Barbara New

English character actress with wonderful comic timing. Her non-plussed expressions were used to great effect in several sketches of _The Two Ronnies (1971)_ (qv). Known especially for her recurring roles of Mabel Wheeler in _You Rang, M'Lord? (1988)_ (qv) and as Vera Plumtree in _Oh Doctor Beeching! (1995)_ (qv) ("My husband was an engine driver you know"). She was equally delightful as boring Eric Olthwaite's ('Michael Palin' (qv)'s) mother in _Ripping Yarns (1976)_ (qv), whose chief claim to fame was her black pudding ("even the white bits were black").::Anonymous