Margaret Ollerenshaw (born 8 October 1949) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Mavis in the BBC sitcom Open All Hours (1981–1982) and its sequel Still Open All Hours (2013–2019). Her other television credits include First of the Summer Wine (1988–1989), The House of Eliott (1992) and Lovejoy (1993–1994).
Maggie Ollerenshaw | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Ollerenshaw (1949-10-08) 8 October 1949 (age 73) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jack Ainscough
(m. 1969, divorced)Geoffrey Leesley (m. 2007) |
| Children | 1 |
Ollerenshaw was born on 8 October 1949 in Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston, Lancashire, England to Joseph and Margaret Ollerenshaw (née Daly).
Ollerenshaw portrayed Mrs. Violet Clegg in the short-lived series First of the Summer Wine, and became a more familiar television face after starring in The House of Eliott as Florence Ranby, a dour Victorian and head of the Eliott workroom, who died in a tragic road accident outside the Eliott's fashion house. The actress also featured as Martha in the Andrew Davies adaptation of Trollope's classic He Knew He Was Right.
Her many other television credits include roles in Lovejoy, Coronation Street, Juliet Bravo, Last of The Summer Wine, Heartbeat, Holby City, One Foot In The Grave, Seaview, Teachers, Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV, The Hunt For The Yorkshire Ripper, Midsomer Murders and Wire In The Blood. Her film credits include Britannia Hospital, A Private Function, Pierrepoint and Steven Spielberg's War Horse.
Her one-woman show Yours Sincerely, a musical play about Dame Vera Lynn has played in the UK and abroad.[1] She also starred in the play Screamers at the Warehouse Theatre.
Since 2014, Ollerenshaw has provided the voice of Henrietta (UK/US) in the British animated television series Thomas & Friends. She also voiced the role of The Queen in Little Princess. In 2019, she was in the television show Scarborough as Geraldine, the owner of a hair salon.[2]
Ollerenshaw married Jack Ainscough in 1969 but the marriage ended in divorce. In 2007, she married fellow actor Geoffrey Leesley.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Britannia Hospital | Miss Rowntree | |
| 1984 | A Private Function | Woman | |
| 2002 | Fuel | Paula | Short film |
| 2005 | Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman | Mary Pierrepoint | |
| 2011 | War Horse | Narracott's Neighbor | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Little Match Girl | Tart | |
| 1976 | Red Letter Day | First Mother | |
| 1978 | Pickersgill People | Dolores Clegg | Episode: "The Primitive" |
| 1978 | BBC2 Play of the Week | Annie Griffiths | Episode: "Fairies" |
| 1978 | Fallen Hero | Nursing sister | Episode: #1.6 |
| 1979 | Danger UXB | Betty Salt | Episode: "Digging Out" |
| 1979 | Angels | Episode: #5.1 | |
| 1979 | Last of the Summer Wine | Woman in boat | Episode: "The Flag and Further Snags" |
| 1980 | All Creatures Great and Small | Mrs. Binks | Episode: "If Wishes Were Horses" |
| 1980 | The Gentle Touch | Mrs. Bond | Episode: "Help" |
| 1980 | Play for Today | Staff Nurse | Episode: "Minor Complications" |
| 1980 | Juliet Bravo | Sergeant Margaret Cullinane | Episode: "Family Unit" |
| 1981-1982 | Open All Hours | Mavis | 7 episodes |
| 1981 | Coming Home | Trudy | Episode: #1.2 |
| 1981 | Maybury | Jean Stone | Episode: "What I Mean Is..." |
| 1985 | Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV | Chrissie's Mother | Episode: #1.2 |
| 1985-1986 | Coronation Street | Sandra Pilkington | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Star Cops | Dr. Angela Parr | Episode: "Other People's Secrets" |
| 1988-1989 | First of the Summer Wine | Mrs. Clegg | 13 episodes |
| 1990 | One Foot in the Grave | Hilary | Episode: "Dramatic Fever" |
| 1992 | Firm Friends | Sheila Bigger | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | The House of Eliott | Florence Ranby | 6 episodes |
| 1993-1994 | Three Seven Eleven | Val Peck | 4 episodes |
| 1993-1994 | Lovejoy | Kate Henshaw | 13 episodes |
| 1995 | The Bill | Mrs. Riddick | Episode: "Love Me, Love My Dog" |
| 1997 | Heartbeat | Norma Braithwaite | Episode: "Closing Ranks" |
| 1997 | Last of the Summer Wine | Ethel | Episode: "The Love Mobile |
| 1999 | Dr Willoughby | Fenella Lewis | Episode: "Family Wedding" |
| 2000 | Doctors | Margaret Cadogan | Episode: "Blood Ties" |
| 2002 | Paradise Heights | Mary | Episode: #1.4 |
| 2003 | Barbara | Dierdre | Episode: "Who Shot Barbara?" |
| 2003-2004 | Coronation Street | Eva Briggs | 10 episodes |
| 2004 | He Knew He Was Right | Martha | All 4 episodes |
| 2004 | Holby City | Jennifer Southwell | Episode: "In at the Deep End" |
| 2005 | Cherished | Mary Barry | TV film |
| 2006 | Midsomer Murders | Mrs Hopkirk | Episode: "Country Matters" |
| 2006 | Wire in the Blood | Joanna Durbridge | Episode: "Hole in the Heart" |
| 2007 | The Bad Mother's Handbook | Jessie Pilkington | TV film |
| 2007–present | Little Princess | The Queen (voice) | 24 episodes |
| 2008 | Doctors | Penelope Hargreaves | Episode: "Lady Muck" |
| 2008 | Last of the Summer Wine | Ethel | Episode: "All That Glitters Is Not Elvis |
| 2009 | Midsomer Murders | Eileen Fountain | Episode: "The Dogleg Murders" |
| 2009 | Doctors | Jean Furst | Episode: "The Great Escape" |
| 2010 | Holby City | Dora Collins | Episode: "Swimming with Sharks" |
| 2011 | Grandpa In My Pocket | Brenda Balderdash | Episode: "Lighthouse View, as Good as New" |
| 2011 | Doctors | Peggy Hardcastle | Episode: "Who's the Daddy?" |
| 2012 | Endeavour | Mrs. Crabbin | Pilot episode |
| 2013 | Doctors | Maureen Holdgate | Episode: "Run for Your Life" |
| 2013-2019 | Still Open All Hours | Mavis | All 41 episodes |
| 2014-2021 | Thomas & Friends | Henrietta (voice) | UK/US versions |
| 2015 | Doctors | Lynda Harris | Episode: "The Reader" |
| 2017 | Holby City | Helen Pickard | Episode: "The Evolution of Woman" |
| 2019 | Doctors | Esther Milne | Episode: "The Getaway" |
| 2019 | Scarborough | Geraldine | All 6 episodes[3][4] |