An Exclusive Coronation Street Interview!

Inside the Wendy House has been granted an EXCLUSIVE interview with William Roache who plays Ken Barlow and Kate Ford who plays his on screen daughter Tracy Barlow.

Although feeling slightly starstruck I was incredibly honoured to be able to chat to them one to one.  (My Mum will be beside herself with envy!)

The Ideal Home Exhibition's star attraction this year (judging by the huge queue snaking around me as I write this in the Harveys' Bloggers Lounge) is most definitely the wonderful reconstruction of part of the most iconic street in TV history.  The Rovers Return and no.1 Coronation Street have been lovingly recreated in Earl's Court.  A second no.1 has been built and totally remodernised into a wonderful eco-friendly show home with TV's George Clarke.

Kate Ford, who was very lovely and so pretty in real life, said she was really impressed with the reconstruction of the Barlow house.  We never get to see the upstairs of their home, but Kate was sure that Tracy's bedroom would look excactly the way it has been imagined.  She praised the great research that had been done on her TV family.  The characters' personalities have been stamped all over the fixtures and fittings of their terrace.

She was particularly impressed with the "not glamorous" bathroom complete with '70's avocado bathroom suite.  Exactly how she envisioned it!

Kate said that is was really "enjoyable and a real treat" to visit her home from home and it made a "great attraction" for Corrie fans.  William added that Tracy would like it as it was "better than prison!!"

Speaking about the remodernised eco-friendly house William Roache said that he thought it was a brilliant idea to use such an icononic house to demonstrate how environmentally friendly fixtures and fittings can transform a home making it not only greener, but also making it look more spacious, modern and plush.  He added that he believed Ken would be all for environmental issues and clued up on global warming so the new look house wouldn't be too out of place in Coronation Street!  (What would Blanche and Uncle Albert have thought!)

William Roache also added that in two years time the Coronation Street set is moving to a new bigger site.  Maybe it will be time to include an upstairs to the iconic Barlow abode!  Kate quipped that there would be many a scene set in the newly built bathroom to justify it being constructed!  The question is...will they stick with the Avocado or will they take a leaf out of the remodernised number 1!

My first ever interview was a spontaneous affair and I hope I did OK.  I could hear that an exhausted Freddy was crying which was a distraction but Kate who has a child of a similar age was very understanding!  What an experience though!  I felt very honoured...thank you Harveys!