Karen Lomax was the wife of Colin Lomax and mother of Jason. In September 1972, the Lomaxes visited Weatherfield from West Hartlepool to visit Colin's grandmother Ena Sharples, who he hadn't seen in years. Ena in turn had no idea that Colin had married or that she was a great-grandmother. Calling at Ena's Community Centre accommodation, they were informed by Lucille Hewitt that Ena was away on a Street outing to the Preston Guild and wouldn't be back until late in the evening. With nowhere else to go, they spent the remainder of the evening nursing drinks in the Rovers Return, although as Annie Walker refused to have a baby on licenced premises, Karen volunteered to leave Jason in his pram outside so that she and Colin could stay and wait for Ena.