Coronation Street icon Amanda Barrie's appearance…

Coronation Street icon Amanda Barrie's appearance floors fans as she sells piece of history

Coronation Street icon Amanda Barrie has shocked fans by revealing her age as she revealed she was selling a piece of soap history. The actress is auctioning off a number of things including some iconic ITV soap memorabilia as she approaches a big milestone.

Amanda, who starred in two of the Carry On films before being cast as Alma Halliwell in Corrie, announced the sale on social media, writing: "Now, who might want my Corrie Cobble?" It was accompanied by a picture of the cobble from the original street.

In a signed note to prove his authenticity, Amanda explains that it was given to her in 1991 by a prop man. It was given to her when an accessibility ramp was built and the cobble couldn't fit back in.

Also in her auction, Amanda is selling a stack of Polaroid snaps from her time on the soap. The lot description says that the continuity shots include “photos of various actors in different costumes including Ken Barlow, Deidre Barlow, Jack Duckworth, Emily Bishop”.

Carrying on her tweet, the former soap star added: "Or my other memorabilia, for which as I approach 90, I am now seeking a loving home." And fans were surprised to learn that Amanda will soon be celebrating her 90th birthday.

@PGUK78 replied: "90?!! You look way too young." @GemmaAldam said: "90 wow you look amazing." @lynxsimba2019 commented: "She's never nearly 90???" @juliawant1 added: "Wow, I can't believe your even coming up to that year."

But there is still a couple of years to go as Amanda won't actually be celebrating her 90th for another two years and will celebrate her 88th birthday this September.

Fans will remember her for playing Alma Halliwell on the cobbles from 1988 to 2001. She was the majority owner of Jim's Cafe in Rosamund Street and the long-suffering wife of Mike Baldwin from 1992 to 1999.

Amanda as Alma with late Mike Baldwin actor Johnny Briggs (Granada Television)

Alma divorced her first husband Jim Sedgewick in 1982 after he ran off with a florist and got the café as part of the settlement. Alma then sold 40% of the business to Gail Platt - then Gail Tilsley - and the pair ran the café successfully until 1997 when Alma sold her share to Roy Cropper.

Alma then soon set her sights on Mike Baldwin and they were on and off for several years. It was in 1992 that he persuaded her that they should get married but she later divorced him following his one-night-stand with Julia Stone. And tragically, she died in 2001 from cervical cancer, aged 55.

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