Where are they now? Corrie Icons of the 70s - Thelma Barlow

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog June 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Here we go with a look back at some of the Coronation Street icons from the 1970s. Let's find out what they've been up to since they left the show.

Thelma Barlow who played Mavis Riley / Wilton

Thelma Barlow played Mavis in Coronation Street from 1971 to 1997.

In 1997 after screen husband Peter Baldwin was axed by producer Brian Park, Thelma announced that she was quitting the show after 26 years. Her final episode was screened on 10 October 1997 with Mavis moving to the Lake District to run a bed and breakfast.

Since leaving Coronation Street, Thelma's television roles have included Dolly in two series of Dinnerladies , Mrs Heep in David Copperfield and an episode of Murder Most Horrid. She has appeared in Midsomer Murders, Where the Heart Is, Agatha Christie's Marple and many more well-loved shows.

She has appeared on stage in Alan Bennett's Enjoy, in Nemesis and Sunny Side Up on Radio 4 and on TV in Simply Gardening.

In 2006 Thelma starred in the movie Mrs Henderson Presents.

She also starred as Lady Thaw in an episode of Doctor Who in 2007.

In June 2014, Thelma Barlow narrated 30-minute documentary, "Gail & Me: 40 Years on Coronation Street", celebrating Helen Worth's (Gail Platt) spectacular career on Coronation Street.

In 2016 she played  Mrs Oscar Garmunder in the film Florence Foster Jenkins

---

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

Thelma Barlow pays tribute to Peter Baldwin in open letter

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog November 2015, reposted to this blog with permission.)


Thelma Barlow, who played Mavis Wilton in Coronation Street, has paid tribute to her late co-star Peter Baldwin, who passed away last month.

The letter from Thelma Barlow to the Radio Times reads as follows:

"Derek and Mavis were figures of fun a lot of the time – people don’t always recognise that those who are quiet and unassuming can have more to offer than people who make a lot of noise about life. Once they got together, it was those two against the world – they took strength from and supported one another. It was a really good relationship. They were kind and considerate, but they learnt how to defend themselves and each other when others weren’t very kind.

"It was a total shock when they decided to kill off Derek – I had been intending to leave for a couple of years, as I wanted to do more theatre, so they could easily have killed off Mavis instead.

"It was a cruel blow to Peter, and to me and to the Street really, as Derek was such a popular character. Now, with Peter’s death, a chunk has been taken out of my life – I loved him dearly. I shall miss him such a lot.”




Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a soap icon. Available here.


Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook

Corrie's Mavis Riley and Valerie Barlow on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

(This post was originally posted by Flaming Nora on the Coronation Street Blog May 2013, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Thelma Barlow, who played Mavis Riley, and Anne Reid, who was Ken Barlow’s first wife Val on Coronation Street, have beein filming a special episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.  The show will be on screen in November and was filmed to raise funds for Children in Need.

What I found amazing about the press release here is that Thelma is now 83 years old. I know!  She says she doesn't watch Coronation Street any more as she's too busy gardening and seeing friends.

Anne Reid keeps going from strength to strength too. She did a five-night cabaret residency in London last week and is looking forward to the start of filming next month for a second series of BBC1’s Last Tango In Halifax.



Follow the Bluenose CorrieBlog on Twitter and Facebook