Mary Wimbush at 80
26 March 2004

Julia is Mary's third major Archers role. She played village school teacher Elsie Catcher until the character's retirement in 1967 and returned two years later as Lady Isabel Lander, the well-connected niece of Brigadier Winstanley. In 1992 she gave a voice to the long-overseas mother of Nigel Pargetter and 12 years later she's rather surprised still to be playing the part: "I thought Julia would just come home for a bit, cause havoc at Lower Loxley and disappear again." She notes that Julia has mellowed in recent years. "She was particularly interesting to play when she was on the bottle", observes Mary, with a twinkle in her eye.

Mary has worked on BBC radio for 55 years, winning a Sony award for Best Actress in 1991 for her performances in The Horse's Mouth and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In 1993, she played Lady Edith in The Governor's Consort, a role especially written for her by Peter Tinniswood. Other BBC Radio 4 productions included Villette, The Poor Clare, The Grey Woman, Easy Virtue and Diary of a Provincial Lady. She also recorded the role of the Duchess of York in Richard III for Riverrun's Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Collection - a part she had played while a member of the Royal National Theatre.

She's also been much in demand as a television actor, with numerous credits including three series as Aunt Agatha in Jeeves and Wooster. Her most notable film role was as the mother in Oh What a Lovely War, and she's also worked all her life in the physically demanding world of the theatre, including very recent appearances at the Birmingham Rep and Chichester's Minerva Theatre.

"I'll do anything", she cheerfully insists, taking a break from scrubbing the kitchen floor of her Dorset cottage. To what does she attributes her professional longevity? "I really don't know. I've just been very lucky to have a lot of stamina - and a sense of humour."

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