Tributes have been flooding in after the shock news that Lynda Baron has passed away yesterday at the age of 82.
The BAFTA award-winning, Urmston-born actress, comedian, and singer was probably best known for playing the role of Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the iconic BBC sitcom Open All Hours between 1976-1985 starring opposite Sir David Jason and Ronnie Barker, and then again in the show’s sequel series Still Open All Hours from 2013-2016.
She also notably-played Auntie Mabel in the beloved CBeebies children’s TV show Come Outside from 1993-1997.
She had also appeared in the ITV sitcom Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt, BBC soap EastEnders as Linda Clarke, the mother of Jane Beale, and made appearances in Doctor Who, Last Of The Summer Wine, and much-loved Mancunian favourite sitcom Dinner Ladies.
Baron’s devastating death was announced in a statement shared by her agent of nearly 30 years, Donna French, yesterday: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved client Lynda Baron [who] was a wonderful actress and a great friend.
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“We have lost a leading light of our world.
“We extend our deepest condolences to her daughter Sarah, her son Morgan and all her family.”
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Since the shocking news broke, previous co-stars and fans have been taking to social media to share their heartfelt tributes and memories of Baron’s successful and celebrated career, and everything she achieved.
Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley paid tribute to Baron – who played her mother in the drama series Fat Friends, saying: “Each and everyday, I learnt so much from you, but mostly, we always laughed together and your energy will live on forever.”
GOD BLESS YOU LYNDA🙏🏻REST IN PEACE😇 you played my mum for four wonderful,memorable years in “Fat Friends”each & everyday,I learnt so much from you,but mostly we ALWAYS laughed together,your energy will live on FOREVER🙏🏻 #restinpeace#legend 😇💛 love ya xxx pic.twitter.com/PcAeeXSmBp
Stockport-born actress Sally Lindsay wrote in tribute on Twitter: “I loved Lynda Baron. She was funny and clever and a joy to work with, and she once gifted me a pair of beautiful red shoes. This has made me very sad – RIP Lynda darling.”
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Actor Adil Ray OBE also paid a worthy tribute on Twitter: “Very sad to hear of the passing of Lynda Baron. Such a lovely lady and a giving, caring person on set. We were so honoured when she played a guest role in Citizen Khan. She was so supportive.
“Thoughts with Lynda’s friends and family,” he added.
Radcliffe-born actor John Partridge, who played Baron’s EastEnders character’s son, said: “Absolutely heartbroken… The showgirls showgirl. She was so very gracious, giving and a RIOT to boot. Night night Mum.”
The official Twitter accounts of EastEnders, CBeebies, and more have also paid tribute.
Fans have too been sharing memories of Baron in their hundreds on Twitter.
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One fan wrote: “Such sad news about Lynda Baron, an actress who was a comforting auntie to a generation of kids she never met.
“She had a quality when you watched her that made you feel like you knew her so well.”
Another said: “How sad to hear the passing of Lynda Baron, well known to us all as nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours, and she was also Auntie Mabel with her lovely dog Pippin, in Come Outside – a lovely children’s program my daughter loved to bits when she was little.
“A beautiful figure and comfort from so many of our childhoods, rest in peace to Lynda Baron,” another fan said on Twitter.
Such sad news about Lynda Baron, an actress who was a comforting auntie to a generation of kids she never met. She had a quality when you watched her that made you feel like you knew her so well 💗 pic.twitter.com/AKFqGT9vG4
— Harrison Brocklehurst (@harrisonjbrock) March 7, 2022
How sad to hear the passing of Lynda Baron, well known to us all as nurse Gladys Emmanuel❤️ in ‘open all hours’.
She was also Auntie Mabel with her lovely dog Pippin, in ‘come outside’ , a lovely children’s program my daughter loved to bits when she was little☺️
In her earlier life, Baron trained at the Royal Academy of Dance, before pursuing a career in acting, comedy, and showbusiness.
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Baron was nominated for a BAFTA in 2011 for her role in The Road To Coronation Street on BBC Four – a one-off drama about the early days of the soap, in which she played actress Violet Carson, who portrayed Ena Sharples in the long-running series.
Her film credits also included 2020’s sports movie Dream Horse, Woody Allen’s 2006 romantic crime Scoop, and 2005’s Colour Me Kubrick.
Also an accomplished West End star, Baron featured in the musical Follies, and in the stage version of In Celebration alongside Orlando Bloom, and also appeared in numerous other theatre productions including An Inspector Calls, Stepping Out, and The Full Monty.
Beloved plant-based independent street food business Herbivorous is set to close imminently
Danny Jones
We hate writing this, but we have news of yet another local hospitality closure as beloved Manchester-born and pioneering plant-based brand Herbivorous has confirmed they’ll soon be calling it a day.
If you can hear us sighing through the screen, apologies – we’re just getting really fed up of saying farewell to our favourites, so god knows how rubbish those involved feel.
As you can see, the team behind the multi-location vegan street food specialists began by writing: “It’s a long one so stay with me… It seems you can’t open social media at the moment without reading about another hospitality business closing down.
“Throughout 8 years of Herbivorous years we’ve come up against many challenges from Covid 5 years ago to watching all the big vegan brands from London and beyond come to Manchester and largely disappear again to the closure of Hatch our busiest site, but with continually increasing costs its becoming really difficult to maintain a thriving business.”
Herbivorous started out life back in 2016 as a cult hit at the old outdoor food, drink and entertainment hub centring around a ‘container village’, the first of its kind in the city and soon to reopen under new owners and a new name.
Since then, co-founders Robyn and Damian have gone on to expand not just to one permanent site over in Withington but with outposts in Sheffield and York, having gained a strong reputation with stalls and pop-ups all over.
Their hospitality story might not have the ending we personally would hope for, but it’s been a brilliant one for so many foodie fans – us lot included.
Nevertheless, they go on to add in the emotional statement that external pressures such as a recent bereavement and their own ever-growing family have also contributed to the decision which, despite being an understandably hard one, “feel like the right time.”
“We are so incredibly proud of how far we’ve come from spending long days slinging duck wraps from our green vintage horse box at festivals to three Herbi locations across the North of England”, they continue, “and with that we’ve also met so many fantastic people!”
“Whether you worked for us at a few festivals over [the] summer or for years at our restaurant, we just wanted to say and massive thank you! The memories will stay with us forever and, of course, how can we not mention our fabulous customers!
“Thank you all so much for choosing Herbivorous over the years. Those of you who had our food at Festivals and then found us at one of our permanent locations, those of you who came back week after week to Hatch, Spark, Withington and beyond.”
They signed off by detailing their final business days, with their Sheffield Kommune spot having already shut for refurbishment; meanwhile, their spot in SPARK York will be wrapping up on Saturday, 19 April.
As for their flagship brick-and-mortar venue here in Greater Manchester, Herbivorous Withington will be shutting on Friday, 25 April.
Once again, there’s nothing we can say other than thank you for years of delicious food, that we’re guttted to see you go, and that everyone at The Manc Group wishes you the best whatever comes next.
AJ Tracey is playing a VERY intimate gig in Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
London rapper and respected grime artist AJ Tracey is ‘live and direct’ once again, announcing a whole host of UK dates, one of which is a rather intimate gig right here in Manchester.
It’s official: one of UK rap’s leading gents is getting back on the road and he’s showing a ‘Little More Love’ to lots of cities, including Manchester.
In a post on the UK star’s socials, AJ Tracey trades his music persona for that of a sports pundit as he announces the dates for his upcoming tour while impersonating an F1 commentator.
Anyone looking to attend Tracey’s ‘Not Even A Tour’ can catch the star up and down the country on his over 20-date tour with a stop in Manchester as soon as this month.
The rapper has reached phenomenal heights since dropping the unforgettable ‘Ladbroke Grove’ in 2019 and is heading out across the nation to make sure everyone knows about it.
Get ready to spit bars left and right as this rapper’s discography is stacked with serious tunes like ‘Dinner Guest’, ‘West Ten’, ‘Thiago Silva’ and more.
More recently, he collaborated with Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith for a flirty garage beat also known as ‘Crush’ with the video being the two artists talking it out in a good old fashioned caff.
The latest collaboration with Smith marks the start of a new era for Mr. Live and direct as it fell in line with the announcement of his third studio album.
Titled Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, we’re sure he’ll be “building a vibe” wherever he goes and probably previewing a few exclusive tracks from his upcoming project too.
This gig may come as quite a surprise for any hardcore fans of the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star as the venue in which he’s performing is definitely intimate only, holding just over 250 guests.
This rap giant is bringing his unbelievable beats to none other than the legendary small-cap city centre live music venue, The Deaf Institute, at the end of this month.
It’s safe to say you won’t get many more chances, if any, to see him in such a tight-knit space again.
AJ Tracey is bringing ‘Not Even A Tour’ to Deaf Institute in Manchester on 30 April, with tickets on sale Friday 4 April from 12 noon.
Emily Sergeant -
8th March 2022 
