Barbara Flynn (born Barbara Joy McMurray, 5 August 1948) is an English actress. She first came to prominence playing Freda Ashton in the ITV drama series '' A Family at War'' (1970–1972). She went on to play the milk woman in the BBC comedy ''

Open All Hours ''Open All Hours'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. It ran for 26 episodes in four series, which aired in 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985. The programme developed from a television pilot broadcast in Ronn ...

'' (1981–1985), Jill Swinburne in ''

The Beiderbecke Trilogy ''The Beiderbecke Trilogy'' refers to three television serials written by Alan Plater and made by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network in the United Kingdom between 1984 and 1988. Each serial centres on schoolteachers Trevor Chaplin ( James ...

'' (1985–1988), Dr. Rose Marie in the BBC series ''

A Very Peculiar Practice ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' is a surreal black-comedy drama set in the health centre of a British university, produced by the BBC, which ran for two series in 1986 and 1988. The two series were followed by a 90-minute made-for-television film, ...

'' (1986–1988), Judith Fitzgerald in the ITV drama '' Cracker'' (1993–1995), and Mrs. Jamieson in '' Cranford'' (2007–2009). In her own words, she tends to play "feisty, strong women".

Personal life

Flynn was born in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. Her Irish father, Dr James McMurray, was a

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...

. Her mother was Joy (or Joyce) Crawford Hurst. Flynn attended St Mary's Convent School,

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

. She then trained at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

(where she was awarded the Gold Medal in 1968) before appearing in repertory theatre. Flynn married television producer and science writer Jeremy Taylor in 1982. The couple had a son, born in 1990. Taylor died on 17 October 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

Narration

In addition to her acting work, Flynn has provided voice-overs for numerous TV documentaries, including: * ''Body Styles'' (1989) * ''Time of Her Life'' (1993) * ''Network First'' (1996) * ''The Lost Gardens of Heligan'' (1997) * ''Deaf Century'' (1999) * ''The 1900 House'' (1999) * ''Horizon'' (numerous episodes, 2002 to present) * ''The 50s and 60s in Living Colour'' (2003) * ''George Orwell: A Life in Pictures'' (2003) * ''From Here to Paternity'' (2004) * ''

The Monastery ''The Monastery: a Romance'' (1820) is a historical novel by Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Set in the Scottish Borders in the 1550s on the eve of the Reformation, it is centred on Melrose Abbey. Composition and sources Scott had bee ...

'' (2005) * ''The Ghost in Your Genes'' (2005) * ''Time Shift: Alan Plater'' (2005) * ''The Queen's Castle'' (2005) * ''Guarding the Queen'' (2007) * '' The Restaurant'' (2008) * ''

Big Fat Gypsy Weddings ''Big Fat Gypsy Weddings'' is a British documentary series broadcast on Channel 4, that explored the lives and traditions of several British Traveller families as they prepared to unite one of their members in marriage. The series also feature ...

'' (2011 to present) * ''Jet! When Britain Ruled the Skies'' (2012) * ''The Flying Scotsman: A Rail Romance'' (2013) * ''

The Planners ''The Planners'' is a British television documentary series broadcast on BBC Two. It follows the work of local planning officers in the United Kingdom, including planners in Cheshire, Greater Manchester, the Scottish Borders and Gloucestershire ...

'' (2013) * '' Permission Impossible: Britain's Planners'' (2014) * ''Countdown to Murder'' (2021)

Theatre work

Flynn appeared in the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

production of ''Pythagoras'' in 1976. This was a new play by Danny Abse. In 2016 she appeared in the world premiere production of

Elegy An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...

References

External links

*
Barbara Flynn
at Curtis Brown {{DEFAULTSORT:Flynn, Barbara 1948 births Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama English film actresses English television actresses English voice actresses English people of Irish descent Living people People from Hastings