A Macclesfield antique dealer has discovered a Rovers Return relic from Coronation Street’s yesteryear – and it’s already sparked interest from soapstar Denise Welch.
Garth Brewood rescued the original bell from Corrie’s favourite local before it could be thrown into a skip at an ITV archive warehouse in Glossop.
After a tip-off from a contact, Garth, who owns Aladdin’s Cave antique shop on Old Park Lane, sped to the Glossop site to buy the ringer for an undisclosed sum, complete with a letter of provenance backing up the authenticity of his find.
"I couldn’t believe it was going to be thrown out. How could it be dumped?" said the relic hunter.
"It feels amazing to have that very bell Doris Speed’s character Annie Walker rang all those years ago."
He plans to auction the bell but has no idea how much it will raise.
Garth added: "Coronation Street is the world’s longest running soap and has millions of fans worldwide.
"All it takes is one rich fanatic, but it could raise anything from £1 to £1 million.
"It’ll be interesting to see who turns up to the auction."
And Garth can probably already hear his cash register ringing – his find has caught the eye of Denise Welch, who played landlady Natalie Barnes.
‘Loose Woman’ Denise, who lives in Wilmslow, said: "Discovering such an iconic piece of history from Coronation Street is fantastic. If it goes for the right price I would be very interested in making a bid."
Garth is well known in Macclesfield for obtaining unusual items including robots and ancient keys.
He has recently bought a pristine test pilot flying suit from a retired fighter pilot.
All items are displayed or sold for the right price in his shop.
He opened the outlet seven years ago after running flea markets for many years previous.
Garth will auction the bell at Peter Wilson auctioneers, Nantwich, on a date yet to be decided.
