Coronation Street welcomes latest branch of Sunderland-based Hays Travel

A North East travel agent has opened its latest branch on the famous cobbles of Coronation Street.

Eagle-eyed viewers of the ITV soap opera will have caught their first glimpse of Hays Travel's Weatherfield storefront on Monday 5 December.

Dame Irene Hays, owner and chairwoman of the Sunderland-based company, visited the set to give it the boss' approval before it goes to air.

“Our thanks to the team at ITV who worked with our in-house property team on our shop’s design and production," she said.

"The on-set branch had to look just like all our Hays Travel shops on high streets across the UK. We are proud of the finished result.”

On her visit to the set, Dame Irene brought Hays Travel Prescot's branch manager Anthony Privilege who acted as honorary Weatherfield manager for the day.

He said: "I am a huge Coronation Street fan and remember my Nan taking me to visit the set when I was a young lad.

"Being back on set brought back lots of memories and was quite an emotional experience."

Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent, announced its new partnership with Corrie to coincide with the King’s Coronation in May.

Jason Spencer, business development director at ITV, said he was proud of a partnership between ITV and the company, adding: "We're now delighted to see the opening of the Hays Travel store in Coronation Street, enabling Weatherfield's residents to have a travel agents on their doorstep for the very first time."

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