FOR more than 40 years, she was famous for her hotpots in Coronation Street.
But 59 years ago this month, Betty Driver won a whole new legion of fans in Meltham.
The actress, who died at the weekend aged 91, was one of the stars of the BBC’s Workers’ Playtime.
And on October 23 1952 she and the rest of the cast presented their radio show live from the sprawling David Brown Tractors plant in Meltham.
More than 1,000 of the firm’s 2,000 workers packed into the canteen to see the show and were delighted by Driver and her fellow stars.
She was joined by Douglas Cardew Robinson, George Martin, The Petersen Brothers, musician Jimmy Leach and pianist Fred Harries.
The comedy and music programme was part of the national fabric, serving the British population from the Blitz to the Beatles.
It was one of the very first touring variety shows on the BBC and was scheduled to run for six weeks but went on broadcasting for a staggering 23 years. It was one of the longest running radio shows in history.
Workers’ Playtime started out on the BBC Home Service and was broadcast live from a factory canteen “Somewhere in Britain”.
