Mavis Wilton Mavis Wilton ( née Riley ) is a former Coronation Street resident , having been Rita Sullivan ' s assistant at The Kabin newsagent from 1973 to 1997 , and wife of the late Derek Wilton . Mavis was born in Weatherfield but was brought up in Grange - over - Sands . By 1971 , she was back in Weatherfield and working at the Mark Brittain Warehouse , but two years later she left the job to take the assistant position at The Kabin . Rita was Mavis ' s closest friend in the Street , although they were quite different ; while Mavis was indecisive and dowdy , Rita was confident and glamorous . Mavis was easily misled and Rita often tried to protect her , usually from herself . One of Mavis ' s greatest fears was that she would never marry . She was always surprised when men showed an interest in her , leading her to doubt any man was a good match for her . This was especially true with regards to Derek Wilton , who was just as indecisive ; he and Mavis agreed to marry in 1984 but neither of them showed up at the church . Derek and Mavis had an on - off relationship for many years but finally got properly married in 1988 , and two years later bought the new No . 4 Coronation Street . When Derek died in 1997 , Mavis found it too hard to live at No . 4 without him and moved to the Lake District to run a bed and breakfast . Aside from Derek , Mavis ' s suitors included Jerry Booth , Victor Pendlebury and Carlos , who asked Mavis to marry him in 1975 so that he could stay in the country . Another key relationship was with her pet budgie Harriet , which Mavis was always making a fuss over . Biography . Although born in Weatherfield , Mavis was brought up in Grange - over - Sands , where her parents , despite being tee - total , ran an off licence . Mavis first appeared in the Street in 1971 , as a guest at the engagement party of Emily Nugent and Ernest Bishop . She was later to secure jobs at the local vets as a receptionist and the Corner Shop , but a more lasting job came when she was hired by Rita Littlewood to work at The Kabin newsagents at 14 Rosamund Street ( around the corner from Coronation Street itself ) . Mavis and Rita were complete opposites - Rita sexy and self - assured , Mavis mouse - like and dowdy - but they worked together very well and a genuine bond of love and affection was formed between them . Rita often despaired at the wrong choices Mavis made in life , particularly when it came to men , and outsiders might have thought that Rita bullied her ; in reality , Rita was only looking out for her . In 1983 , her life changed , when not one , but two , men wanted to marry her . She wanted both of them , but had to choose between Victor Pendlebury or Derek Wilton . In the end she choose Derek , but jilted him at the altar as she wasn ' t convinced of the strength of her feelings for him . Her guilt at having done this turned to indignation when she learned that Derek had jilted her too , as he felt the same . However , Mavis finally decided Derek was the man for her . When Mavis finally said " I do " to him in November 1988 , she meant it . Her marriage to Derek was an unusual one - the other residents of Coronation Street looked upon them as something of a joke , but neither cared as they had each other . They would spend evenings reading aloud to each other from the newspapers and discussing the events of the day . Their happiness was cut short in April 1997 , when Derek died suddenly . Mavis was quick to hit out at his funeral at the people who had considered them a joke , saying that they had loved each other and that was all that mattered . Mavis surprised Rita when she suggested that they should go into business together . They discussed the possibility of running a guest house in Cartmel , a town in the Lake District . Rita went along with this for a while , but both realised it was a bad idea - as Rita said " We ' d end up throttling each other before t ' week were out . " Mavis went ahead with the idea , bought the guest house , and Mavis and Rita had an emotional farewell , ending a partnership of twenty - five years . Quotes . " Excuse me . " ( First line , to Ena Sharples ) " I hope you will be too . " ( Final line , in response to Rita Sullivan ' s wish that she ' ll be happy in her new life )