Alan Patrick Howard was a Geordie businessman who became Elsie Tanner's third husband. They were married from 1970 to 1978. Alan arrived in Weatherfield in 1969 to open a salon, at which Elsie was hired as manageress. After a short romance, the couple got wed although their plans to move to Bramhall were shelved when Alan was declared insolvent and had to sell his assets to pay debts; instead they lived at 11 Coronation Street. For the next three years, Alan worked as a mechanic at the Canal Garage, which he bought in 1972.