The Great British Battleaxe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peggy Mount

Peggy Mount (May 1916-November 2001) was a character actress who appeared in many films and TV series over the years. In "George and the Dragon", which aired from 1966 to 1968, Peggy played a housekeeper, Gabrielle Dragon, and Sid James played a chauffeur, George Russell. John Le Mesurier played their employer.

Peggy was awarded an OBE in 1995. In real life she was a quiet and kindly person, who used to hate people asking her to "do her dragon voice".

Answer: Nora Batty

Kathy was born in 1928. Her given name is Minnie Higginbottom, surely a battleaxe name in itself. She has played the role of Nora since the series began in 1973, apart from a break from 2001-2003 when she played the part of Doris Luke in the revival of the soap opera "Crossroads". With her curlers, cardigans and wrinkled stockings Nora is an unlikely pin-up, but she was Compo's (Bill Owen) love interest until Bill's death in 1999.

Kathy also played the part of a dour northern woman, Mrs Blewitt, in "Open All Hours" (1976-1985).

Answer: Man About The House

"Man About the House" ran from 1973 to 1976. The US version was known as "Three's Company" and ran from 1977 to 1984. "George and Mildred" ran from 1976 to 1979.

Mildred Roper was played by Yootha Joyce and George Roper by Brian Murphy. As is so often the case with battleaxes, disappointment in her marriage bought out the worst in her. Like all good battleaxes, Mildred had her softer side and frequently sided with her young lodgers against her husband.

Answer: Torquay

Only twelve episodes of "Fawlty Towers" were made. They ran for two series, one in 1975 and one in 1979.

Sybil (played by Prunella Scales) was the real power behind the throne in "Fawlty Towers". She seemed to do very little, but while Basil flapped, shouted and generally threw himself around, a few words from Sybil usually righted the situation. Some of Basil's endearments to Sybil include "the sabre toothed tart" and "my little nest of vipers". He compares her laugh to "someone machine gunning a seal".

Again, one has the sneaking suspicion that marriage has turned a perfectly reasonable woman into a battleaxe.

Answer: Ena Sharples

All of the names mentioned have spent a long stint in "The Street". All of them also have battleaxe tendencies, but Ena reigned supreme. She was moralistic and overbearing, but over the years came to display a softer side.

Violet Carson came to loathe playing the part of Ena. Ill health forced her to appear less frequently in the show and Ena Sharples appeared for the last time in 1980. Ms Carson died in 1983, aged 85.

Ena's famous hairnet was introduced when Violet Carson refused to let the on set hairdresser mess up her hair.

Answer: Bayview

Stephanie Cole was only 48 when she started playing the role of pensioner Diana Trent. Diana and Tom always seemed unlikely candidates to live in a retirement home. Diana was a waspish ex-photo journalist who seemed more than capable of looking after herself. Tom was a kindly soul who had spent a boring humdrum life as an accountant and was enjoying an inner fantasy life in his old age. Together they caused anarchy at Bayview. "Waiting for God" aired from 1990-1994.

Stephanie Cole is another actress who passed through the doors of Arkwright's shop in the sitcom "Open All Hours". She played Delphine Featherstone (nicknamed "The Black Widow"), another "battleaxe" character.

Answer: Please Sir

"Please Sir" ran from 1968 to 1972. It centred on the antics of the pupils and staff of Fenn Street School. Doris Ewell was the deputy head, who seemed to run the school on behalf of the doddering headmaster. Again, although the staff and pupils alike were absolutely terrified of Doris, she showed great common sense and compassion when the occasion demanded it.

Answer: Coronation Street

Mollie appeared in one episode of "Coronation Street", as Nellie Harvey, landlady of "The Laughing Donkey" pub, in 1971. "Coronation Street" first aired in 1960.

Mollie is a stalwart of British comedy. Another "Battleaxe" role saw her playing the part of Thelma Hutchinson, Sandra's snobbish and over-refined mother in "The Liver Birds", which ran from 1969 to 1978.

Answer: Surrey

Penelope Keith was High Sheriff of Surrey from April 2002-March 2003.

Initially the role of Margo was very much a secondary one in "The Good Life". Indeed, in the first episode, she is not seen, but only heard berating her husband Jerry. However, her outrageous snobbery proved very popular with viewers and provided a lot of the comedy in the show. Margo was vain, snobbish and almost devoid of a sense of humour. However, like most good battleaxes, she had a heart of gold and could be relied on in a crisis.

Answer: The Daily Express

The Giles family were the creation of cartoonist Carl Giles. Grandma was a fearsome elderly lady, always dressed in black. Everyone in the family seemed to be scared of her, though she could usually be placated by a swift nip of gin.