Gwyneth Leith (5 July 1946 – 8 September 2022), known professionally as Gwyneth Powell, was an English actress. She was best known for her portrayal of headmistress Bridget McClusky in the BBC television series Grange Hill for eleven series between 1981 and 1991.
Background Powell was born on 5 July 1946 in Levenshulme, Manchester, and attended Cheadle County Grammar School for Girls, during which time she appeared to some acclaim as Fat Urs in the National Youth Theatre's production of Ben Jonson's Bartholemew Fair. She originally trained as a teacher at Goldsmiths, University of London, but instead chose to act in repertory theatre.
Career Powell's first major television role was in the 1971 LWT dystopian drama series, The Guardians. She was a regular, if minor, player in many television dramas until being cast in Grange Hill, in which she played the "firm but fair" headmistress Bridget ("The Midget") McClusky for eleven years. Of her role, she said in 2008:
Eventually, Powell decided to pursue other interests and gave the Grange Hill producers and writers a year to write McClusky out of the series. She bought the rights to E. M. Delafield's Diary of a Provincial Lady and adapted it as a self-financed one-woman show in Edinburgh, also touring the production.
Powell went on to appear in other television programmes such as Heartbeat, A Touch of Frost, Holby City, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Father Brown, and in 2008, Echo Beach. She played the role of a school teacher in a Victorian School Day in an episode of the BBC Schools TV series Watch. In 2009, using archive footage, coupled with some newly recorded lines, Powell reprised her Grange Hill role as Mrs McClusky for a cameo appearance in an episode of Ashes to Ashes, set in 1982. She also appeared in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Salisbury Playhouse. In 2010, Powell starred as Nana in The Gemma Factor. Subsequently, in 2011–2013, she became a support character in the teen programme House of Anubis, playing the role of Nina Martin's gran who ends up in hospital but is later released. She featured in seven episodes. In 2013 she took the role of Greg Davies' mother Polly Davies in the Channel 4 comedy Man Down.
Personal life Powell married actor Alan Leith in 1971. She lived in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, where she was a patron of a local drama group, the Hurstpierpoint Players.
She died in Brighton on 8 September 2022, aged 76. Her death was attributed to complications following surgery for a perforated colon.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1969 Rogues' Gallery Second Lady 1 episode 1971 The Guardians Clare Weston 11 episodes 1972 Villains Belinda 2 episodes 1972 Z Cars Jean Knight 1 episode 1972 Rest assured: Lift Off Mrs Johnson TV film 1973 Putting on the Agony Gill TV film 1973 ITV Sunday Knight Theatre Willy 1974 A Raging Calm Agnes Sutton TV mini series, 4 episodes 1974 Father Brown Helen Smaill 1 episode 1975 Play for Today Elvira Lewis 1 episode 1975 Public Eye Clare 1 episode 1975 Beryl's Lot Anita 2 episodes 1976 Couples Lynn Baker TV series, 6 episodes 1972–1976 Dixon of Dock Green Val Colebrook (1972), Mrs Regan (1972), Anne Hastings (1973), Diane Barnet (1979), Jane Mason (1976) TV series, 5 episodes 1976 Face of Darkness Eileen 1976 Coronation Street Diana Kenton 3 episodes 1976 Emmerdale Julie Croft Guest role 1978 ITV Playhouse Doreen 1 episode1978 People Like Us Frances Hopkins 5 episodes 1978 Accident Betty Richards 3 episodes 1978–1980 Armchair Thriller Woman PC (1978), Doris (1980) 6 episodes 1980 The Enigma Files Anne Gerrard 1 episode 1980 Can We Get on Now, Please? 1 episode 1978 Loophole Doreen 1982 Squadron Margaret Gran 4 episodes 1982, 1984 The Gentle Touch DI Mary Woods 2 episodes 1986 Chance in a Million Maureen 1 episode 1980–1991 Grange Hill Mrs McClusky 169 episodes 1994 Open Fire Gloria Martin TV film 1996 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Marian Horner 1 episode 1997 A Touch of Frost Kitty Rayford 3 episodes 1998 Magic with Everything Aunt Matilda TV series 1998, 2002 Peak Practice Annie Gibson (1998), Rose Meredith (2002) 2 episodes 1999 A Kind of Hush Mrs P. 2001, 2006 Holby City Jean (2001), Margaret Tanner (2006) 2 episodes 2001 Back to the Secret Garden Toby the Maid Film 2003 Family Affairs Judge Yardley 1 episode 2003, 2006 Doctors Janet Armstrong (2003), Janice Wilson (2006) Guest roles 2004 Down to Earth Mrs Dean 1 episode 2004, 2009 Heartbeat Shirley Baxter (2004), Margaret Millwood (2009) 2 episodes 2004 The Royal Bunty Weatherill 1 episode 2005 Emmerdale Sophie Kidderminster Guest role 2007 Piccadilly Cowboy Alice 2008 Echo Beach Ivy Trehearne 11 episodes 2009Ashes to AshesMrs McClusky1 episode, archive footage with newly recorded audio from Powell. 2010 The Gemma Factor Nana 6 episodes 2011 Little Crackers Headmistress 1 episode 2012 House of Anubis Nina's Grandmother 7 episodes 2013 The Matt Lucas Awards Herself 1 episode 2013 A Touch of Cloth Mrs McClusky 1 episode 2013–2017Man Down Polly Davies 19 episodes 2014CasualtyGloria Pots 1 episode 2022Not Going OutNice lady 1 episode 2022 Grace Joan Talbot 1 episode
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