Uncle Alf
Uncle Alf is a close friend (non-relative) of Karl's Dad. As with most of Karl's friends and family from Manchester he was quite a bizarre man. He was a cobbler, and Karl said his shoes "lasted forever" because he would put about five soles on them when he repaired them, causing them to resemble "built-up" orthopaedic shoes. He also owned two televisions: one on which the sound didn't work, and one on which the picture didn't work. He would tune to the same channel on both and watch the picture on one, and listen to the other.
He apparently liked boats so much that he slept in an inflatable rubber dinghy. This fact caused a small amount of confusion to Ricky and Steve, when Karl later mentioned his Uncle Alf had given him a bed mattress when Karl had bought a new bed frame for his and Suzanne's apartment.