In 1960, she was cast in the role of 36-year-old stay-at-home spinster Esther Hayes in Coronation Street.

BBC: Daphne Oxenford

They are no longer young, yet not terribly old, although in that era, a 31-year-old unmarried woman like Sally was considered a hopeless spinster.

WSJ: Review: 'Talley's Folly' is a charming revival