 , Roache is the only original character from 1960 remaining in the cast.Other significant characters to appear this year include Elsie Lappin (played by Maudie Edwards) the original owner of the Corner shop and most famous for speaking the first words on the show; Susan Cunningham (played by Patricia Shakesby), Ken's first girlfriend and the subject of a 2010 storyline in which it was discovered she had later given birth to his son; and May Hardman (played by Joan Heath), who became the first character to die in the series on 30 December.One of the most memorable characters in the series, Elsie (Pat Phoenix) was immediately identified as the siren of the street.