"'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

[Wirral Writer]

I used to love Hylda Baker from Nearest and Dearest. She is especially remembered for her catch phrases, "'Ave you been, Walter?" and "Oh, I must get a little hand put on this watch." Utter magic!

[Wirral Writer]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

And she's got a website too: http://www.hyldabaker.com/#/welcome/4522018697

[Wirral Writer]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

I used to love Hylda Baker from Nearest and Dearest. She is especially remembered for her catch phrases, "'Ave you been, Walter?" and "Oh, I must get a little hand put on this watch." Utter magic!

Oh yes, and her other catchphrase was: "She knows, y'know."

[amethyst]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Yes the pickle factory was funny

Welcome Jessica have fun

[DemonEyeX]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Her appearance on Top Of The Pops with Arthur Mullard was one of the greatest TV moments of all time.
So funny it made me actually cry. Best version of "You're The One That I Want" ever !

[akb48fan]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

I read a book about Hylda Baker a little while ago. It was written by her fan Jean Fergusson (Marina from Last of the Summer Wine). Her real life ongoing feud with Jimmy Jewel during the making of Nearest & Dearest made for fascinating reading. She sounded like a lonely woman who never really found happiness during her life and this perhaps made her misunderstood by a lot of people who thought she was difficult to work with.

[staffslad]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

I haven't read any biographies of Baker, but didn't she have to retire from performing due to Alzheimer's? I think there was a piece about it in one of the papers.

[akb48fan]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Yes you're right. She did start to forget her lines and she broke her leg during filming for the 3rd series of Not On Your Nellie. That was the to be the end of Hylda's television career.

[Twocky61]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Brilliant couple

[staffslad]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Thanks. Yes, I remember she was on TV in lots of guest spots, then suddenly she was gone.

[George 1978]

Re: "'Ave You Been, Walter?" Hylda Baker Remembered

Yes you're right. She did start to forget her lines and she broke her leg during filming for the 3rd series of Not On Your Nellie. That was the to be the end of Hylda's television career.

She shouldn't have taken it too literally when they said "break a leg!"

We never see any modern day equivalents of Baker on TV any more? Wonder why?