nick was born in 1980 and they moved into their own flat. In 1982, Brian went into partnership with Ron Sykes and bought a share of a garage in Albert Street, which he ran until his death. As the marriage wore on, Brian and Gail began to grow apart. They both felt trapped by the marriage and yearned for independence; Brian started seeing other women while Gail fell pregnant after having an affair with Brian's cousin Ian Latimer. When she refused to have an abortion, Brian divorced her and fought for custody of Nick, but when daughter Sarah Louise turned out to be Brian's, the couple reconciled, deciding to put the kids first. Unfortunately, none of the problems from their first marriage had really been addressed and in 1989 Gail ended things again, adamant that she and Brian were unsuited. That same night, Brian was stabbed to death outside a nightclub while defending a woman from a group of thugs.
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