Annie Walker Anne " Annie " Walker ( née Beaumont ) was landlady of the Rovers Return Inn from 1937 to 1984 . A proud member of the Beaumont family of Clitheroe , Lancashire , Annie moved to Weatherfield to find work and married Jack Walker in 1937 . They immediately took over the tenancy of the Rovers and raised their children Billy and Joan there . When Jack died in 1970 , Annie took over as licensee . As landlady , Annie carried herself with an almost regal dignity acquired through many years of tending to the working classes . Resigned to a life at the Rovers , she concentrated on making a success of it while improving her social standing , although her pretensions more often than not led to despair at the behaviour and general demeanour of the less refined members of her clientele . It nearly always fell to Jack to offer an olive branch to both staff and customers who had been offended by Annie . After Jack ' s death , Annie found it increasingly difficult to cope with her responsibilities at the Rovers . She remained in charge thanks mostly to having friends within senior management of the brewery , but in 1984 she decided she ' d had enough and went to live with Joan in Derby . Biography . 1909 - 1937 : The Beaumonts of Clitheroe . Anne Beaumont was born in Clitheroe , Lancashire , on 11th August 1909 , the only child of Edward and Florence Beaumont . The Clitheroe Beaumonts - who originally came over to England with William the Conqueror - were a family of great wealth and influence . Anne was educated at Clitheroe Council School but learned far more from her mother , from whom she inherited her social pretensions and a disdain for some elements of the working classes . She was , after all , a woman of a more sophisticated breed , interested in art and culture . She aspired to make something of herself in the theatre scene , and was a member of the Clitheroe Amateur Operatic Society . However , Anne ' s cozy life was to end in 1927 when her grandfather passed away , and her father inherited his considerable debts . Anne had to go out to work , but even her mother ' s tutorege couldn ' t prepare her for the working enviroment in the weaving shed where she gained employment as a loom operator . While she coped well enough with the work , Anne had to learn to tolerate the other women and their mannerisms . On 7th April 1930 , Anne ' s torment ended when her mother inherited a successful ice cream factory upon the death of her aunt . The last of the Clitheroe Beaumonts then traded their hometown for Weatherfield to run the factory and shop . This was a factory Anne was happy to work in , and more importantly , her family ' s improved circumstances allowed her to rekindle her operatic ambitions by taking singing and public speaking lessons with St Agnes Amateur Operatic Society at the Weatherfield Lyceum . The producer of her opera group was Edgar Nuttall , who became her mentor and gave her her first lead in " Mayfair Melody " in 1932 . With her career now on the right path , Anne turned her attention to finding a suitable husband . After some soul searching - and breaking some hearts - Anne began courting her cousin Edwin Beaumont . It was Edwin who first called her " Annie " , which she soon decided she preferred to " Anne " , and it was Edwin who dared Annie to enter the Pageant of the Ages on the condition that he chose her character , only for her entire family to turn out to watch her don a body stocking and blonde wig to appear as Lady Godiva . One day , while admiring the dyed water in the canal from her favourite bridge , Annie aroused the attentions of one Jack Walker as he pushed his cart of wool to the dye rooms at Possitt ' s Dye Works . Seeing Annie leaning over the bridge , Jack thought she was about to take the route of so many victims of the Depression , and ran over to pull her back . Annie ' s initial shock turned to laughter when she realised the misunderstanding , while her would - be rescuer was unusually lost for words . Accrington - born Jack Walker had neither the status nor the brass of her previous suitors , but at last Annie had found her man . 1937 - 1945 : Keeping the home fires burning . Annie and Jack were married on 23rd October 1937 at Mount Zion Baptist Chapel and they began their married life in Ashdale Road . Within weeks of the wedding , the Walkers were granted the tenancy of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street , replacing George and Mary Diggins as landlords of the backstreet pub . Jack came from a family of publicans and learned the trade at his brother Arthur ' s pub , The Nag ' s Head , and took to the Rovers immediately . Annie had no bar experience but decided that the Rovers would be a suitable stepping stone to a country inn up Cheshire way in about a year ' s time . Reality had a different future in mind . With the outbreak of war in 1939 , Jack wasted no time in signing up . He ' d been there for the birth of their son Billy , but by the time Joan was born in 1940 , Annie was on her own . Although she disliked the Rovers , Annie soldiered on behind the bar while fulfilling her responsibilities as a mother , with Ned Narkin helping out as potman . Annie distrusted Ned , but when a burglar at the Rovers held a knife to her throat , Ned was stabbed protecting her . She soon settled into the Street and made friends among the residents , including Esther Hayes and Albert Tatlock . Jack occasionally visited on leave , but Annie was disturbed by his change in personality and she began to distance herself from him emotionally . By 1944 she had begun an infatuation with John Barnstable , headmaster at Bessie Street School , who made her feel cultured and flattered . They progressed to clandestine dates and kissing , at one point even being unable to open the pub because she and John had been stranded on a date due to heavy snow . Although Annie tried to end the relationship , John was persistent , and she seriously considered a life with him . Finally , a disgusted Ena Sharples wrote to Jack , and Jack returned home on Christmas 1944 , dressed as Santa . Annie , assuming John was in the outfit , called him , " John , " confirming Ena ' s story . Jack warned John off and threatened Annie to not make such a mistake again . A humiliated Annie tried to get her own back by lying to Ena ' s superiors that she had allowed alcohol at the Glad Tidings Mission Hall , but Ena blackmailed her into retracting her statement , saying she would tell everyone about Annie ' s relationship with Barnstable . With the war over , Jack took his place behind the bar and normality resumed . 1945 - 1964 : Annie ' s next challenge . Annie had high expectations of Billy and Joan , and placed them in private schools to give them the best start in life . Joan took to Weatherfield Girls ' Grammar School like a duck to water , and became a teacher , but Billy - who had spent his formative years without a father in his life and subsequently never been close to Jack - was expelled from Mrs Dudley Henderson Private Academy for fighting , and left school to become a mechanic . Annie was nevertheless proud of both of her children . In 1954 , Annie decided it was time to move on from the Rovers , and this time there was no talking her round . She and Jack viewed some pubs in Wilmslow , Cheshire , but while the surroundings were very much to Annie ' s liking , her illusion of being among her own kind was shattered and they found her just as common as they found Jack . Annie hadn ' t waited all that time to live somewhere where people looked down on her , and so she resigned herself to a life in Coronation Street . After completing his National Service , Billy moved to London to work in a friend ' s garage , and in 1961 Joan married Gordon Davies , a fellow teacher at the school where Joan taught English , and the couple moved to Derby . Billy visited occasionally ; in 1962 Billy returned to introduce his parents to his fiancée Philippa Scopes . Annie disapproved of the union as Philippa was a beauty queen , but she changed her mind after getting to know her . In any case , Philippa broke off the engagement to return to beauty contests . Joan looked down on her parents and she and Gordon tolerated them on their occasional visits to Derby . Jack and Annie were a popular couple in Coronation Street and made a good team as landlord and landlady of the Rovers . Though Annie considered herself a cut above most of her customers , Jack acted as a counterbalance , who could knock Annie off her lofty perch with one look . In 1964 , Jack and Annie came close to splitting up when Annie found out Jack had been making regular payments to a Mrs . Nicholls , and wrongly assumed she was a lover . The reality was that Jack was paying Billy ' s rent as Billy had lost his job , but Annie left Jack instead of confronting him , and only came to regret her hastiness when coping without Jack at Egremont Hotel proved too much for her . Though innocent , Jack remained concerned that Annie would not return , though she eventually did and was deeply apologetic . 1964 - 1969 : A mother again . Later that year , the Walkers took in 15 - year - old Lucille Hewitt as a ward when her father Harry and stepmother Concepta moved to Ireland . Concepta had been a live - in barmaid at the Rovers before marrying Harry , and the Hewitts had subsequently been close to the Walkers . When Lucille refused to go with her parents , Annie volunteered to put her up while she finished her O - levels . Lucille was a different challenge to Annie than Billy or Joan had been . Annie refused to modernise her parenting approach , and found Lucille flighty and irresponsible , while Lucille found Annie cold and difficult to talk to , and became closer to Jack . Annie was an active member of the community and in 1966 her aspirations turned political , when Mrs Arkinstall of the Federation of Women ' s Associations agreed to sponsor her application to stand as an independent candidate in the Council by - elections . She quickly got caught up in electioneering duties , putting them even above her duties as landlady . She was up against neighbour Len Fairclough , who during a debate accused Annie of being a mouthpiece for snotty women . They received the same amount of votes on election day , and on a coin toss Len was elected Councillor . The Walkers had another of their meaningless fall - outs in 1967 when Annie was dissatisfied with Jack ' s answers to a truth game and refused to let the matter drop , causing Jack to sleep in the spare room and later Albert Tatlock ' s house to get away from Annie ' s nagging . Annie , unsure of where Jack was staying , got the mistaken impression that he was sleeping over at Elsie Tanner ' s house , and convinced herself they were having an affair . Jack couldn ' t believe Annie could think something so far - fetched but reassured her that he loved her and they reconciled . In 1968 , Lucille became involved with Gordon Clegg , an accounting student whose protective mother Maggie had recently bought the Corner Shop . Annie objected to Gordon , fearing that his father ' s alcoholism was hereditary , and because she suspected Maggie thought Gordon was too good for Lucille . The lovelorn couple ran away to get married but missed the train to Gretna Green and returned home , to their parents ' relief . Annie ' s attitude towards Gordon changed when he became a qualified accountant - a man of education . The following year , Annie was once again on the wrong side of her children , with her racism against Billy ' s girlfriend Jasmine Choong causing Billy and Jasmine to split up . Annie was thrilled in 1969 when brewery rep Douglas Cresswell offered her and Jack a pub in Majorca , while she was in Majorca after winning the ' Perfect Landlady ' competition arranged by Newton & Ridley . It was the chance she had been waiting for for years , and for her sake Jack was also willing to go , however they were turned down at the last minute when Cresswell ' s boss decided they were too old to run the Majorca bar . 1970 - 1976 : Jack ' s death and Billy ' s return . It was a sad day in 1970 when Jack had a heart attack and passed away while visiting Joan in Derby . Annie was distraught but despite her grief was able to carry on with her job , taking over as licensee of the Rovers Return , with Billy moving to Weatherfield to keep an eye in her and help out at the pub when needed . The brewery was satisfied that with Billy around Annie could continue to function as landlady , though they did offer to make Billy licensee behind Annie ' s back , believing he would be the more ideal landlord , an offer he turned down . Lucille ' s future continued to worry Annie . After gaining good qualifications , Lucille grew into a lazy young woman who worked when it suited her , and when she did have a job , it tended to be somewhere Annie disapproved of , such as the Aquarius disco club , which to add insult to injury , was a Newton & Ridley house like the Rovers . She once offered to buy the Corner Shop for Lucille , but Lucille wasn ' t interested . Lucille eventually left for good in 1974 to live with Concepta in Ireland . Annie ' s big moment finally came in 1973 when incoming Mayor of Weatherfield Alf Roberts asked her to be his Mayoress . Annie was expecting the invitation - some would say she ' d been rehearsing for it all her life - and she accepted it graciously . However , no sooner had Annie and Alf been sworn in that Annie found out that Billy had been gambling using the pub ' s takings . Furious , Annie made barmaid Betty Turpin manager and cut off Billy ' s access to the Rovers ' accounts , and the pair had a blazing row . Billy decided to leave Weatherfield to rebuild his life in Jersey , while Annie told the brewery she was retiring as there was now nothing left for her at the Rovers . She changed her mind when the regulars showed her a petition they ' d written , signed by 46 people telling the brewery that she was the only landlady they wanted . Billy made another return to Weatherfield in 1974 , soon to be engaged to Deirdre Hunt . Annie threw herself into wedding preparations , although secretly she didn ' t think much of Deirdre and disapproved of Billy paying for the wedding instead of Blanche Hunt . With three weeks to go , Billy called off the wedding , deciding he no longer wanted to marry Deirdre , and returned to Jersey . Although she was now living by herself at the Rovers , Annie did not inform the brewery of Billy ' s departure as she feared they would retire her . Later in the year , two thugs , Les Grimes and Neil Foxall , broke into the Rovers in the night in search of valuables and money . Despite being unable to defend herself , Annie refused to be intimidated and defiantly told them her money was in the bank ( in fact , there was money on the premises which she kept in a safe place ) . The thugs left after searching the place and finding nothing of value , and despite telling friends and staff she was fine Annie fell down the stairs the next day and was admitted to hospital . The brewery then discovered Annie ' s true living situation , however she was held in high enough esteem that she was offered the tenancy of a pub in Cheshire , rather than retirement . When informed of the brewery ' s decision by Warren Coates , an unflappable Annie immediately telephoned Coates ' s boss Douglas Cresswell , a personal friend , who put a stop to the plans . However , she agreed to take on a live - in cellarman , and hired pot - bellied widower Fred Gee herself . 1976 - 1983 : Queen of the Rovers . In her final years at the Rovers , age was no obstacle to Annie , and she continued to rule with an iron fist . In 1976 , when her business was threatened by Renee Bradshaw ' s application to turn the Corner Shop into an off - licence , Annie petitioned against her , but the matter was settled in court in favour of Renee . At 67 , Annie decided to learn to drive , and to pass her test after fewer than 86 lessons - the number her friend and rival Nellie Harvey had taken . To the surprise of all ( after her first lesson ended with her hitting a lamp post ) , she passed her test first time and bought a second - hand Rover 2000 . Not long after getting the car , Annie was stopped by the police while doing a turn in the road , and was breathalysed . Much to her horror , the crystal turned green . A blood test taken at the police station proved Annie was below the limit , but by that time her companion Kitty Stonely had already spread the word among Annie ' s posh friends at the Lady Victuallers . In 1977 , the brewery held a party in the Rovers celebrating Annie ' s four decades as landlady , with Billy arriving as a surprise guest . The following year , a take - over bid at the brewery nearly caused Annie to step down as landlord in favour of Billy - to guarantee she could stay at the Rovers - but the bid fell through at the last minute . In 1979 , Billy returned again to ask Annie for a loan to buy a wine bar . Annie was willing to give him the money but retracted the offer when Billy asked Deirdre to come with him ; Deirdre was now a married woman , although separated . When Deirdre decided not to go with Billy , Annie handed the money over . In 1981 , Annie went on a cruise and left temporary manager Gordon Lewis in charge of the Rovers as she didn ' t have faith in Fred to run it . She was shocked when she returned to find Gordon had replaced her staff . After relieving Gordon from his post , she had to earn back the respect of Betty and Bet Lynch , who were angry that Annie hadn ' t trusted them . Annie appeared to have especially low regard for Fred Gee . When he married Eunice Nuttall in 1981 , Annie offered to let them live at the Rovers while they looked for a pub of their own . When they were turned down by the brewery because Eunice had been accused of stealing , Annie still wanted them out as she had found a new cellarman who was ready to start work . Fred later split from Eunice and Annie let him keep his job . 1984 : Retirement . In late 1983 , Annie took a break from the Rovers to stay with Joan , and in early 1984 her son Billy arrived to declare that his mother was " bowing out " ( retiring ) . Annie had decided to retire without returning to tell her staff and friends personally . She convinced Billy to run the pub though his stay was very brief , as he had to sell the tenancy of the Rovers to pay his debts . Personality . Florence Beaumont was a pretentious woman and a snob , who enjoyed the benefits of her family ' s wealth . Annie inherited many of her mother ' s personality traits but as she grew up , her family ' s circumstances changed for the worse and her mother ' s privileged lifestyle was denied her . Annie went out to work in a weaving shed and spent the remaining years prior to her marriage to Jack in factories . Having " survived " this chapter of her life , Annie emerged stronger ; a woman who placed responsibility and standards above all else , and with a better understanding of the working class , but otherwise she was still her mother ' s daughter , her airs and graces and cut - glass accent refined rather than tarnished by those difficult times . As landlady of the Rovers Return , Annie tried to bring some of the Beaumont excellence to the backstreets of Weatherfield . Staff and customers became accustomed , with some amusement , to her fanciful ideas and delusions of grandeur . However , not all customers were welcome , and the more common element of the riffraff could expect service with a scowl , Annie barely disguising her disdain . Neighbours and even staff were frequently offended by Annie ' s attitude , and her rush to judgement resulted in several boycotts of the Rovers in favour of The Flying Horse . After Jack ' s death , Annie continued to run the Rovers with her usual high standards . A select few people saw a more vulnerable side to Annie - notably Billy and Lucille - as Annie contemplated retirement , but she always continued on as Jack would have wanted her to do . If age and the strain of her job was taking their toll , it never showed as Annie remained in full control of her faculties until she stepped down from her role , and her staff knew not to treat her like an invalid as Annie could ( and did ) crack the whip when required . Annie was obsessed with social status and judged people according to their education and position in the community . Authority figures could expect a personal welcome at the Rovers , or even an invitation through to the back for a sherry . Among her own kind at the Weatherfield Ladies Licenced Victuallers , the domain of insecure women and bitter rivalries dressed up as friendships , Annie would take any opportunity to show off . Annie had charm and a way with words and could usually find a way to get what she wanted from people , but when the outcome wasn ' t in her favour ( in those situations , of course , Annie was entirely blameless ) , a " migraine " would come on , forcing Annie to retire to bed . Politically , Annie was very right - wing and believed in bringing back hanging . Relationships . Beaumont family . Although her airs and graces came from her mother , it was the Beaumonts who could do no wrong in Annie ' s eyes . They had continental roots , and a long history in Clitheroe as one of its elite , at least according to Annie . Her overly romantic references to her family history were humoured - though scarcely believed - by staff and customers alike . Annie ' s delusions of grandeur were aided by the fact that none of her family ever appeared in Weatherfield to shatter her illusions . In 1977 , Annie received a visit from a mystery guest , who she recognised as her cousin Charles Beaumont . They hadn ' t seen each other since Clitheroe , and each had an entire life story to tell the other . Although Charles gave the impression of being wealthy , he borrowed money without the intention of paying it back , and news quickly reached Annie that he was doing the same in Coronation Street , using his connection to her to borrow from her staff and friends . Annie made sure he paid his debts and then told him to leave . Jack Walker . Born in 1901 , Jack Walker was eight years older than Annie . During the Depression , he took what work he could , but he was most at home behind the bar of his brother Arthur ' s locale , The Nag ' s Head . They first met when Jack " saved " Annie from jumping off a bridge , only to find she ' d been admiring the water below . Annie had always screened her potential suitors , and a working man like Jack would normally be dismissed out of hand , but she couldn ' t help herself in wanting to see more of this tall , kind stranger . Unlike Annie , there was nothing pretentious about Jack - he was a kindly man , with a genial but firm manner , and he was completely down to earth . Behind the bar , they were a couple much loved and respected by the neighbours , and their stewardship passed without any major scandals . On a smaller scale , however , their marriage was a battle of personalities , in particular Annie ' s whims against Jack ' s salt - of - the - earth practicality . Jack knew that Annie ' s flash - in - the - pan ideas were only that , and so he would usually humour her - however , Annie could easily pick up on this and she enjoyed leading her brow - beaten husband a merry dance , leaving him unsure if she was serious or not . On the other hand , Jack was the only person who made Annie feel the need to justify herself and one look from him was often enough to knock her off her high horse . This was not the case for the customers , and it usually fell to Jack to smooth relations with whoever Annie had offended . Sometimes , during minor spats , Annie would prioritize getting even with Jack over making up with him . In 1962 , she went on holiday without him , and the following year went to the theatre with her friend Arthur Forsythe - Jones to make Jack jealous . In 1967 , however , Annie was distraught when she thought Jack had died in a viaduct crash , and was overcome with relief when he entered the Rovers having just heard about the incident . After Jack ' s death , Annie never re - married . She kept a photograph of Jack on the mantelpiece in the Rovers living room , a reminder of the husband she loved so dearly . Billy and Joan . Annie tried to give her children the best possible start in life . Initially , her efforts were concentrated on Joan , or ' Joanie ' . With a grammar school education , and a teaching qualification , Joan was the apple of her mother ' s eye , and Annie beamed with pride when she married Gordon Davies in 1961 , however once the Davies settled in Derby , Joan put in only two appearances in Weatherfield . Annie ' s plan had worked too well ; she considered Annie part and parcel of Weatherfield , no different than the riffraff she served . Joan ' s home did however serve as a place of respite for Annie whenever she needed a break from the tiring routine of tending bar . Annie had occasionally considered retiring to Derby but didn ' t think the Davies ' wanted her , however that was where she ultimately did retire in 1983 . Billy was a bad penny ; he never settled long in one place or job , returning to Weatherfield more for the security of his home turf than to visit Annie . He never wanted to follow in his parents ' footsteps , and ducked out of working at the Rovers , but circumstances - mainly Jack ' s death and his sense of responsibility towards Annie - kept putting him back behind the bar . Annie held out hope that he ' d make something of himself , and did her best to push him in the right direction , but wasn ' t as honest or hardworking as his father , preferring the simple pleasures such as women and gambling . Still , he and Annie managed to sustain a good relationship even through the most difficult times . Lucille Hewitt . Lucille Hewitt was born in Coronation Street and lived at No . 7 with her father Harry and stepmother Concepta until 1964 . The Walkers were close friends of the Hewitts , with Concepta being a former live - in barmaid at the establishment and Harry a frequent patron . When Lucille refused to move with her parents to Ireland in 1964 , Annie offered to let her live at the Rovers and all parties agreed . Annie found Lucille somewhat rebellious ; an example of modern youth which Annie knew little about . She didn ' t like Lucille ' s tendency to make impulsive decisions , such as leaving a promising job for better paid factory work at the local PVC factory , and getting engaged to Alistair Bradshaw despite only just meeting him . Annie occasionally extended an olive branch to Lucille , and gave her elocution lessons when she didn ' t get a secretarial job in 1965 . For the most part , Lucille found Annie cold and difficult to talk to , finding more sympathy and understanding from Jack . Most of the time , Lucille didn ' t tell Annie what she was up to as she knew she would try to put a stop to it . In 1968 , Lucille left the Rovers to squat at a hippie commune , which Annie sorted out by contacting the landlord who evicted them . Sometimes Annie went too far , such as when she read Lucille ' s post when Lucille wouldn ' t tell her the contents . Despite their rows , Annie cared a great deal for Lucille and when Lucille moved out of the Rovers for good , Annie looked out for her as she would if she were her own daughter . When she saw the state of the bedsit Lucille was sharing with her boyfriend Danny Burrows , Annie offered to let them live at the Rovers , despite her disapproval of them living together , but Lucille refused . When Lucille fled to Ireland to avoid seeing Gordon Clegg in 1974 , she never returned . Nellie Harvey . Nellie Harvey was Annie ' s counterpart from the Laughing Donkey . In 1965 , Nellie paved the way for Annie to become a chairperson within the Weatherfield Ladies Licenced Victuallers , thus beginning a friendship of sorts . Essentially , Nellie was Annie ' s social nemesis , although their relationship was dressed up as a friendship . In November 1971 , when Nellie recognised Annie ' s ward Lucille Hewitt go - go - dancing on the bar of her friend Kitty Stonely ' s pub , the Aquarius , she delighted in luring Annie there to see the shock on her face when she saw what her ward was up to . A few weeks later , Nellie and Kitty organised a large fun - raising ball in aid of the RNLI at the Windermere Rooms . Determined not to let Annie know about it , they were annoyed when she did find out and invited herself , and were livid when the eligible Lt Commander Gerald Prince monopolised Annie for the night . In 1972 , Annie and Nellie fell over each other to impress the national President of the Lady Victuallers , Ethne Willoughby . When Ethne asked about the Preston Guild , Nellie promised her a ticket to an LV VIP luncheon at the event . Though she was unable to get one , Nellie told Ethne confidently that if she couldn ' t get her a ticket , no one could , however Annie then interjected to suggest that one of them give up their ticket , deciding by coin toss . Nellie concurred , but little did Annie know - and Nellie was only too happy to tell her - that as Nellie was due to give a speech at the luncheon , it would have to be Annie who gave up her ticket . On occasion , Nellie dropped the mask of friendship . In 1971 , when Annie beat Nellie to the punch when the Lady Victuallers asked for someone to open the Brookside Motel , Nellie told her ' friend ' disdainfully : " You should be put out - every night - like the bloody cat you are ! " In January 1974 , Nellie ' s husband Arthur left his wife for Annie , telling Annie that she was a " real lady " - unlike Nellie . After catching Arthur at the Rovers in his pyjamas , Nellie announced she was going to divorce Arthur and sue Annie for enticement . Annie did nothing to encourage Arthur , and forced him to return to Nellie by threatening never to speak to him again . Nellie then took him back , and the state of affairs returned to much the same as before . Alf Roberts . The Mayor to Annie ' s Mayoress - after being let down by his first choice Maggie Clegg , Alf Roberts turned to the Rovers landlady . Annie had already convinced herself she ' d be the perfect Mayoress , and did not need asking twice . After their year in office , Alf remained a friend to his former Mayoress and he was one of the few people permitted to call her by her first name . Annie sometimes confided in him , such as in 1981 when she told him she was installing a temporary manager at the Rovers while she was on a winter cruise as she didn ' t trust her staff . She also acted as his friend , such as later in the same year when she warned Alf that people were talking about him and Audrey Potter . Betty Turpin . Betty Turpin was hired as bar staff by Jack in 1969 while Annie was in Majorca . On her return , Annie took a dislike to Betty and tried to sack her on the grounds of incompatibility , but Betty stayed at her post with Jack ' s support and eventually Annie was won round . Betty was Annie ' s longest - serving employee , but they were never friends as Annie didn ' t believe in fraternizing with staff . Likewise , Betty ' s length of service did not change Annie ' s untrusting nature ; when in - house brewery decorator Gary Hawkins copied Annie ' s key and stole from her , Annie insinuated to Betty that she thought she was the thief , and complained about her to Nellie Harvey . Betty hit back by threatening to sue Annie for defamation of character . Annie infuriated her further by , after grudgingly apologising , expecting her to leave her new job at the Corner Shop and take her place behind the bar , though she did eventually return . Annie and Betty did share many warmer moments . When Cyril Turpin died , Annie took charge of Betty and offered her some words of comfort , having been through the death of a husband herself . The women also shared jokes on occasion , and Annie confided private feelings in Betty , which she never did with Bet Lynch . In 2000 , with many more years of service at the Rovers behind her , Betty counted Annie as her favourite landlady . Bet Lynch . Good staff were hard to find , but Annie would give up the Rovers before she let standards slip . When Billy took on the task of hiring a new barmaid in 1970 , he drafted in Bet Lynch . The young blonde bombshell went down well with the men , but Annie thought she lowered the tone and told Billy to get rid of her . Billy managed to sweet - talk Annie into giving Bet a week ' s trial , and when profits went up , Annie decided that perhaps Bet was tolerable after all but insisted that she dress " a little warmer " in future . Annie continued to think of Bet as cheap and tarty , and Annie was quick to believe the worst of her . In 1975 , she rowed with Bet and accused her spreading lies about Sean Regan , husband of Concepta , who was staying at the Rovers temporarily and had tried to get Bet into bed with him . Once again , Annie had to eat humble pie when Len Fairclough corroborated Bet ' s story . Initially showing deference to Annie , Bet didn ' t take long to wise up to her delusions of grandeur , and couldn ' t resist any opportunity to burst her bubble . When Annie held a party for the LV club members to show off her new monogrammed carpet in 1977 , Bet persuaded the other staff not to tell that it was actually a cut - off from a bingo hall with the same initials , and didn ' t warn Annie until it was too late to cancel the party . The following year , Bet found out from Ena Sharples that a " senior medical consultant " Mr . Garfield , who had been handling Annie to help with a back complaint , was actually a hospital porter , but didn ' t warn her at all and enjoyed Annie ' s horrified reaction when Emily Bishop let it slip . Although they were chalk and cheese , Bet had respect for Annie and , when she took over the Rovers as landlady in 1985 , Bet felt she had Annie ' s high standards to live up to . A framed photograph of Annie was placed on the mantlepiece in the back room throughout Bet ' s stewardship . Fred Gee . Fred Gee was Annie ' s put - upon potman , who was hired by Annie in 1976 . Annie was sympathetic over his recent bereavement , namely the death of his wife Edna in the Mark Brittain Warehouse fire . Annie had been instructed by the brewery to take in a resident cellarman after various problems , the most recent of which being Stan Ogden and Albert Tatlock being locked in the cellar overnight and helping themselves to the drink . Unlike Bet , Fred didn ' t have the measure of Annie , and she treated him like a drudge . As well as handling all of the heavy work at the Rovers , Fred was Annie ' s personal chauffeur , a position which he inadvertently gave Annie the idea for when he came to collect her in her Rover 2000 dressed in a driver ' s outfit and hat - to make a point - only for her to love the idea and make it permanent . Annie found Fred crude and petty and he often showed her up . In February 1982 , a last - minute cancellation left Annie with no choice but to have Fred accompany her to the brewery dance . By the end of the night , Fred had got extremely drunk , monopolized a bored Sarah Ridley , lost the Rover , and ordered a space invader machine for the Rovers and a Rover Limo . However , he was useful enough to Annie to keep his job . Role in the community . Annie was a popular landlady and neighbour . For all her air and graces , she acknowledged that the Rovers was merely a backstreet pub . Occasionally , Annie would be so taken up with an idea that she would drive the customers away to The Flying Horse , such as in 1970 when she decided only to serve drinkers if they were smartly dressed . Eventually , Annie had to accept the Rovers for what it was , but even then she was protective its pride of place in the community and opposed Renee Bradshaw ' s application to turn the Corner Shop into an off - licence in 1976 . Annie ' s stubbornness and rush to judgement also affected her abilities as landlady on occasion . In 1962 , she wrongly accused Dennis Tanner of stealing £20 from the till , and rowed with Elsie Tanner resulting in the family withdrawing their custom ( Annie comforted herself with the thought that it was custom they could well do without ) . To her embarrassment , the £20 was found stuck in the till drawer . However , at least by the end of the following year , all was forgiven as when Dennis organised a ' This is Your Life ' for a mystery Coronation Street , Annie was revealed as his victim . Within wider circles , Annie was a chairperson of the Weatherfield Ladies Licenced Victuallers . Annie often held soirees for her socialite friends , although the Lady Vics was more of a consortium of bitter rivals and Annie ' s relationships with its members , including Kitty Stonely , was much the same as that with Nellie Harvey . Hobbies and interests . Annie ' s interests were geared towards self - improvement . She considered herself a capable actress and singer , and was a member of the St Agnes Amateur Operatic Society early in her career . She was a regular participant in the plays performed by the street residents , and always snapped up the best roles , including the Duchess of Bannock in " Lady Lawson Loses " , the Fairy Godmother in " Cinderella " , Empress Ming in " Aladdin " and Lady Bracknell in " The Importance of Being Earnest " . She also sang " There Will Always Be An England " in the Rovers 40s show in 1972 , but her most famous performance - despite her best efforts to bury it - was as Lady Godiva in the Pageant of the Ages . At the Silver Jubilee street party in 1977 , Annie played Queen Elizabeth I on the Coronation Street float . She had previously dressed up as Elizabeth in a fancy dress party held in the Glad Tidings Mission Hall in 1966 , where she won the prize for best dressed female . Annie was also interested in culture . After a visit to Paris , she had serious thoughts about putting tables and chairs outside the Rovers to create a Parisian atmosphere in Coronation Street but she was talked out of it . In 1979 , she bought a painting from Eddie Yeats which turned out to be the work of Hilda Ogden . Hilda greatly enjoyed hearing Annie waxing lyrical about the painting , but Annie had the last laugh as , on discovering the identity of the artist , she sold it for a profit . Although not a football fan , Annie decided to go to a game in 1967 for the experience . After the game , she was accosted by football hooligans and eventually threw one of their rattles at a chip shop window , smashing it . She was let off the hook by the police but had to pay for the window . Background information . Creation . Annie was one of the first characters created for " Coronation Street " . According to later producer s H . V . Kershaw and Bill Podmore , she was based on a woman called Josephine Paterson , who was the landlady of Tony Warren ' s favourite watering hole , " The Lantern Pike " , where he wrote the first scripts for the " Street " . Paterson is described by Podmore as a " formidable , chain - smoking woman . . . who was known to friends and foes alike as ' Mrs Pat ' " " ( Coronation Street : The Inside Story , Macdonald & Co , 1990 ) " Casting . The role was written especially for Doris Speed , who Warren had long admired as an actress : “ I first saw her when I was a little boy in the audience when I was ten years old . I saw her in ' s " Hay Fever " , and she wore a purple dress with a silver stripe down the middle . By the time I was twelve , I was working in radio " Children ' s Hour " , and I was working with her , and I mentioned this dress and she said , “ Yes . . . French ! ” She said it , I knew that this was a remarkable actress who ' d never quite had the right thing to do , and it was this combination of very down - to - earth and very grand - dame , and I was going round thirteen , fourteen saying one day I ' m going to write a great big part for Doris Speed . And I did . ” " ( Coronation Street Remembers Doris Speed , ITV , 1994 ) " Doris Speed came from a theatrical background ; her parents were music hall artists and she made her debut in the family act at age four . After a long career in repertory theatre and radio , she made her first television appearance as the tea lady in " Skyport " for Granada . When " Coronation Street " started , she had recently returned to acting after retiring from a job as an office worker . She was appearing in a play in Bristol when the call came : “ A telegram arrived asking me to go for an audition . I replied , saying it was quite impossible . They called me by telephone . Again I refused . That night an actress friend tipped me off that it might be something special . I turned up in a bad temper , and read a scene . For the first time in my life I knew I ' d get the part . ” " ( The Coronation Street Story , Boxtree Limited , 1995 ) " Kershaw , then script editor , on her audition : “ When Doris Speed bestowed her gracious smile on the hard - eyed panel and began to create a flesh and blood Annie Walker , we knew that the end of that particular trail was in sight . ” " ( The Street Where I Live , Book Club Associates , 1981 ) " Speed ' s on - screen performance of Annie did not disappoint Warren : “ Doris ' s performance of Annie was so exactly what I intended that it would frighten me , I could sit down at a typewriter , write it , and I would look at it on the screen and it would be exactly what I was expecting except she ' d bring something else to it , she ' d bring magic , and the magic would be in a raised eyebrow , or in one finger to a curl , or just to a very far away expression , and of course some of those “ eyes to heaven ” like that . ” " ( Coronation Street Remembers Doris Speed ) " Development . Doris Speed made her TV debut as Annie in Episode 1 on 9th December 1960 and she appeared in all seven episodes transmitted that year . She remained prolific in terms of episodes throughout her time in the programme , appearing in more episodes than any other actor in 1964 , 1967 , 1968 , 1970 ( tied with Patricia Phoenix ) , and 1971 . In Episode 4 , Annie stated that her birthday was in June . It was later moved to 11th August . Also , in Episode 33 , Annie gave her maiden name as Speedwell , as opposed to the later Beaumont . Although her character ' s snobbishness was established from the get - go , Speed ' s initial portrayal of Annie was slightly rougher and more working class . Annie ' s airs and graces ( described in " Coronation Street : Celebrating 30 Years " [ Boxtree Limited , 1990 ] ) as " the withering look and Lady Bracknell manner " were based on her Auntie Bessie , " who used to lead family charades at Christmas - and woe betide those who didn ' t take them seriously . " Speed touched on this in a 1972 interview : “ When it started she was just a very stuffy north country publican , and really one dimensional , and I think over the years the scriptwriters . . . they have to look for inspiration , haven ' t they ? And I think they look at the person who is playing the part and that gives them ideas , so there ' s probably a lot of Doris Speed whether that ' s bad or good in the Annie now . ” In a 1994 interview , William Roache - one of only two actors present throughout Speed ' s time on " Coronation Street " - offered his thoughts on the character and actress : “ In the early episodes she was more of the local girl . As time went on , Doris ' s own personality which was quite sort of regal and autocratic in its own way , she loved to build this little world around her , everybody running around , which people were happy to do . That gradually pervaded into the character and she became more regal , like when we had the fancy dress party on the street she came as Queen Elizabeth I , that was no accident , there ' s a lot of Doris there . ” On her partnership with screen husband Arthur Leslie : “ The lovely relationship with Arthur Leslie who played Jack , Annie would be going on about this , that , and the other , and wanting to do this , a whole scene would go on about what Annie wanted , and Jack would just say , “ Ee , Annie , ” at the end and it just seemed to put it right . He was a lovely balance to Annie Walker . ” " ( Coronation Street Remembers Doris Speed ) " On 30th June 1970 , Arthur Leslie passed away while holidaying in Wales . Speed had played opposite Leslie for ten years and the actress was so devastated by his death that she contemplated quitting , but " . . . Arthur always said the show must go on . . . and so it will . " The character of Annie moved seamlessly from being one half of a bedrock couple to empress of her own kingdom , in which her staff knew to toe the line . Doris Speed ' s exit . On 7th October 1983 , while Speed was in hospital with a stomach complaint , the " Daily Mirror " printed a story that she was , at 84 , fifteen years older than she claimed ( although , contrary to popular belief , her birth certificate was not printed to accompany the piece ) . The actress returned to the programme only to have a relapse while filming a scene , and she was written out for the time being . A short time later , Speed ' s home was broken into , and her home was ransacked while she hid upstairs waiting for the police . Then - executive producer Bill Podmore : “ No one really knew quite how old Doris was , and we were as surprised as she was deeply hurt when a newspaper revealed her age , and shamefully published a copy of her birth certificate to authenticate the intrusion . Unknown to anyone at Granada , she had actually retired and was drawing her pension when Annie Walker , with all her towering social pretensions , first held court behind the bar of the Rovers back in 1960 . No one dreamt she was in her eighties when she finally succumbed to a stomach illness and never again felt well enough to return to the pub she made so famous . ” " ( Coronation Street : The Inside Story ) " Within the programme , Annie ' s last appearance was in Episode 2351 on 12th October 1983 . Her exit was dealt with in Episode 2384 on 6th February 1984 , with Annie deciding to retire and remain with her daughter Joan in Derby , her retreat which had so often served to explain Annie ' s whereabouts during Doris Speed ' s absences from the programme in the past . It is not known what else happened to Annie , although most post - 1994 ( the same year Doris died ) mentions of Annie have been worded as if she has died . In March 2012 , Emily Bishop said that Annie Walker would turn in her grave if she could see the new big - screen television in the Rovers Return . Annie ' s legacy . Nearly thirty years after Doris Speed last played Annie , the character was referenced in a 2012 storyline which saw the death of Betty Williams ( after the real life passing of Betty Driver , who had acted alongside Speed for fourteen years ) . It was stated that Annie had left the Rovers to Betty in her will in 1984 , although Betty apparently never accepted the bequest . This is not included in Annie ' s character biography as Newton & Ridley was the owner of the Rovers until 1995 , and hence Annie could never have left it to Betty . Reconciling the 2012 storyline with established " Coronation Street " history is therefore open to interpretation . Doris Speed also played Annie in the linking scenes in the video " The Magic of Coronation Street " , recorded in 1982 , alongside Patricia Phoenix and Peter Adamson . In Coronation Street - The Epic Novel , which changes a some details from the actual series , Annie mentioned going to stay with her sister in Derby , instead of her daughter Joan . She also reveals her retirement plans to Ken Barlow , something that isn ' t seen ( as Doris Speed had not filmed exit scenes when leaving ) . On the significance and uniqueness of the character , writer John Stevenson said in a 2010 interview : " She was possibly the only character the show has ever had who was just about irreplaceable . No doubt just from a backstreet in Clitheroe , but she gave herself tremendous airs and graces and [ was ] always trying to up her prestige in terms of class , and it doesn ' t quite work today . You could do it then , but you couldn ' t do that equivalent of a character now . ” " " Additional information on Annie from 1939 - 1945 was found in " Coronation Street at War " by Daran Little and " The Way to Victory " by Christine Green . Quotes . " Hello , love . You " do " look happy ! " ( First line , to Ken Barlow in the Rovers ) " I have been in the hub of the community . You might even say I have had my own little kingdom " ( On being landlady of the Rovers ) " Does her name sound as though it ought to be over a pawnshop or is it just that I ' m prejudiced ? " ( On Bet ) " You can ' t rehearse majesty , Mr Tatlock . It ' s either something you ' ve got or you haven ' t . " ( To Albert ) " When they come to bury Mrs Tanner , there ' ll probably be two men fighting at the graveside . " " When I ' m gone they ' ll probably take the Rovers ' facade brick by brick to a museum . " " I can never understand why the conversation gets so degrading when there ' s a wedding in the offing . " " Do have a piece of Battenburg , Nellie . I know you ' ve never succumbed to this modern fad of weight - watching . " Licensed premises cannot be successfully run without constant hard work and unremitting attention . Now dear , I ' m off to Altrincham to do some unavoidable shopping . " ( Giving Bet some advice ) " He doesn ' t look dangerous dear , just excessively common . " ( To Lucille about a footy fan on the bus ) One does get rather tired of this dreary landscape . This desert of bricks and cobbled streets , blackened chimneys piercing the sultry sky like jagged teeth . " " Could you give me three tins of anything so I can discharge my duty and go ? Anything . " ( Final line )