This was another of the BBC’s excellent six part dramatisations from the early days of Television – if fact Episode One was transmitted – probably ‘live’ – at 9 pm on Friday 8th February 1957

ABOVE – Robin Bailey as Robert Dudley, Earl of Lancaster and Ann Firbank as Amy Robsart – his ‘secret’ wife in the story

Others in the cats were Paul Eddington and Arthur Brough – who we all remember on the long running ‘Are You Being Served’

Margaret Tyzack – almost a decade before ‘The Forsyte Saga’ played Janet.

The action for the first episode – Kenilworth – takes place at Lidcote Hall, Devon and at Cumnor Nr Oxford in 1571

In a later episode Elizabeth I, Queen of England was played by Maxine Audley – and I remember her in this role but hadn’t realised it was in ‘Kenilworth’

British Actress Maxine Audley was born Maxine Hecht on 29th April, 1923 in London, England, UK and passed away on 23rd Jul 1992 London, England, UK aged 69.

A decade later in 1967, Maxine Audley played Miss Havisham in a BBC serial dramatisation of ‘Great Expectations’ – I didn’t know that until I looked further into her career.

‘Kenilworth’ may well have been transmitted before the days of tele-recording so nothing remains of it – but it does sound like a pretty good serial – the BBC normally made a good job of this type of historical drama and I would guess that this was no exception

My memory, as mentioned, is probably only of Maxine Audley as Elizabeth 1 – Queen of England and maybe that could only have come from this adaptation – so maybe I saw it