DUCHESS OF CORNWALL VISITS CORONATION STREET SET

THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL WORE A SPECIAL BROOCH DURING A RECENT VISIT TO THE CORONATION STREET SET, FEATURING THREE FLYING DUCKS. CAMILLA WAS PRESENTED WITH THE JEWELRY BY ITV BEFORE HER TRIP TO THE COBBLES OF WEATHERFIELD, IN CELEBRATION OF THE SOAP'S 50th ANNIVERSARY. FOR MANY YEARS THE MUCH-LOVED CHARACTER HILDA OGDEN HAD THREE PLASTER DUCKS HANGING ON HER WALL, WITH THE MIDDLE ONE ALWAYS 'ASKEW'. THE DUCKS SOON BECAME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SHOW, AND EVEN WAS FEATURED IN THE CORONATION STREET MONOPOLY GAME. THE BROOCH WAS MADE BY KEITH SIMPSON, OF 1849 GOLDSMITHS IN WHITEFIELD, MANCHESTER. THE DUCHESS PULLED A PINT BEHIND THE BAR OF THE ROVER'S RETURN DURING THE VISIT TO GRANADA STUDIOS SET, AFTER WATCHING THE CAST FILM A SCENE WHICH WILL BE AIRED IN APRIL. THE ONLY ORIGINAL CAST MEMBER, WILLIAM ROACHE OBE, WHO PLAYS KEN BARLOW, WAS CHOSEN TO GREET CAMILLA, WHO IS A LIFE-LONG FAN OF THE SOAP. THE SET OF DUCKS WAS PART OF THE STREET AS EARLY AS 1960, APPEARING IN ELSIE TANNER'S HOME, BEFORE IT WAS PASSED TO HILDA.