Mrs Toft Mrs B . Toft was an elderly widow who lived in the vicinity of Coronation Street in the late 1960s and early 1970s . Mrs Toft was a contemporary of Minnie Caldwell and Ena Sharples with whom she was casually acquainted . She courted her husband for over thirty years before they were wed , and they had at least one child together who went on to produce a grandson . Mrs Toft was widowed in 1967 , but she still had company at the family home courtesy of her cat Suki . In April 1969 she joined Ena ' s group of pensioners in protesting outside Weatherfield Town Hall at the proposed demolition of an OAP Clubhouse to build a new car park . Mrs Toft made up a banner calling the council fascist pigs , which Ena endorsed when even Albert Tatlock baulked at the label . She subsequently participated in a sit - in at the clubhouse to stop the bulldozers moving , leading to the council overturning the ruling and saving the clubhouse . One year later , Mrs Toft and her friend Miss Merryfield spotted Minnie and her new " gentleman friend " Handel Gartside in the Peel Street Tea House , on the same afternoon that Minnie had dropped out of their weekly visit to the market . Concerned that she and Handel would be the subject of gossip , Minnie looked away when Mrs Toft waved to her and left a few moments later . When Mrs Toft visited Coronation Street it was usually at the Corner Shop where she was happy to stop for a friendly chat with the counter staff . In January 1971 , while popping in for a loaf of bread , she told Lucille Hewitt and Irma Barlow that her house was coming down the following April and enquired about a card in the window advertising for a live - in housekeeper . However , when she was informed that it was for local grump Albert Tatlock , she decided not to apply . A few weeks later , Mrs Toft was pressurised by Maggie Clegg and Hilda Ogden to sign a petition against the Mark Brittain Warehouse . In January 1973 , she tried to exchange a pile of rice pudding vouchers for cash at the shop but Maggie told her that they could only be swapped for rice pudding . The softly - spoken pensioner admitted that she didn ' t actually like rice pudding and had been feeding the contents to her cat . Having heard the conversation , Alf Roberts - a self - confessed rice pudding man - offered to take the vouchers off her hands for 2p each , enabling her to buy a birthday present for her grandson . In May 1974 , Alf helped her out from the other side of the counter when Maggie let him work at the shop as her assistant . A novice at shop work , Alf took a while with Mrs Toft ' s order , but the pensioner didn ' t mind , considering it a pleasant way to spend the time . The Community Centre was another place where Mrs Toft was often spotted . In October 1971 , she was one of three people in attendance at Albert ' s horticulture lecture . Much to Albert ' s displeasure , his audience constantly interrupted him and at one point Mrs Toft and Trevor Parkin argued amongst themselves about sloam . In March 1973 , Mrs Toft was one of the few members of the community to turn up at a meeting called by Emily and Ernest Bishop where the public could pitch classes to be taught there , although Mrs Toft ' s suggestion of a rug - making class wasn ' t taken up . In 1972 , Mrs Toft helped Hilda Ogden track down her husband Stan by informing her that she saw him on Inkerman Street . In September 1973 , Mrs Toft entered a draw to win a two - week holiday in Llandudno . Hers was one of the names drawn by Emily Bishop , and she was lucky enough to win again when Albert demanded it be re - run due to his name being left out . However , Albert ' s boorish behaviour towards Emily upset Mrs Toft who felt that all the pleasure had been taken out of her win . The holiday was Mrs Toft ' s first since 1919 , when she and and seven of her thirteen brothers and sisters went to a house in the country where poor children were sent by the council . List of appearances . 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974