Formby is a town in the county of Merseyside near the coast of the Irish Sea. A commuter and dormer town with a population of 25,000, it is known for its protected species of wildlife including the Red Squirrel and the Natterjack Toad. In Coronation Street retired Naval Lieutenant Commander Gerald Prince lived in the town. He came to Weatherfield on Boxing Day 1971 to attend an RNLI charity ball at the Windermere Rooms where he met Annie Walker and the two conducted a short-term friendship which broke apart as she wasn't willing for it to develop into a romance.