Bernard Bottomley was the Steward at Weatherfield Golf Club who died suddenly in January 1999 as he was putting a slice of lemon into a gin and tonic behind the bar. Mike Baldwin broke the news to Fred Elliott in the Rovers when he told him about the funeral and Jack Duckworth overheard as Mike told Fred that Bernard's widow would be well off as he had made a mint from running the club bar. Jack thought he saw the opportunity for himself and Vera to better themselves and applied for the role. They were interviewed by a panel that included Mike Baldwin but, predictably, failed to be appointed.