Doreen Lostock

Doreen Lostock was a factory worker at Elliston's Raincoat Factory in the early 1960s. She lived with Sheila Birtles and was briefly a barmaid at the Rovers Return.

Biography
Ditzy, chatty Doreen first came to Coronation Street to work at Elliston's Raincoat Factory. She had a relationship with Billy Walker, son of the landlord and landlady of the Rovers Return Inn, but he went away to London. Doreen and her friend Sheila Birtles, another worker at Elliston's, liked to admire the men of the street and gossip about the goings-on.

In 1961, Billy returned to Weatherfield and they resumed their relationship, much to the disapproval of Billy's motherAnnie. However his return was brief and he left again.

Doreen's working days were made more difficult because of groping boss Harold Pilkington. In 1961 Doreen decided she had had enough of him and quit. She tried a few jobs, including at Sylvia Snape's cafe, but ended up as a barmaid at the Rovers. Despite the history with Billy, Annie went easy on her.

Gamma Garments
In 1962, Doreen was looking for work after quitting from a grocers in Rosamund Street and was taken on as a shop assistant at Gamma Garments, where she and Emily Nugent worked under pompous Leonard Swindley. Doreen and Emily had to endure Swindley's ideas about how to sell clothes and business wasn't always terrific and Swindley was always too worried about his own boss, Mr. Papagopolous.

Doreen and Sheila moved into the Corner Shop flat in Coronation Street that same year. They got on with shop owner Florrie Lindley but found any excuse to have a party. Doreen thought she had got her and Sheila thrown out when Frank Barlow warned her about gossiping after people were talking about Frank and Florrie, when Doreen had seen them arguing in the shop.

In 1963, stock from Gamma was stolen under Emily and Doreen's watch, as they thought the drivers were transferring it to another store. They both fancied the driver, so when the police interviewed them they didn't want to give a detailed description of him.

Later that year, Swindley was replaced as manager by Neil Crossley. Crossley was a self-interested manager and stole the takings. Doreen was worried for Sheila when she fell in love with him though he treated Sheila with as much contempt as he treated Gamma. Doreen was caught in the middle when Crossley disappeared and Sheila fell into depression and wouldn't let Doreen help. After considering suicide, Sheila left Weatherfield to live with her parents, and Doreen herself decided to move on, leaving to join the Womens Royal Army Corp.

Behind the scenes
Doreen wasn't seen during the Equity actors' strike between late 1961 and early 1962. When she returned, her absence wasn't explained.