Are You Being Served? captivated audiences nationwide from 1972 to 1985, featuring memorable characters such as Mr. Humphries, Miss Brahms, and Mrs. Slocombe, portrayed by the late Mollie Sugden.
Mollie Sugden, who died at age 86 in 2009, built a distinguished career with roles in Coronation Street, The Liver Birds, That’s My Boy, and the spin-off Grace & Favour.
Marriage and Family Life
Mollie married actor William Moore in 1958. The couple shared the screen in projects like The Liver Birds and welcomed identical twin sons, Robin and Simon, in October 1963. They also became grandparents to five grandchildren.
The family resided in a cottage in East Horsley, Surrey, where Mollie enjoyed gardening and cultivating her own vegetables.
William Moore’s Career Highlights
Born on April 19, 1916, William debuted on screen in Coronation Street in 1966. He returned in 1969 as the regular character Cyril Turpin, leaving the following year but briefly reappearing in 1972. His character met an off-screen demise in 1974.
William starred in sitcoms including My Husband and I and That’s My Boy alongside Mollie. His most iconic role came in the 1980s soap Sorry! as Sydney Lumsden, beloved for the catchphrase “Language, Timothy!”
How They Met
Mollie and William first connected in 1954 in Swansea during a production run by Terence Dudley. Their stage collaborations continued into television, overlapping during Mollie’s stint on Coronation Street.
William once described Mollie affectionately: “She’s a terrible softie, and she’ll do anything to avoid any argument.”
Legacy and Reflections
William passed away at 84 on April 24, 2000. Mollie followed nine years later on July 1, 2009.
In 2016, son Robin reflected on his mother’s resilience: “Mum was from that ridiculously stoic generation. One time she had a heart attack and didn’t tell anyone. She was lifting a wardrobe at the time.”
