Violet Carson

Violet Carson  OBE (1 September 1898 – 26 December 1983) was an actress from Manchester. She was on radio, stage and television, and was a singer and pianist. She had a long and celebrated career as an actress and performer during the early days of BBC Radio. For the last twenty years of her life she was the matronly Christian widow, town gossip and elderly battle-axe Ena Sharples in the ITV television soap opera Coronation Street. She was one of the original characters from the start in 1960.  She almost always wore a hairnet. 

In 1962, she was named ITV Personality of the Year.  She was awarded an OBE in 1965 by Harold Wilson. He was accused of having debased and cheapened the honours system.   

References

Category:1898 births
Category:1983 deaths
Category:Actors from Manchester
Category:Musicians from Manchester
Category:English movie actors
Category:English radio actors
Category:English stage actors
Category:English television actors
Category:English pianists
Category:English singers