Hylda Baker
A brassy Lancashire comic whose chaotic stage persona and catchphrase 'She knows, you know!' became a national catchphrase.
1905–1986 (age 81)·English comedian and actress·Birthday: February 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Hylda Baker emerged from the smoky music halls of Lancashire, crafting a comic character that was all elbows, innuendo, and glorious confusion. With her trademark fur coat and a hat perched precariously on her red hair, she played the archetypal northern battle-axe, often flustered and frequently misunderstanding the situation, to uproarious effect. Her career, which began in her family's pub, peaked with the ITV sitcom 'Nearest and Dearest,' where she sparred with Jimmy Jewel as a sibling duo running a pickle factory. Baker's genius lay in her timing and physicality, a master of the double-take and the muttered aside that made her a beloved, if sometimes overlooked, pillar of British comedy. Her later years were marked by personal struggle, but her influence echoes in every brash, female comic who commands a stage with sheer force of personality.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Hylda was born in 1905, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hylda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1905
Hylda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1905Born
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Started school
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1918Became a teenager
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Could drive
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1923Could vote
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Turned 21
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1935Turned 30
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 40
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 50
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 60
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 70
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 80
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1986Died at 81
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
Key Achievements
- Starred in the hit Granada TV sitcom 'Nearest and Dearest' as Nellie Pledge from 1968 to 1973.
- Her catchphrase 'She knows, you know!' entered the British popular lexicon.
- Appeared in the landmark kitchen-sink drama film 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning' (1960).
- Had a successful career as a top-billed music hall and variety performer for decades.
Did You Know?
She was only 4 feet 11 inches tall.
Her first stage appearance was at age 11, singing in her parents' pub.
She owned and managed a nightclub in London called 'Hylda Baker's' in the 1960s.
The character of 'Cissy' in the British series 'Are You Being Served?' was partly inspired by her.
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