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Guest Character Profiles > Ian Burns Jon Sidney

Ian Burns 1985
Marital Status: Margaret (Divorced)
Children: Rachel

Businessman Ian Burns leased his house out to stripper Daphne Lawrence whilst he was going to be overseas for three months, but he was soon forced to return to town when his ex-wife Margaret contacted him to say that their daughter, Rachel, had gone missing, and had turned up at his house. Ian was furious to be dragged home from Hong Kong, and insisted that Rachel would have to go back to her mother and stepfather immediately, but Daphne, who'd spent some time getting to know the girl and listening to her problems, made Ian see that the situation was unhealthy and that Rachel would just keep on running away unless it was resolved.

Though not entirely happy at having to take the advice of his tenant, Ian explained to Daphne that he did care about Rachel, but he was working overseas so much that he never felt like he could give her the time that she deserved. Daphne told him that he needed to explain that to his daughter, as Rachel just felt like he'd abandoned her at the age of 10, to be brought up by her mum and a stepfather that she didn't get along with. When Rachel returned home, after going out for a walk, Ian suggested that they spend some time together the following day, but he ended up going out to the office and spending much of the day working. When he did return, he and Daphne were talking about terminating the lease, so that she could move out, and Rachel overheard, upset to realise that she was about to lose her new friend, and the one person she felt she could talk to. Having heard Daphne talking to her agent earlier that day, and watched her write down his new address, Rachel copied it out and left the house, hoping that he might be able to get her some work so she could be independent and avoid living with either of her parents. The plan failed when the agent, Frank wondered why Daphne had sent such a young girl to him, and called her. Daphne and Ian then went to collect her, with Ian furious at his daughter's behaviour and beginning to wonder if Daphne was such a good influence on Rachel.

Ian decided to contact Rachel's mother, Margaret, to try and resolve the situation once and for all. When Margaret and her second husband Don arrived, it soon descended into an argument about who was to blame for the situation, overheard from the kitchen by a very distressed Rachel. Daphne then stormed into the living room and told them all that they had to shut up and listen - rather than arguing amongst themselves, they simply needed to ask Rachel what she wanted. She said that she wanted to live with her father, and after finally taking the time to learn how her daughter had been feeling, Margaret acknowledged that she was partly to blame for the way the situation had spiralled out of control. It was agreed that Rachel would live with Ian, but when he was overseas and for some of the holidays, she would stay with Margaret and Don. Ian thanked Daphne for her help, and although the Burns' were happy for her to stay for as long as she needed, she moved back to Ramsay Street soon after.

Tenure
115, 116, 117, 118

Biography by Steve

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