Lynne Carol

Josephine Palmer, stage name Lynne Carol, (29 June 1914, Usk, Monmouthshire–30 June 1990, Blackpool, Lancashire) was an English actress made famous by playing busybody Martha Longhurst in the soap opera Coronation Street from the second episode in 1960 until the character was killed off in 1964.

Early life and career

A descendent of six generations of actors, Carol was born in Monmouthshire, where her theatrical parents were touring in a stage play. Carol started her own acting career at the age of only three-years-old. Before landing the part of Martha Longhurst, Carol worked in the provincial theatre for many years.

Carol gave a good characterisation of Martha Longhurst - a waspish beldam, who first appeared in December 1960 and with Ena Sharples, played by Violet Carson and Minnie Caldwell, played by Margot Bryant she made up the formidable 'coven' that held court in the snug of 'The Rovers Return'. The verbal interplay between the three epitomised the serial's North of England humanity and yielded some of the 'richest moments' in the programme. The renown of Martha Longhurst became such that Carol's unpublicised visit to the Ideal Home Exhibition caused a near riot. She was advised to leave the premises for her own safety. Her fan-base even included such international stars as the actor Laurence Olivier and the poet John Betjeman.

After only three years in the series, the character of Martha Longhurst fell victim to the new producer's pen. They seemingly felt that Carol would be likely to find other acting jobs. Carol was deeply shocked to read in the newspaper that the days of her character were now numbered. Martha 'died' quietly of a heart attack in the snug (one of the three bars in the Rovers, the others being the Public and the Select) of the public house in May 1964. The subsequent burial took place in the Manchester General Cemetery where a special grave had been prepared. Carol remained bitter about Martha's death, and believed to the end that a terrible mistake had been made, as her character was so popular. Viewers responded by complaining in their thousands and, later, the writers acknowledged that they had made a mistake.

Carol later appeared in a short-lived '60s BBC serial The Newcomers - alongside Wendy Richard, who later went on to play the character Pauline Fowler in EastEnders and Alan Browning, who later appeared in Coronation Street as Elsie Tanner's (played by Pat Phoenix) third husband - and the 1979 film Yanks starring Richard Gere.

Personal life

Carol married Bert Palmer, a Lancashire character actor, who appeared in Coronation Street as Walter Biddulph, and they made their home in Blackpool. Her husband died in 1980. Lynne Carol had three children, two sons, Michael and Robert and a daughter, Jan.

External links

• Lynne Carol at the Internet Movie Database