Ada Arrowsmith was a long-standing friend of Hilda Ogden. The pair would frequently meet up at the bingo hall and habitually exchanged Christmas cards. One morning in early-March 1986, Hilda overheard a conversation in the butcher's shop about Ada being in Weatherfield General having undergone a gallbladder operation and, saddened to hear the news - especially as both women were also now recently-widowed, dutifully went along to the hospital at visiting times on a regular basis.
Ada appeared to be well on the road to recovery and enjoyed reminiscing with Hilda, but contracted pneumonia a few weeks into her convalescence and by 23rd April, her condition had deteriorated so rapidly she passed away alone, before Hilda had arrived at the hospital for that afternoon's visiting. That evening, a still-shaken Hilda ventured into the Rovers with a thank-you note that Ada's nephew Tony had dropped off for her, which also noted that Hilda had been mentioned in Ada's will.
Tony himself duly arrived at 13 Coronation Street a few days later and in the capacity of executor of his late aunt's estate, read aloud from the official document: Ada had bequeathed Hilda three dining chairs from the front parlour, a damaged drop-leaf table and an old bureau. Concerned that the furniture might otherwise get pinched, Hilda swiftly arranged for Terry Duckworth and Curly Watts to collect the pieces from over "Fallowfield way" that evening.
Aside from the furniture, Hilda was also chuffed to receive a brand new pair of white court shoes and as a final unexpected surprise, her lodger Kevin Webster presented her with Ada's black and white tomcat Rommel - as Tony had said it was his aunt's dying wish for Hilda to give him a loving home.