Top ten rating for Dame Thora

Feb 25 2005 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

DAME Thora Hird - known to millions from TV's Last of the Summer Wine - was today named as one of Britain's greatest actresses of all time.

She came seventh in a list topped by Judi Dench, with Julie Walters in second place.

More than 2,000 people were quizzed for Sky television.

Dame Thora, who died two years ago at the age of 91, got 19% of the votes.

It put her in joint seventh place with Vanessa Redgrave.

Dame Thora had a stage, film and TV career spanning 90 years after her first appearance on the boards at the age of eight weeks.

She played houseproud Edie Pegden in Last of the Summer Wine for 17 years.

The survey was carried out ahead of this Sunday's Oscars.

Top British actor was Sean Connery, who secured 44% of the votes ahead of Sir Anthony Hopkins on 36%.

But there was no place on the list for Huddersfield-born James Mason, a huge star in his day.

1 Sean Connery 44%

2 Anthony Hopkins 36%

3 Alec Guinness 29%

4 Michael Caine 28%

5 Laurence Olivier 24%

5 Richard Burton 24%

7 Cary Grant 17%

8 John Mills 16%

9 Richard Attenborough 15%

10 Peter Sellers 14%

1 Judi Dench 64%

2 Julie Walters 46%

3 Elizabeth Taylor 32%

4 Helen Mirren 31%

5 Julie Andrews 30%

6 Maggie Smith 29%

7 Thora Hird 19%

7 Vanessa Redgrave 19%

9 Kate Winslet 18%

10 Emma Thompson 16%