Storylines
Roy purchases one of Mike Baldwin's (Johnny Briggs) flats in Crimea Street. His concern for Deirdre Rachid's (Anne Kirkbride) welfare almost gets him evicted as she believes he is pestering her. Roy takes care of Jamie Armstrong (Joseph Gilgun) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard), after she is beaten up by her husband Jim (Charles Lawson). Jamie's mother, Tricia (Tracy Brabin), later starts taking advantage of Roy's helpful nature. Roy purchases Alma Baldwin's (Amanda Barrie) share of Jim's Café and goes into business with Gail Platt (Helen Worth). He later renames the café Roy's Rolls. Roy meets Hayley Patterson, with whom he instantly finds a rapport. Like himself, she is shy and naive; they find they have a lot in common and begin a relationship. However, after an intimate dinner, Hayley reveals that she is a pre-operative transsexual woman, born male but in the process of transition to become a woman. Roy reacts badly, rejecting Hayley and going into a depression. Alma intervenes and Roy decides he has been hasty. When Hayley leaves to have sex reassignment surgery in Amsterdam, Roy misses her and goes to Amsterdam to bring her back.
Hayley purchases Gail's share in the café and she and Roy move in together. Roy proposes to Hayley on Valentine's Day, but she initially declines due to the legal situation surrounding marriage for transsexual people. More problems arise when the rest of Weatherfield discover Hayley's secret. Roy is embarrassed but, following various arguments, pledges to stand by Hayley and once again proposes and she accepts. However, when they go to see a vicar, he refuses to marry them. Roy then meets Jessica Lundy (Olwen May), a curate who agrees to marry him and Hayley. The church ceremony is ruined when Les Battersby (Bruce Jones) alerts the press. Roy and Hayley return to the café and get married there instead. Hayley later reveals that she has had her surname changed by deed poll to Cropper. Roy and Hayley foster Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) and she causes them various problems. They also look after Wayne Hayes (Gary Damer) and refuse to give him back to his volatile stepfather. The couple abduct him, but are caught and arrested. They charges are dropped when Wayne's domestic situation is exposed.
For a bet, Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) spikes Roy's drink at a wedding reception. She then takes him to her house and puts him in her bed. Tracy later announces she is pregnant with his child. Hayley is devastated and after she leaves Roy, he contemplates suicide. Hayley returns and the Croppers agree to buy Tracy's baby and in order to secure parental rights to the unborn child, Roy marries Tracy. Tracy gives birth to a daughter and she hands her over to the Croppers, who name her Patience. However, Tracy eventually reveals that she did not have sex with Roy and that Patience's father is Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson). Roy is devastated and he and Hayley reluctantly return Patience to Tracy, who renames her Amy. Roy and Tracy's marriage is subsequently annulled. Roy is bullied by builder Vince (Conrad Nelson). Vince's arrival brings up many unpleasant memories for Roy, as he recounts to Hayley the physical and psychological torture he suffered in his youth. When he is in the café by himself, Vince comes in and demands a free meal. When Roy refuses, Vince plunges Roy's face into the scalding hot fry-up and beats him with a spatula, and is only stopped by Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward), who warns Vince not to return to the street. Roy mentors Fiz's younger brother Chesney Brown (Sam Aston) and he sells his comic collection to buy a Morris Minor.
Roy is furious when he learns Hayley has a son and their marriage nearly ends. However, with support from his employee Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly), Roy makes peace with Hayley and supports her when she decides to go to Africa to work for a charity there. Roy allows Becky to move in while Hayley is away, but he throws her out when he learns of affair with Steve McDonald. They later make up and Roy gives her away at her wedding. Roy finds Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) lying outside Underworld after he has suffered a heart attack. Roy calls an ambulance and Tony is rushed to hospital. Roy is shocked when Tony confesses to having Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier) murdered . Tony recovers and Roy fails to persuade him to confess the truth. Tony threatens to kill Roy and Hayley and they report him to the police, resulting in Tony's arrest. The police let him go due to a lack of evidence and he tries to murder Roy. Tony takes a knife and tries to sneak up on Roy, who is bat-watching by the river, but he fails and ends up pushing Roy into the canal. Roy struggles to reach the surface because he cannot swim and Tony rescues him. He later hands himself in to the police, while Roy is found by Hayley and Becky.
Roy proposes to Hayley again, but tensions over the wedding cause Hayley to move in with Anna Windass (Debbie Rush). A few weeks later, Tony returns and holds Hayley hostage in Underworld. He later lets her go and she reunites with Roy, just as the factory blows up. On the day of the wedding, Hayley is late due to some interference by scorned wedding planner Mary Taylor (Patti Clare). She eventually makes it to the ceremony and she and Roy are married. Roy receives a letter from his estranged mother, Sylvia (Stephanie Cole), telling him that his step father had died. A few days later, Sylvia turns up to give Roy a train set. Hayley asks Roy to let Sylvia live with them and he eventually agrees. Sylvia then begins working alongside Roy in the café.
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