Jed Stone is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Kenneth Cope. He was a lodger of Minnie Caldwell's in the 1960s, and her nickname for him was "Sunny Jim". He made a reappearance after an absence of 42 years, only to tangle with local villain Tony Gordon. Cope also appeared in the 1988 special Minnie Caldwell Remembered.
Storylines
Jed served time in a borstal in Manchester in 1960. He first appeared in April 1961 to see if his friend Dennis Tanner (Philip Lowrie), who he had met in borstal would help him on a job – of dubious legality – but Dennis was not into that sort of thing any more and turned him down. He returned on 13 September (the same day as Ida Barlow's funeral), reformed but unemployed, to find legitimate work with Dennis' help. Dennis was promoted at the Orinoco club and managed to get Jed his old job. Jed was a regular fixture in the street from then on and became best friends with Dennis, Christine Hardman and Jean Stark, who he briefly dated.
After some time away, Jed reappeared in November 1962, as Dennis had told him he would be able to lodge at No.11, but Dennis' mother Elsie was not having it. A sympathetic Minnie Caldwell let him live with her at No.5. Having finished at the Orinocco, he made money by doing odd jobs for friends and trying out the occasional business idea, including selling wash basins, waxwork dummies, operating a market stall and working in an auction room. Whatever the job, they were always short-term and he never earned a lot. He was initially intended to be a somewhat nefarious character, but during an argument with Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), actor Kenneth Cope thought the cameras had stopped rolling and said, "Give us a kiss!" The line was kept in, and Jed became a more lighthearted figure, running various schemes while helping Minnie out when he could. He became known for his trademark flat cap, which he even wore during a bed scene. Jed was arrested on Minnie's birthday in 1966 and sentenced to nine months in prison for stealing blankets. He is released off-screen in 1967 although doesn't return to the street, but does keep contact with Minnie until her departure in 1976. Jed also plays a part in the introduction of Eddie Yeats in 1974, as he sends Eddie (revealed to be his former cellmate) to stay with Minnie for the Christmas period.
Jed returned on 8 August 2008, wearing his cap and holding a cat (as Minnie had always held her cat) named Sonny Jim. Landlord Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) barged into Jed's home, but he refused Tony's attempts to persuade him to move out by saying he'd lived there for 40 years and in spite of his health problems, he was still more of a man than Tony. Ten days later, Tony returned in an attempt to buy Jed out of the flat. Tony returned a few hours later, and Jed suffered a heart attack. Tony delayed calling the ambulance, instead calling Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) who was helping to develop the flats. He then told the paramedics that Jed had been ready to sign the papers before he collapsed. He left Jed's cat on the streets to fend for itself. Jed was last seen in the hospital when Tony informed him of clearing the house out and said some harsh words to Mr. Stone, Jed then began to cry in turmoil over losing his cat and home.
On 17 November 2008, Emily Bishop met him while working in the canteen at Weatherfield General and recognised him from his time on the street and later invited him to move in with her and Norris Cole. His nemesis Tony was stunned to see him on the Street and the pair clashed, with Jed demanding that Tony give him money for having ruined his life. In December 2008, he paid Maria Connor a visit; he told her all about his experience at the hands of Tony and supported her strong suspicions that Tony had killed her husband Liam. Jed became more suspicious when he later saw Tony talking with Jimmy Dockerson. Tony tried to bribe Jed with a sum of money in the ginnel which Jed accepted but he assured Tony that he would not get rid of him that easily.