# Elizabeth Bradley

Elizabeth Bradley (20 May 1922 – 30 October 2000) was an English actress. She played Maud Grimes in the British soap opera Coronation Street.

## Early life

Bradley was born Joan Abraham in Macclesfield, Cheshire, the daughter of a senior civil servant, and took her father's middle name as her stage surname. She started acting professionally at the age of 23.
Bradley's played wheelchair-using pensioner Maud Grimes in Coronation Street from 1993 to 1999. The character was described as a battle-axe and was once called "the mother-in-law from hell". She filmed 476 episodes during this time. Bradley had previously played character Councillor Adams in the soap in 1978, but was credited then as Margaret Bradley.
She has also made TV appearances in London's Burning, The Bill, Casualty, Bad Girls and The Sweeney. Her film roles included Four Dimensions of Greta and The Flesh and Blood Show (both 1972) with director Pete Walker, and as the old woman who encounters a naked David Naughton at London Zoo in An American Werewolf in London (1981).
She was also a successful theatre actress, obtaining an Olivier Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role in a National Theatre production of Billy Liar.

## Personal life and death

Bradley married actor Garth Adams in 1950, and remained with him until his death in 1977; they had three children. She died after suffering a stroke, at the age of 78.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1957 | Huntingtower | | Series 1 Episode 3 |
| 1960 | The Long Way Home | | Episode: "French Resistance" |
| 1960–1962 | Bonehead | Second Mother / Mrs. Golightly | 3 episodes |
| 1963 | Julius Caesar | Plebeian | Series 1 Episode 3 |
| 1963–1973 | Z-Cars | Various characters | 5 episodes |
| 1964 | Emergency Ward 10 | Mrs Tardy | Episode #1.708 |
| 1966 | Davy Jones' Locker | Mrs Haddock | |
| 1968 | Dr. Finlay's Casebook | Mrs Gordon | Episode: "The Equilibrium" |
| 1969 | The First Lady | Alice Cobden | Episode: "To Hell with Purity" |
| 1969 | Take Three Girls | Mrs Bell | Episode: "Stop Acting" |
| 1970 | Daniel Deronda | Mrs Gascoigne | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Television Club | Mrs Smithers | 2 episodes |
| 1972 | Dixon of Dock Green | Mrs Wheeler | Episode: "Night Beat" |
| 1972 | Four Dimensions of Greta | " Mrs Schickler | |
| 1972 | The Flesh and Blood Show | Mrs Saunders | |
| 1973 | Softly Softly: Task Force | Mrs Thompson | Episode: "No Life for a Woman" |
| 1974 | The Nine Tailors | Mrs Venables | 3 episodes |
| 1975 | In This House of Brede | Dame Margaret | |
| 1976 | No Hard Feelings | Mrs Etheridge | |
| 1977 | Van der Valk | Hannah | Episode: "Wolf" |
| 1978 | A Traveller in Time | Aunt Tissey / Dame Cicely | 5 episodes |
| 1978 | The Devil's Crown | Old Nun | |
| 1978 | The Sweeney | Mrs Hibberd | Episode: "Latin Lady" |
| 1978 | Coronation Street | Councillor Adams | Credited as Margaret Bradley |
| 1979 | Blue Peter Special Assignment | Elizabeth Gaskell | Episode: "The Bronte's at Haworth" |
| 1979 | Play for Today | Nelly | Episode: "Waterloo Sunset" |
| 1980 | Escape | Madame Chauvet | Episode: "The Cartland Murder" |
| 1980 | Play for Today | | Episode: "Pasmore" |
| 1981 | An American Werewolf in London | Woman in Zoo | |
| 1981 | Play for Today | Mum | Episode: "London is Drowning" |
| 1982 | Brimstone and Treacle | Woman Passer by | |
| 1982 | God Speed Co-operation | Mrs Burrows | Television film documentary |
| 1983 | The Citadel | Mrs Vidler | |
| 1983 | Tales of the Unexpected | Mrs Bradley | Episode: "A Sad Loss" |
| 1984–1985 | Leaving | Mrs Ford | 8 episodes |
| 1985 | Shine On Harvey Moon | Lady in Gallery | Episode: "Mud Sticks" |
| 1985 | Juliet Bravo | Mrs Grinley | |
| 1985 | Christmas Present | Granny Harris | |
| 1986–1993 | The Bill | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 1987 | The Mistress | Mourner | Series 2 Episode 1 |
| 1989 | Bergerac | Mrs Maurice | Episode: "Second Time Around" |
| 1989 | Screenplay | Nellie | Episode: "A Small Mourning" |
| 1990 | The Piglet Files | Mrs Russell | Episode: "A Room with a View" |
| 1990 | Casualty | Edith Clarke | Episode: "Street Life" |
| 1991 | Boon | Gladys Swann | Episode: "Bad Pennies" |
| 1992 | Resnick: Lonely Hearts | Vera Barnett | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Screen Two: Memento Mori | Mrs Anthony | |
| 1992 | An Ungentlemanly Act | Nanny | Television film |
| 1992 | London's Burning | Stout woman | Series 5 Episode 7 |
| 1992 | Screenplay | Great Aunt Annie | Episode: "A Little Bit of Lippy" |
| 1993 | Rides | Mari | |
| 1993–1999 | Coronation Street | Maud Grimes | |
| 1994 | Casualty | Mrs Daniels | Episode: "Value for Money" |
| 1994 | A Skirt Through History | Emilie Peacocke | Episode: "A Lady's Portion" |
| 2000 | Bad Girls | Mrs Foster | Episode: "Facing Up" |