Madge Hindle
Madge Hindle (born Madge Railton; 19 May 1938) is an English actress, known for her roles in British television shows. Career. Hindle was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. Her break came when her friend, playwright Alan Bennett, asked her to appear in his 1966 BBC comedy series "On the Margin". From 1968 to 1973, she played the role of Lily Tattersall on the series "Nearest and Dearest". When the series' director, Bill Podmore, took over as producer of "Coronation Street", he thought of her when he created the role of the feisty shopkeeper, Renee Bradshaw. Hindle joined the cast  as Renee Bradshaw in 1976. In 1978, Renee was married to the character Alf Roberts (Bryan Mosley). However, in 1980, Renee was killed when her car was struck by a lorry. Hindle remains philosophical about her character's death in "Coronation Street", saying that if they had to write her out, at least they killed her. She appeared in two of Alan Bennett's television plays: "Sunset Across the Bay" (1975) and "Intensive Care" (1982). She worked in several productions with Ronnie Barker, playing the governor's secretary Mrs Hesketh in the BBC sitcom "Porridge" and made two appearances in  Open All Hours, another Barker sitcom. She co-starred with Barker in "The Two Ronnies" 1976 TV film The Picnic and the 1982 sequel "By the Sea." Hindle had a recurring role in the 1990s comedy series "Barbara", a role until 2003. Personal life. In addition to being an actress, Hindle was Mayoress of Blackburn when her mother became Mayor. Her daughter, Charlotte Hindle, was a presenter on the Saturday morning children's show "Get Fresh" and later a producer of BBC One's show "Songs of Praise". Hindle is the Honorary Vice-President of Blackburn Arts Club, an amateur  dramatic society. She now lives, with her husband Michael, near Settle in North Yorkshire.