Edward Wormold and his brother Alfred were landlords and letting agents who either owned, or let on behalf of others, a large number of the houses in Coronation Street and other parts of Weatherfield from the 1950s to the 1980s. Wormold died in 1981 and the residents were offered the chance to buy their ground rents for £48. Len took the opportunity to buy the vacant space where No.7 used to stand and began to build a new house on the spot.