Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 30, 2026

Barbara New

Barbara Helene Barrington better known by her stage and birth maiden name Barbara New was an English character actress, well known for playing Mabel the scullery maid in the David Croft sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?. Following this role, she appeared as Vera Plumtree in all twenty episodes of the BBC's final David Croft sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!. She had previously played smaller parts in Croft's sitcoms Dad's Army and Hi-de-Hi!.

Last revised
Jun 30, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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Source
Barbara New
Born
Barbara Helene New1

(1923-05-09)9 May 1923
Hammersmith, London, England2
Died24 May 2010(2010-05-24) (aged 87)
Paddington, London, England
OccupationActress
Spouse
(m. 1956; died 1988)

Barbara Helene Barrington (9 May 1923 – 24 May 2010)1 better known by her stage and birth maiden name Barbara New was an English character actress, well known for playing Mabel the scullery maid in the David Croft sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?. Following this role, she appeared as Vera Plumtree in all twenty episodes of the BBC's final David Croft sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!. She had previously played smaller parts in Croft's sitcoms Dad's Army and Hi-de-Hi!.

New had a lengthy acting career, mainly in British television and played many other roles including appearances in Z-Cars, Emu's Broadcasting Company, Ripping Yarns and the silent Ronnie Barker comedy By the Sea. One of her last screen appearances was as Ali G's Nan in the 2002 film Ali G Indahouse.3

New also appeared in television adverts for Vicks over a twenty-year period, initially as a mother and later as a grandmother.

She was married to the actor Michael Barrington until his death in 1988.

Film and television roles

Year Title Role
1958 Pride and Prejudice Charlotte Lucas
1958 The Diary of Samuel Pepys4 Queen Katherine
1958 Emergency Ward 10 Mrs Clarke
1962 Maigret Fernande Steuvals
1962 Z-Cars Pet
1968 ...And Mother Makes Five Mrs James
1974 The Wednesday Play Casualty sister
1975 The Picnic The Aunt
1975 Porridge Home Office Visitor
1975 Within These Walls Prisoner
1977 The Black Panther Woman in Post Office
1977 Ripping Yarns Jehovah's Witness / Mrs Olthwaite
1973 to 1980 The Two Ronnies Various
1981 Happy Since I Met You Mum
1982 By the Sea The Aunt
1982 Witness for the Prosecution5 Miss O'Brien
1984 The Bill (TV series) Kate Ferne
1986 Bread (TV series) May's neighbour
1988 to 1993 You Rang, M'Lord? Mabel Wheeler
1996 Casualty May Davies
1995 to 1997 Oh, Doctor Beeching! Vera Plumtree
2000 Beast Mrs Wright
2002 Ali G Indahouse Nan
References

References

  1. Obituary
  2. "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
  3. "Barbara New". Archived from the original on 27 October 2016.
  4. "The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Episode 10". BBC Genome Project. 16 May 1958. Retrieved 14 April 2026.
  5. "Witness for the Prosecution". BBC Genome Project. 26 August 1985. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
External links