Although she lived 12,000 miles away in New Zealand, 20-year-old Patricia Beswarick looked forward to each episode of Coronation Street as much as any other ardent fan.
In 1972 when she came over to England to stay with her aunt Lily Bowers in Mossley, a visit to TV’s most famous street was top of Patricia’s wish list.
Her cousin Tim Bowers got in touch with the Reporter asking if we could help to make her dream come true.
A call to the ITV Granada studios in Manchester had the desired result with Patricia and Lily being invited for a tour round the studios and sets, seeing the stars of the series, producers, cameramen and technicians at work. The chance to meet Jean Alexander, who played Hilda Ogden - the much-loved Rovers Return cleaner, resident gossip and long-suffering wife of work-shy Stan - was the highlight of an unforgettable day.
Hilda would usually have been propping up the other side of the bar, but for once, she was the one serving the drinks, having asked her guests - as quoted in the Reporter headline - “Wot yer havin’, chuck?”
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