haroldbishop

hi im harold bishop and i stay at 24 ramsay street, erinsborough,australia, im a church-going, peace-loving vegetarian, i had two children with my first wife Mavis. Kerry who was accidentally shot by duck hunters, and David killed with my wife Lil and daughter Serena in the Lassiters plane crash. i also lost my beloved second wife, Madge, to pancreatic cancer.

i first arrived in Erinsborough at the invitation of second wives daughter Charlene. i had been in love with Madge since high school but soon found myself battling for her affection with his old high school rival, loud-mouthed Lou Carpenter. At one point Madge literally had to pour cold water over them when they started brawling in the street.

After several false starts me and Madge finally married. However, the threat of Lou never quite went away, the mere suggestion that he come and stay with me and madge, later triggerd a heart attack. It was while on a trip to celebrate my recovery that i fell into the sea and went MIA.

In actual fact i had been picked up by a trawler heading for Tasmania and, suffering amnesia, i built a new life working for the Salvation Army and calling himself Ted. Five years after my disappearance i transferred back to Erinsborough, where i was spotted by a old friend Helen Daniels. Surrounded by friends and a familiar environment, my memory started to return. It finally came flooding back when Lou served jelly at a dinner party: Lou had always called me “Jelly Belly”.

“Ted” hasn’t been my only alter ego. For a while i was worried that i might have been armed robber Alfie, after seeing a photofit of a Tasmanian criminal that looked just like me. i even enjoyed a brief stint as a cult icon “Afro Harold” in an advertising campaign dreamed up by Lori and Connor. I also suffered traumatic events that have drastically changed my personality, including a stroke and the death of my son David, which led's me, to try and kill Paul Robinson.

Family has always been crucial to me. Devoted to both of my children, i was also a foster father to Tad Reeves and Paul McLain. i have fallen for a few women since Madge - including Rosie Hoyland, Ruby Dwyer, Lil’s mother Svetlanka and the glamorous Loris Timmins - but i have never remarried. Indeed, my most consistent companion has been old foe Lou. we do bicker constantly, but we remain partners in business as well as sharing one pair of kidneys between us.

i have all ways worked hard to be a support to my last remaining relative, my beloved granddaughter Sky. Initially horrified to discover that she was pregnant, i realised quickly not to make the same mistakes that i made with her mother Kerry. i had hoped that with a new generation arriving, i would finally be able to rebuild my shattered family. Sadly there was yet more loss when Kerry Junior was diagnosed with leukaemia and her uncle Scott offered to donate the necessary bone marrow. Suffering post-operative complications, Stingray passed away.

i helped my shattered granddaughter rebuild her life. It was a slow process, and one not helped by fake psychic Terrence conning Sky into believing that he was getting messages from Stingray. When Sky discovered the scam she lashed out and was charged with Terrence's murder. i supported her ceaselessly until she was cleared and eventually persuaded her to head up to Queensland to be near Kerry’s father, Dylan. As heartbroken as i was to lose the last member of my family, i allways knew that it was for the best.

Unsurprisingly, i came to wonder just what was keeping me in Erinsborough. Despite my warm affection for all of my friends and neighbours, i began to realise that there was a wide world i had yet to explore. When Marco made me an offer for my house, i seriously began considering life as a Grey Nomad. Although i decided not to sell Number 24, i did decide to buy a caravan and go travelling. haroldbishop