Daphne Margaret du Grivel Oxenford was an Englishactress, known for her early stage roles, and later her radio and television work. She was best known for her role as original character Esther Hayes in Coronation Street. Other roles included Mrs Plummer in Man About the House, Alice Dutton in EastEnders, and Mrs. Oldknow in the mini-series The Children of Green Knowe. She was to appear in the 2008 Doctor Who TV episode The Unicorn and the Wasp as an elderly Agatha Christie. The scene was filmed, but was cut from the final broadcast version, though later included in the DVD release.
Early life and early career
Born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, to chartered accountant Dudley Oxenford and his wife Marie, a writer of historical fiction, Oxenford first appeared on stage at the age of thirteen and trained at the Embassy School of Acting in Swiss Cottage, North London. She was briefly employed by a bank before working in censorship during World War II while performing in revues in her spare time. At the end of the war she toured with ENSA before returning to revues in London. After her marriage she moved to Manchester and appeared regularly at the Library Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre as well as in the West End. In 1947 she successfully auditioned for Joyce Grenfell, who became a close friend and godmother to Oxenford's daughter.
Radio and television
Her best-known role was the voice – "Are you sitting comfortably...?" – for BBC radio's Listen with Mother from 1950 to 1971; she was also a reader on the newspaper review programme What the Papers Say for over thirty years. One of the original cast members of Coronation Street, she played Esther Hayes from 1960 to 1963, 1971 and 1972. She played Mrs. Patterson, the owner of the village shop, in the popular sitcomTo the Manor Born. In the seventies and early eighties she was part of Listen to LesThe Les Dawson Radio Show on BBC Radio 2, and performed in The Clitheroe Kid radio comedy series from time to time. She played Chrissy's mother in three episodes of Man About the House- Series 4 - Episode 5. Other TV credits include: The Sweeney, The Duchess of Duke Street, Juliet Bravo, The Children of Green Knowe, Doctor Who and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates. In 2006, she guest-starred in the audio dramaSapphire and Steel: Cruel Immortality. She appeared in three episodes of Midsomer Murders as Muriel, Cully's grandmother. Her film credits include That'll Be the Day, All Creatures Great and Small and Sweet William. Her voice was used for a Listen With Mother programme in 1977 for the sitcom Rising Damp.
