Blanche Hunt Blanche Hunt ( née Linfield ) was the mother of Deirdre Barlow and grandmother of Tracy . Blanche was a corset maker and ran a corsetry business from her Victoria Street home . Her husband Donald Hunt was knocked down and killed by a car in 1963 , leaving Blanche to raise Deirdre . Blanche later worked at the Rovers Return Inn and ran the Corner Shop before leaving Weatherfield in 1976 to run a country club in Kenilworth for old flame Dave Smith , although she occasionally visited Deirdre , who remained in Coronation Street . In 1999 , Blanche returned to the Street permanently and , after match - making Deirdre and ex - husband Ken Barlow , moved in with them at No . 1 . Now retired , Blanche kept herself busy by attending reading groups and going to funerals of people she didn ' t know . She considered herself still available and in 2002 had a relationship with undertaker Archie Shuttleworth . While most of her peers mellowed with age , Blanche became more brash and outspoken , being brutally honest with people if she found fault with them and delivering often hurtful or insensitive comments . Her most damning words were usually directed at her family , with Ken , Deirdre and Tracy getting a particularly hard time . Blanche believed in being truthful , even if people didn ' t want to hear it , as only then would her words have value . She did occasionally show her caring side where her family was concerned ; in 2004 she bought No . 7 so that Tracy and her daughter Amy would have a home , and she sometimes admitted to Deirdre that deep down she was proud of her . Blanche died of a heart attack while on an extended holiday in Portugal in May 2010 . Biography . 1936 - 1999 . Blanche was married to bank manager Donald Hunt , who was knocked down and killed by a car in 1963 . They had a daughter together called Deirdre . Blanche ran a corsetry business from her Victoria Street home , and later started working in the Rovers Return Inn for landlady Annie Walker . She later gave up her corsetry business to help Gordon Clegg run the Corner Shop . In 1976 , she encountered Dave Smith , a wartime romance . They began a relationship and later left the Street together . Her relationship with Dave ended and she returned for a visit in 1977 when her granddaughter Tracy Langton was born . There she met a man called Steve Bassett and they got engaged , but later call it off and split up . She returned a year later when Deirdre had marriage troubles with husband Ray Langton and Blanche came to help . Ray had later left the Street . Blanche returned again in 1981 for Deirdre ' s second wedding to local Street resident Ken Barlow . In 1993 , whilst she was living in Warwickshire , Blanche suffered a stroke and Deirdre left to go and take care of her . Deirdre later returned when Blanche was better . Blanche reappeared in 1996 for Tracy ' s wedding to Robert Preston , and for Deirdre and Jon Lindsay ' s engagement party in 1997 . Blanche returned to Weatherfield permanently in 1999 and moved in with Ken and Deirdre , after she had recently got them back together , for they had been split up and divorced for a few years . She worked at The Kabin before resigning because she found Rita Sullivan too moody , from then on she was retired , and filled her time with the One o ' clock Club , attending wakes and court hearings . 2000 - 2009 . In 2002 , she fell in love with funeral director Archie Shuttleworth and although they later broke up , they still remained good friends . She then started dating Wally Bannister , who was apparently a rich retiree . He then started to have an affair with Blanche ' s granddaughter , Tracy , who then later discovered that the mansion he was " living " at wasn ' t his , he was only housekeeping for someone . When Tracy became pregnant , Blanche bought her a house in Coronation Street to live in . When Tracy later left to visit step - brother Peter Barlow , Blanche sold the house to pay for a hip - operation in Poland , as she had been on an NHS waiting list too long . Tracy later gave birth to a baby girl , and after making out that it was Roy Cropper ' s , it was revealed to be Steve McDonald ' s child . She later named the baby Amy . Tracy was arrested in 2007 for murdering boyfriend Charlie Stubbs . She was later sent down for fifteen years . Blanche started insulting her neighbours , family and close friends in June 2007 . She was later upset when she heard her friends commenting on her negative traits , with Norris Cole even saying no one will miss her if she dies . She decided to become a bit nicer to everyone , but still insulted people at certain opportunities . In December 2008 , Blanche showed her vulnerable side , becoming visibly upset when Peter turned up drunk to her great - grandson Simon ' s nativity play . In 2009 , Deirdre discovered that Ken had an affair with actress Martha Fraser . But when she forgave him and wanted to move on , Blanche was disgusted . Sick of her mother , Deirdre told her to leave . Blanche then moved in with Peter and Simon . But she later made up with Deirdre and moved back into 1 Coronation Street . During Peter ' s alcoholics anonymous meeting in July 2009 , Blanche got fed up with people talking about their drink problems , and started telling them that she was fed up with their whining . She then started to tell everyone about Ken ' s affair with Martha Fraser and Tracy being banged up in prison . But even when a woman at the meeting commented on Blanche ' s behaviour , Deirdre stood by Blanche and told the woman to shut up . Blanche and Deirdre left the meeting , with Blanche feeling happy with herself . When Simon ' s other long lost other granddad George Wilson arrived to see him , Blanche fell in love with George due to him being rich . Even though he was married , Blanche still let him know how she felt . When George and his wife Eve came to visit , Blanche got drunk and started revealing about Ken ' s affairs , Deirdre being in prison , Peter being an alcoholic and Peter ' s girlfriend Leanne Battersby being a former prostitute , which left George and Eve stunned . 2009 - 2010 . Blanche took an extended break in Portugal in late 2009 to see her friend May Penn . On 3rd May 2010 , Blanche was due to return home but died that very morning . Her friend May visited Ken and Deirdre and told them that Blanche wanted to remain in Portugal longer as she had become engaged to a man called Arnold . She also saw Blanche as a very nice sweet woman , which stunned the Barlows as that ran counter to the Blanche they knew . Deirdre was very distraught by the death of her mother , and decided to fly over to Portugal with Ken to piece together Blanche ' s last days alive . They later returned with the knowledge that her life had ended happily . Quotes . " It ' s always the same . Ladies ' night down t ' masonic . It isn ' t as though they don ' t know in advance , eh Gary ? " ( First line ) " Good looks are a curse . You and Ken should count yourselves very lucky . " ( Blanche talking to daughter Deirdre ) " Ken recently had an affair with an actress . It wasn ' t or . She lived on a tugboat . " ( at an AA meeting ) " Skirt no bigger than a belt , too much eyeliner , and roots as dark as her soul . " ( About Liz McDonald ) . " Oooh , she loves a drama that Gail ! Never happier than when she has someone else ' s hands around her throat " ( to Rita Sullivan ) " Is someone going to make my tea , or am I going to have report you to ' Help the Aged ' ? " ( to Deirdre ) " Yer real Postman Pat rolls up about noon , wearing a pair of shorts and his breakfast . . . and , if he ' s not chucking elastic bands like confetti , he ' ll be rifling through your birthday cards for ready cash . Or . . . leaving yer valuables out on the step . " ( telling Simon Barlow the truth about postmen as she sees it while he watches " Postman Pat " )