Matilda Hench was an elderly woman who, along with her husband Sam, made use of the distress centre set up at Bessie Street School when Coronation Street was evacuated during the Mark Brittain Warehouse fire emergency in 1975. As they didn't recognise Sam and his wife as neighbours, Emily and Ernest Bishop questioned them only to be told that they only came as they heard there was free grub about. As everybody from Coronation Street had gone to the New Old Inn instead, the food was going to waste so the Bishops let the Henchs tuck in. In the event, when offered a potted meat sandwich, Matilda decided that she wouldn't bother because of all the fumes about.