Lottie Thwaite

Lottie Thwaite (née Hofner) and her cousin arrived in England from her native Germany in 1910. Lottie had been sent there by her parents to broaden her mind although she spoke little English.

At a Blackpool chapel, Lottie met Cedric Thwaite and they fell for each other, beginning by conversing in French, a language they shared. Cedric owned the Corner Shop in Coronation Street and led a lonely life as the neighbours didn't feel comfortable around him. Marrying a foreigner alienated him further but the Thwaites weren't going to let anything get in the way of them starting a family. Gladys Arkwright also supported Lottie and got her to dress down so as not to offend people.

With the declaration of war against Germany, everything changed; in October 1914, a lynch mob smashed its way into the shop and Cedric and Lottie were both beaten. The police broke up the attack but Lottie couldn't remain in Coronation Street and was imprisoned at the Isle of Man until the war was over. Cedric too left the Street, selling the shop to Tommy Foyle and moving to his brother's in Newcastle.


 * Lottie first appeared in Daran Little and Bill Hill's "Weatherfield Life", published in 1992. Other information is derived from Little's follow-up book, "Around the Coronation Street Houses".