Coronation St cat Frisky's ashes go for big price
The ashes of a cat who starred in the titles of Coronation Street for a decade fetched more than £800 at auction - around five times their estimate. Frisky was seen at the starting sequence of more than 1,000 episodes of the TV soap, crouching on the roof of Jack Duckworth's pigeon loft. The beloved pet's ashes, sealed in a wooden casket with a brass plaque, were expected to fetch up to £150 when they went under the hammer. But furious bidding by Coronation Street fans saw the hammer price rocket to £700 - and with buyer's premium added the final price paid was £844. A spokeswoman for Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Gloucestershire said the remains were sold to a private bidder. Frisky's owner John Rimington, who put his pet's remains up for auction in South Cerney, said previously: "Frisky was not only a much-loved family pet, but also captured the heart of the nation and made thousands of pounds for charities. We were very proud to be his owners and we are keen to keep his memory alive." The tabby was hired in 1990 after beating 5,000 other cats to the role. He raised money for charity through numerous personal appearances until his death in 2000 at the age of 14. The lot also included a cremation certificate and postcards of Frisky with other stars of Weatherfield, and formed part of a wider auction of antiques and collectibles. Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter Auctioneers, said previously: "Not only was Frisky one of the most recognised cats in the country for over a decade, but he also became synonymous with one of the nation's favourite soaps." Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk's weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.