Matilda Grimshaw

Matilda Grimshaw was an elderly resident of a different Coronation Street who waged war with Ena Sharples over the Council's decision to rename one of their thoroughfares in 1962.

By the time of Mrs. Grimshaw's confrontation with Ena, the matter had already been settled with the Council announcing that her street, with its fifty-four houses, would be the only one out of eight Coronation Streets in the area to keep the name, and Ena's would become Florida Street. However, Ena and her neighbours had refused to accept the decision and Ena had even written to Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace to ask for his help with the matter. It was this which led Matilda to seek out the Glad Tidings Mission Hall caretaker and tear a strip off her for "wasting Royalty's time".

While hunting down Ena, Matilda made her presence felt in Coronation Street, firstly by shopping at the Corner Shop and then returning to complain to Florrie Lindley about the items she'd purchased. Despite her small stature, Matilda spoke her mind, with a vicious tongue and confrontational manner to match Ena herself.

She managed to find out where Ena lived with no trouble but, wanting their confrontation to be as public as possible, returned the following day and waited for her to appear at the Rovers Return, taking root in Ena's own chair in the snug, provoking gasps from Ena's waiting friends Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst. When Matilda refused to move, having paid more for her drink than the other women due to purchasing it in the public, and insulted Minnie, the latter pensioner scurried over to the vestry to fetch Ena. Once she had the audience she craved, Matilda declared that the Council had reached its final decision and her Coronation Street was to remain. However, Ena frustrated her attempts to argue the point and mocked the woman to the point where she gave up and left.

Ultimately, due to a complaint by the owners of Elliston's Raincoat Factory the Council's decision was overturned and Ena's Coronation Street was allowed to keep its name at the expense of Matilda's.