In 1960 Hylda was given a part in the film 'Saturday Night
and Sunday Morning' and this led to parts in two further
films 'Oliver' and 'Up The Junction'.
Throughout the sixties she appeared in various stage plays
and a number of television programmes all with great
success, but it was as Nellie Pledge in the Granada TV
sitcom 'Nearest & Dearest' that Hylda reached the peak of
her popularity.
The
programme ran for seven series from 1968 until 1973.
She made her
last television appearance in August 1978, appearing on 'Top
Of The Pops'. Wearing a blonde wig and leathers, she teamed
up with comic actor Arthur Mullard to perform their Top 20
hit 'You're the One That I want'.
Hylda Baker spent the last years of her life in a nursing
home for retired variety performers and
died alone
in Horton Hospital on May 1st 1986. It is reported that
there were less than ten people at her funeral.
Index