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This page is a list of main characters for the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, which ran from 1990 to 1995.

Hyacinth and her family

Hyacinth Bucket

The show's protagonist is the social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket (née Walton) (b. 4 December 1929), who insists that her surname is pronounced "Bouquet" with the accent on the second syllable. Hyacinth's primary aims in life are to impress people, particularly of the upper and upper-middle classes, and to give the impression that she is of high social standing, despite her fairly average status.

She describes herself as a "local celebrity", and believes she is held in high and enviable esteem by the community for her candlelight suppers, charity work and her involvement in the local amateur dramatics. In an attempt to make callers think she is well-off enough to employ domestic staff, she repeatedly (and famously) answers her beloved pearl-white slim line telephone with automatic redial facility with, "The Bouquet residence; the lady of the house speaking."

Those around her despise her snobbery, her meddling and her refusal to listen to others. Hyacinth tries to avoid her poorer or oddly-behaving relatives (Daisy, Onslow, Rose, Bruce and, to an extent, Daddy), while boasting about her richer sister (Violet, who has "a Mercedes, sauna, and room for a pony") in order to maintain her vaunted social status. However, she loves her family dearly, especially her father, and will rush to their aid in times of need, though often reluctantly.

She frequently refers to or makes preparations for her candlelight suppers, attendance of which almost seem mandatory, but we never actually see one in progress, although her main guests are Elizabeth, Emmet, the Vicar and the Vicar's wife.

Hyacinth is the eldest of four sisters: in birth order, herself, Daisy, Violet and Rose.

Richard Bucket

Hyacinth's long-suffering husband who is at her beck and call. Richard is a calm, tolerant and relaxed character who cares little for enhancing or preserving social status, and he seems content with his lower-middle class standing. He pronounces his last name, Bucket, as the English word, and snaps to Hyacinth in one episode, "It's not "Bouquet", it's Bucket! It was always Bucket until I met you".

Richard Bucket married Hyacinth Walton (as she was back then) on 9 February 1963 and moved into 22 Blossom Avenue at a later date. Although the house is in his name, he does not have a key for it: Hyacinth has the only key.

Hyacinth believes that Richard's favourite hobby is gardening and repeatedly forces him to go into the garden to work on it, even though he makes it quite clear that he does not enjoy it. The main reason she nags Richard into constantly doing the gardening is to try to make people believe Richard could afford a gardener, but chooses not to as he enjoys gardening himself. Richard and Hyacinth's front garden is frequently seen, but the back garden is unseen. Hyacinth always criticises Richard for having a dead flower on her roses and also that her roses are smaller than the ones next door (which turn out to be a different variety).

As shown in the Christmas Special "The Father Christmas Suit", during which Richard is supposed to dress up as Father Christmas, but ends up getting drunk with Emmet, he is proficient in playing the piano (Richard plays the piano while he and Emmet sing "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer") and also appears to have an interest in cricket.

Until series three, he works as a civil servant; his exact title is not specified, though Hyacinth states he is the deputy in the council's department of finance and general purposes. He dreads the idea of early retirement as it would mean being with Hyacinth all day, every day for the rest of his life, but is forced into early retirement despite begging and pleading with his boss to come back. In the series five episode, "The Senior Citizens' Outing", he is seen reading a self-help book titled, 'Can You Afford to Retire?'; this is more than likely a means of escaping Hyacinth rather than any fiscal concern.

He obeys his domineering wife's orders which usually involve contrived plots to impress neighbours or aristocrats, or a far-fetched plan to avoid Hyacinth's down-market family, whom he actually prefers to the upper-class people Hyacinth is determined to mingle with. Whenever anyone asks how he manages to cope with Hyacinth, he often compares his marriage to like being in the army: every day is routinely planned out for him, and he never has to make any decisions. He also points out that Hyacinth is extremely kind.

It is revealed that Richard and Hyacinth are no longer intimate, as Hyacinth does not approve of it at their time of life, and he also says to her that as soon as their son, Sheridan, was born, Hyacinth lost interest in Richard. A few times, Richard has stood up to Hyacinth in public because of her unreasonable behaviour, driving her into shock, but he is usually meek and mild. He drives the car because Hyacinth has not learned to drive, but he says he just steers while Hyacinth gives directions.

Roy Clarke, writer of the show, described Richard as a foil to show Hyacinth's character to worst advantage. Although various characters in the series often express bemusement as to Richard's tolerance for Hyacinth, the cast and crew observe that he simply loves her and that his sense of humour helps get him through.

Daisy

A happy, lively character, Daisy (née Walton) lives with her slobbish husband Onslow, her man-crazy sister Rose and their senile father. Daisy, Onslow and Rose are the lower-class relatives Hyacinth is ashamed of. Daisy is constantly trying to get her husband to show passion towards her (sometimes brushed off with a statement like "but we made love last Tuesday"). However, she often fails to rouse any signs of affection from him and, as a result, buries herself in Mills & Boon novels.

Her other attempts to get Onslow's attention include giving herself a makeover to attract the attention of other men, and getting herself a seventeen-year-old, motorbike-riding toy boy; however, Onslow was not bothered by either of these. Much to Onslow's disbelief, Daisy repeatedly insists he is a "menace to the female sex" and is terrified of the thought of him having another woman. She often likens him to Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire.

Despite their poor sex life, Daisy and Onslow have a daughter called Stephanie, who appeared only in the final episode of series one, along with her own daughter Kylie and two de facto husbands. Daisy is a Liverpool supporter, which almost resulted in Onslow not marrying her.

Daisy, like her husband, enjoys life in the slow lane; she spends most of her time sitting on the sofa eating, reading romance novels borrowed from the library, or watching television. Daisy is full of life and always smiling, despite picking up her husband's bad habits of sleeping until noon and watching television all day. She persists in trying to get her apathetic husband to have sex with her (she recalls their first time was in a bus shelter on Milton Street, though Onslow disagrees), and tries to share romantic moments with him, however, her efforts always fail, as Onslow prefers to drink beer and watch "racing on the telly."

Rose and Violet, Daisy turns to Hyacinth for help when faced with a problem, whether it is a love dilemma pertaining to her husband Onslow, or an urgent case of the "missing father" syndrome.

Onslow

A beer-guzzling, unemployed and apathetic slob intensely despised by Hyacinth, Onslow threatens his sister-in-law's social prestige with his scruffy clothes and common, coarse ways. Onslow is proudly "work shy, bone idle and out of condition", and eats, drinks, and sleeps until noon.

He'll watch television all day every day, and rarely moves from his armchair. He calls himself "the breadwinner", but his only income is money he makes from betting on horses and social security. Nevertheless, Onslow's intellectual reading, and viewing Open University programmes, have made him knowledgeable.

Onslow owns a dog, who lives outside in the rusting carcass of a Hillman Avenger in the front garden. His sex drive has slackened off considerably since his youth (as the only thing he consistently says to Daisy during the day is "Is there any more smoky bacon?" or "Any more beer?"), and Daisy's romantic efforts to arouse him are in vain.

He is an inattentive husband to Daisy, in that he never takes her out, nor has he ever bought her any jewellery or clothing, and treats her like a dogsbody. Onslow is also a football fan of an unnamed club, though he is known to dislike Liverpool – so much so that he felt ready to divorce Daisy when she revealed on their honeymoon that she supported Liverpool.

Despite Hyacinth's utter contempt of him, in the Christmas special "Sea Fever", after realising Onslow and Daisy were holidaying on the QE2 with Hyacinth and Richard after Onslow had won first prize in a national newspaper competition, Hyacinth kindly wished Onslow congratulations and danced with him in the ship's ballroom.

Hyacinth detests Onslow; however, he's a gentle, friendly character and gets on well with everyone else, including other relatives and the local vicar. Onslow is good friends with Richard, nicknaming him "Dickie" much to Hyacinth's outrage (though Richard himself does not mind), and often attempts to persuade him not to let Hyacinth browbeat him all the time.

Onslow is a gentle and loving character, despite his appearance suggesting otherwise, and is Roy Clarke's favourite character in the show, as stated in the Comedy Connections series. He was played by Geoffrey Hughes in all episodes of the show.

Stephanie and Kylie

Stephanie is Daisy and Onslow's daughter. Her daughter (Daisy and Onslow's granddaughter) is named Kylie and is christened in the episode "The Christening". Hyacinth does not approve of the name Kylie, nor that Stephanie is unmarried and has two male partners who she describes as 'hippies' (one of which is apparently Kylie's father, but not even they know which one).

Stephanie and Kylie are not seen or mentioned again in the show, although in one episode of Series Two while pushing Daddy in a wheelchair Daisy says it reminds her of when she and Onslow used to push the baby in the pram; it also reminds them of why they had to bring the wedding forward.

Rose

Hyacinth's youngest, lustful sister, Rose has an eye for men and a taste for short skirts and flashy, provocative outfits. She is another family member who threatens Hyacinth's social prestige, especially given the Vicar and Emmett are two of the men she sometimes chases after. Rose is promiscuous, unstable, and prone to fits of hysteria and depression, some of which are genuine and some of which are merely attention-getting tactics. However, Richard describes her as a gentle soul who is just a bit 'mixed up'. She is constantly having affairs with men, but her choice in men is poor and she often finds herself with married or otherwise unsuitable men who abandon her after a brief fling. However, she has been engaged at least once during the show's run, and in the episode "Early Retirement", she reveals she was once married, though it is not stated whether she is widowed or divorced. Onslow has stated more than once that her hormones never get a chance to settle, which explains her outrageous behavior. She has a penchant for stealing Onslow's cigarettes, and for going into long tirades about men and their unfaithfulness. She regularly becomes 'disillusioned' and decides to 'give up men', sometimes multiple times a week, but always has a new beau in record time.

Hyacinth is particularly ashamed of Rose, and at times goes to great lengths to keep her existence and their relationship a secret. However, she does care for her, all the same. In the episode "Charity Shop", she stands and listens patiently as Rose confides to her about her dysfunctional love life. Hyacinth cheers her up and then kisses her on the cheek before sending her home. In "Iron Age Remains", when Rose has locked herself in a room in one of her depressive fits, Hyacinth panics that Rose may have harmed herself, especially when there is no answer at the door (in fact, Rose just had stereo headphones on and couldn't hear the people outside). Hyacinth also tries to mend a fight between Rose and one of her lovers in "A Picnic for Daddy", thinking he's a reputable member of society, though she reneges and tells the man to stop bothering Rose when she realizes she had mistaken his identity and that he was indeed another of Rose's bad choices in men.

She was played by Shirley Stelfox in series 1 and Mary Millar from series 2 on. Stelfox's Rose possessed more of a dry-witted persona with a penchant for short skirts, while Millar's Rose was more over-the-top in both personality and wardrobe. Her surname remains unknown throughout, but it can be presumed that it is Walton, as her father's surname is revealed in the episode Young Hyacinth.

Violet and Bruce

Violet is Hyacinth's almost-invisible, wealthy sister whom Hyacinth always brags about variously having a large house, Mercedes, sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool and room for a pony. She also has a musical bidet.

Violet leads a troubled marriage with cross-dressing husband Bruce (who works as a turf accountant) and repeatedly phones Hyacinth to complain about Bruce's mad behaviour, yet Hyacinth insists that she put up with Bruce for the luxurious lifestyle his wealth gives her, particularly the Mercedes. Bruce often confiscates Violet's clothes so he can wear them himself, leaving her with his clothes.

Hyacinth does her best to keep the oddities of the latter away from her neighbours and friends. Violet is also the third-eldest of the four sisters and although in the episode, "The Pageant", Bruce states that he and Violet have children, they are never named nor referenced to. A sign outside their house reads "The Paddocks", but it is not revealed if Paddock is their last name or merely the name of their property.

While Violet is obviously far more affluent than Hyacinth, she is not the snob Hyacinth is. She is far more accepting of Daisy, Onslow and Rose than Hyacinth, in that she is not embarrassed by them (when told by Hyacinth to find a friend "in the same income bracket" to drive her, Violet calls Onslow and invites her sisters to gate-crash Hyacinth's "waterside supper with riparian entertainments").

Although continually bragging about Violet to her friends, Hyacinth is unable to use Violet and Bruce to her full advantage, being unable to invite them around or introduce them to friends and neighbours due to their volatile marriage or Bruce's costumes. On the odd occasion, Hyacinth has invited Violet to her candlelight suppers (which Violet does not enjoy any more than anyone else), and it is implied the main reason Hyacinth invites Violet and Bruce around is because she likes to have their Mercedes in her driveway.

In the episode "A Barbecue at Violet's", when Hyacinth and Richard arrive at Violet's home, they clearly arrive in the middle of a vicious domestic row, in which Violet and Bruce are arguing loudly and hurling objects at each other. Violet eventually wants to divorce Bruce, but Hyacinth frog marches her distraught sister to the vicar in an attempt to change her mind, determined not to lose her one genuine connection to a higher class. Richard is shown to not be fond of Violet, remarking how she is "always moaning", and is dismayed when Hyacinth announces that they will be visiting Violet for a barbecue.

Violet and Bruce are unseen characters for most of the first four series, apart from the occasional glimpse of Bruce in an outlandish costume or partially seen from a distance, but in the fifth series, both Bruce and Violet become recurring characters (played by John Evitts and Anna Dawson respectively). In terms of appearance, Violet somewhat resembles a more tasteful version of Rose.

Daddy

Daddy (played by George Webb) is the apparently senile widowed father of Hyacinth, Daisy, Rose and Violet; the prequel Young Hyacinth reveals his wife ran off with an American. He lives with Onslow, Daisy and Rose. Hyacinth repeatedly makes bizarre excuses as to why he can't live with her (one being that he brings Sheridan out in a rash), but she does love him dearly, yet his antics and constant requirement for attention put her social standing at risk.

Daddy seems unable to keep himself out of trouble. Either chasing women and promising to marry them, or reliving his childhood or World War II experiences, he often goes missing and requires the rescue efforts of his daughters and sons-in-law. It is often said by Richard that the rundown neighborhood that Daddy lives in is the one he has lived in all his life, therefore revealing that Hyacinth grew up in the grubby, decrepit area she loathes visiting.

Daddy's screen appearances are somewhat rare, and his spoken lines even more so. Although his given name is unknown, his surname is revealed to be Walton in Young Hyacinth.

Sheridan Bucket

An unseen character, Sheridan is Hyacinth and Richard's spoiled and selfish only son, about eighteen years of age. He is away at college (a poly which Hyacinth insists is of a "university standard" - the first three series were written prior to the Further and Higher Education Act 1992) and is known to audiences primarily through Hyacinth's telephone conversations with him.

The major running gag surrounding Sheridan involves him ringing home whenever he needs money, Hyacinth without fail assuming at first that he is "just ringing his mummy" - despite his age, she still refers to herself and Richard as "mummy and daddy." Most of the time, he needs money for ludicrous things that his "friend" Tarquin has suggested, up to and including a walking holiday in Iceland.

Although Sheridan usually convinces Hyacinth of his need for the money (much to Richard's exasperation), Hyacinth is very occasionally able to say no, and she too sometimes becomes frustrated with his constant demands for money. Although Hyacinth claims Sheridan writes to her constantly, and often expects to receive letters from him, Sheridan never gets in touch unless he wants money.

Sheridan prefers not to talk to Richard on the phone, and has been known to pretend to be someone else whenever he calls and Richard answers. The other running gag is that Richard suspects Sheridan is gay, something which is implied through his love of needlework, his lilac car, desire for pure silk pyjamas, and his male friend, Tarquin (with whom Sheridan makes their own curtains). Richard regularly tries to raise the issue with Hyacinth, only for her to remain totally oblivious.

A glimpse at the back of Sheridan's head can be seen in the episode "Let There Be Light" while he is in a taxi, and during the opening credits, a photograph of him as a young boy is seen on Hyacinth's writing desk; this is the closest he has ever been seen on the show.

Animal characters

Onslow's dog

Onslow's dog doesn't have a name, simply referred to as "Girl" or "Dog", but she appears to be a wolfhound mix and is often found in the Hillman Avenger that has been left to rust in the front yard of Onslow's home, or sometimes snuggled on his lap (and hanging off it as she's too big to fit). Generally placid and friendly to visitors, the dog barks aggressively at only two characters: Hyacinth and Mrs Councillor Nugent, the two most disagreeable characters on the show.

In what is arguably the series' most memorable running gag, the dog startles Hyacinth into falling into the nearby hedge by barking at her from the car whenever she walks down the path to the house. Onslow clearly cares for the dog - in "Country Estate Sale", when one of Daddy's fiancées shoos the dog out and stays in the old car herself, Onslow is distraughtCite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). and goes down the street looking for her. In the same episode, Hyacinth, emboldened by home-made wine bought at an auction, barks at the dog (thinking she's in the car), but is yelled back at by the above-mentioned fiancée of Daddy and falls in the hedge anyway.

Violet and Bruce's pony

Hardly ever seen and only referenced on the phone or on the gates of Violet's house, the pony is part of a main running gag, which features Hyacinth introducing Violet on the telephone (shouting to Liz, her next-door neighbour, from the corridor) by exclaiming: "The one with the swimming pool, the new Mercedes and room for a pony... But not in the car!" Or replacing the Mercedes part with "...Sauna..." or "...Musical bidet..." and referencing the joke that there isn't room for it in the Sauna or the Musical bidet.

In "Problems with Relatives", When Hyacinth and Richard plan on taking Daddy to Violet and Bruce's house, the pony makes a brief cameo in the background. The stables is also seen briefly in this episode.

Olive

Only appearing in "Early Retirement", and the only named animal character in the series, Olive was a massive black Newfoundland that belonged to one of Rose's beaus. She was incredibly stubborn and disobedient, and caused mayhem when she sat on Hyacinth's driveway and flatly refused to get up, just as Hyacinth was expecting a prominent guest to arrive. Neither her owner nor Hyacinth could get her to move by command, so Elizabeth and Hyacinth tried pulling and pushing her instead while her owner walked off. Unfortunately, the guest (and her Yorkshire Terrier) arrived at Hyacinth's house. Olive, who liked to play with smaller dogs according to her owner, chased after the Yorkie, dragging Hyacinth down the street behind her.

Vicar's Dog

Only seen in "A Picnic for Daddy", the vicar and his wife own a black and white spaniel whose name is never given. She, like most dogs, despised Hyacinth. When Vicar gave Hyacinth a lift, with the dog riding in the boot of the car, the dog proceeded to eat all the artificial fruit off of Hyacinth's fancy hat.

Mrs. Drummond's Dogs=

Also unnamed, appearing in "Let There Be Light". They belonged to a wealthy parishioner of Michael the vicar and were two Chocolate Labradors, atypically vicious for the breed, who lunged at and tried to attack Hyacinth. She was eventually able to calm them and try to take them for a walk, but an ill-timed electrical explosion in the church hall spooked them into running away from her.

Neighbours

Elizabeth 'Liz' Warden

Elizabeth Warden (née Hawksworth) is Hyacinth's friendly, tolerant next-door neighbour who lives at number 24 Blossom Avenue. Hyacinth calls her Elizabeth, but everyone else calls her Liz. Hyacinth often invites her round for coffee, and despite frequent encouragement from her brother, Liz is too weak-willed to say no despite living in fear of Hyacinth's invitations.

Aware of Hyacinth's house-proud ways, Elizabeth is terrified of spilling, dropping or breaking anything in her neighbour's home, but ironically, Hyacinth's flighty mannerisms and nagging make Liz especially clumsy in her presence, and she indeed ends up spilling, dropping or breaking something nearly every time.

Unlike most, Liz sympathises with Hyacinth, aware of how she is despised by everyone, including Liz's brother Emmet, and may thus be Hyacinth's only real friend (although she refers to Hyacinth as a "neighbour" rather than a friend.) This friendship is tested by Hyacinth's unthinking put-downs of Elizabeth's dexterity, clothes, car, daughter's intelligence, etc. She also likes Richard quite dearly, has deep sympathy for him and the two seem discreetly fond of each other. Liz also feels pity for Hyacinth and Richard's son, Sheridan, believing "he never really stood a chance" with Hyacinth for a mother.

Liz has an unnamed husband who is frequently away due to his job (he is variously mentioned as being in the Far East or in Saudi Arabia) and a daughter, Gail who is at university, and is apparently friends with Sheridan. Liz's daughter may be a subject of envy on Hyacinth's part as whilst Gail Warden is at a genuine university, Sheridan Bucket is merely taking needlework courses at a polytechnic.

Gail is dating a boy named Harold (liked well enough by Liz but despised by Hyacinth, especially since Gail and Harold living together even though they are unmarried.) Mr Warden and Gail are rarely mentioned after the first series and both, like Hyacinth's son Sheridan, are unseen characters.

While Elizabeth did actually meet Rose, Onslow, and Daisy, Hyacinth would still go to great lengths to prevent her from seeing their shabby house. Liz owns a white 1988 Austin Metro, which appeared in most episodes. She is often the target of Hyacinth's tactless and unintentionally hurtful comments, mostly regarding her clothing, car and frequent coffee spillages.

Emmet Hawksworth

Emmet is Elizabeth's brother, who later moves in with her at 24 Blossom Avenue, beginning in series two, after losing his home in a messy divorce. Emmet is a classically trained musician as well as the director for the local theatre, and Hyacinth frequently sings at him, and drops broad hints that he should include her in his work.

Hence Emmet is terrified of leaving the house and develops both a fear of and a dislike for Hyacinth, to the point where he burst into tears when Liz told him they had been invited to tea at Hyacinth's "country estate" or explosively losing his temper when trying to rehearse an "Annie Oakley" song which was not in his planned programme, but, rather, Hyacinth's programme, and she kept criticising his tempo.

However, as the series progresses, Emmet develops a desire for revenge against Hyacinth, notably goading her into riding a horse when he knew she couldn't ride one, and phoning her to inform her that their neighbours, the Barker-Finches, had been burgled for the second time in three months, knowing Hyacinth would be infuriated that she was not the centre of attention.

In the latter years of the programme, Hyacinth makes clear her belief that the reason for Emmet's constant desire to avoid her is that he is shy due to an attraction to her. Upon hearing this, Emmet says, "I think I want to die!" Although initially flattered by the attention, Emmet also develops an aversion to Hyacinth's sister, Rose, as she always tries to seduce him, to the point of fearing that she might try and force her way into his house.

Religious people

Michael Partridge (the vicar)

Michael (played by Jeremy Gittins) is the young and handsome vicar of St. Mark's church, Hyacinth's local church, and, like most, he is terrified of Hyacinth, and does his best to avoid her, often unsuccessfully. Moreover, he often forgets that Hyacinth prefers her last name to be pronounced "bouquet" and addresses her as "Mrs Bucket". When discussing Hyacinth with his wife, they frequently refer to her as "the Bucket woman".

He is called "that dishy vicar" by Rose, who often pursues him, much to the anger of his jealous wife, who dislikes the fact that the majority of Michael's congregation are women who make a fuss of him. The vicar being caught in compromising positions (which in context are quite innocent) with Rose or other women is a recurring gag in the series, as is the Vicar breaking whatever he is holding when his wife mentions Hyacinth. In "Onslow's Birthday", while on an exercise pedal bicycle, the Vicar overheard his wife talking to Hyacinth on the phone and began pedalling faster, as if to escape.

Mrs Partridge (the vicar's wife)

Married to the vicar, Mrs Partridge (played by Marion Barron) is usually referred to as "dear" by her husband. She is a timid yet fiery woman with a soft Scottish accent, often finding her husband in compromising positions with Rose, whom she nicknames 'the vampire sister', or other young females and assuming the worst.

These situations are usually prefaced in an earlier scene where she expresses jealousy over the attention that Michael's female parishioners give him. The vicar's wife initially dislikes Hyacinth, but as the series goes on, she grows to see more humour in some of Hyacinth's behaviour than other characters do: she has been seen to stifle fits of laughter at Hyacinth's suggestion of leaving sick parishioners outside while the vicar attends a party of Hyacinth's, and on another occasion merrily bobbed her head in time to Hyacinth's horrendous singing. Mrs Partridge once notably exacted revenge on Hyacinth by tricking her into enthusiastically volunteering to clean the church hall's toilet area.

The other vicar

The other vicar (played by Gerald Sim) had a single appearance in the episode "The Christening". He is of an older appearance than Michael the vicar and his church is located at a different location from Michael's church. He knows Onslow, and he gets along well with Onslow (much to Hyacinth's horror).

Rose's Boyfriends

Throughout the series, Rose had a long succession of boyfriends, sometimes seeing more than one at the same time. It was a running gag that Rose had a new one almost every episode. Most are middle-aged, married men, low on cash and with various odd quirks, and usually part with her after a fight, leaving her in hysterics. Most boyfriends do not physically appear in the series, only referenced by name by Rose in conversation with other characters, or mentioned when she is talking to them on the phone. However, there were some notable exceptions who appeared in person, most of whom wound up causing Hyacinth grief in some way or another.

Charlie

Charlie (played by John Darrell) was a local police inspector who appeared in the episode "Senior Citizen's Outing". It was implied he'd had a brief fling with Rose in the past; however, when he met her again, he was less than thrilled to renew the acquaintance, given she called him out in front of his peers at the police station.

Boris and Mr. Heliwell

Boris and Mr. Heliwell, (played by Dicken Ashworth and Gregory Cox), were both mentioned in several episodes as on-again-off-again flames of Rose's, but only appeared in "The Candlelight Supper". They were two very large and loud men who embarrassingly fought over Rose's affections on Hyacinth's front doorstep, only getting louder when Rose told them to go away because she had fallen for Emmett. The disturbance prompted Hyacinth - who had Elizabeth and Emmett over for dinner - to sing as loud as she could to drown the fighting out. The horrible, off-key racket actually stopped the fight and made both men flee, which was not Hyacinth's intent but it did save the situation.

Roger

Roger (played by Jon Glover), a kindly younger man with a large Newfoundland dog, appeared in "Early Retirement". He disrupted Hyacinth's tea party plans when he went to the wrong house to pick Rose up, having mistaken Hyacinth for Rose's mother. His dog then refused to leave Hyacinth's drive, and Roger ended up leaving her there while he went in search of something to entice her away. The big dog then terrorized the pet Yorkshire Terrier of Hyacinth's honored guest.

Mr. Merryweather

Mr. Merryweather (played by Trevor Bannister), appeared in "Angel Gabriel Blue" and was a long-suffering, obsequious salesman in a store that sold kitchen fittings and remodeling services. Hyacinth, unaware he was involved with Rose, persuaded him to get her an out-of-stock worktop in the color Angel Gabriel Blue, so her house would be the only one in the neighborhood with the 'exclusive' color. However, Mr. Merryweather gifted Daisy and Onslow a worktop in that color as well, inadvertently ruining Hyacinth's scheme.

Bannister's appearance on the show was a cameo, as he had previously played Mr. Dick Lucas - almost exactly the same character, in terms of personality and occupation, as Mr. Merryweather - on the popular BBC comedy Are You Being Served?.

Mr. Marinopoulous

In "Onslow's Birthday" Rose infamously became involved with an extremely wealthy Greek gentleman by the name of Mr. Marinopoulous (played by Ivan Santon), who also happened to have a limousine. Rose offered Hyacinth and Richard a ride in the limousine, to Onslow's birthday party. Hyacinth, thrilled that Rose was moving up in the world, invited people over for cocktails and bought Onslow a pair of expensive cuff links, to impress the wealthy Greek when he arrived. However, Mr. Marinopoulos was, in fact, an well-to-do undertaker, and when the limousine broke down, he came to pick Hyacinth and Richard up in his hearse instead, in front of a crowd of guests invited to see the limousine.

C.P. Benedict

In "A Celebrity for the Barbecue", C.P. Benedict (played by Paul Williamson) was an acquaintance of Richard's who passed the time of day during strolls, as well as a former fling of Rose's who had parted with her on amicable terms. Furthermore, Hyacinth knew of C.P. from watching him on television advertising his lucrative garden center, and referred to him as "The Garden Center King". However, none of the three were aware that either of the others knew him, until Richard happened to casually mention him in conversation with Hyacinth. Hyacinth, thinking him a celebrity, invited him to a barbecue in hopes of impressing the neighbors. She even had Richard deck the house out in live plants until it resembled a jungle, and wore one of her best dresses, only to have Rose and Daisy accidentally crash the party. C.P. gleefully reunited with Rose, much to Hyacinth's dismay.

Mr. Finchley

Appeared in "The Art Exhibition". The occupation of Mr. Finchley (played by Nicholas Bennett) is unknown, but he happened to own a van with loudspeakers in the roof and a microphone in the cab. He also happened to be one of Rose's most amorous pursuers. When Daddy went missing one day, Rose borrowed Mr. Finchley's vehicle to go look for him, though he ended up having to drive her. Unfortunately Mr. Finchley turned on the loudspeakers by accident, and as the two of them rode through town, everyone could hear his and Rose's rather scandalous conversation blaring at full blast, much to Hyacinth's horror.

Mr. Whatsit

Seen only as a silhouette in the back seat of a car, Mr. Wotzit appeared/was mentioned in two episodes, "The Fancy Dress Ball" and "Hyacinth is Alarmed". His real name was unknown, but Rose stated that it was a Polish surname with "too many zeds" in it, hence her calling him either "Cuddly Chops" or "Mr. Whatsit". He was the most serious of Rose's lovers, actually proposing to her, but Hyacinth was afraid she'd have to call Rose "Mrs. Whatsit" or "Mrs. Cuddly Chops" if the marriage came to pass. However, when he went back to Poland, he fell for a Polish woman and broke the engagement off. Rose was more philosophical about this breakup than most, musing "Well, I couldn't pronounce him anyway".

Other characters

Michael the Postman

Played by Leo Dolan in the first series and by David Janson from 1992 on. He is impertinent, high-strung, and completely overwhelmed by Hyacinth Bucket, of whom he lives in fear. He tries to confront her when she pounces on him, which is every time he delivers (and occasionally throws) mail to her house. She constantly makes sure she takes the letters in person, never allowing him to put them in the letterbox itself and sternly rebuking him when he tries to do so. She frequently makes impossible demands of him, such as letting her see Elizabeth's mail, or switching all second class stamps on her letters to first class stamps, or having him track down packages or letters that were never actually sent. He tries many techniques to not speak to Hyacinth, but all fail. In later episodes he develops a bad twitch, and he openly tells Hyacinth it is her fault, but she seems not to notice. He is the father of seven children.

The Milkman

Played by Robert Rawles, the unnamed Milkman is in the same position as Michael the Postman, in that he constantly sneaks about doing his level best to avoid speaking to Hyacinth. Like the postman, he always fails, and usually finds himself bombarded with ridiculous requests such as finding out which specific cows the milk comes from and making sure Hyacinth receives the exact same bottles every time. He and the postman consider themselves fellow brothers in affliction, and celebrate whenever Hyacinth is on holiday. However, unlike the postman, the milkman never loses his cool with Hyacinth and is not afraid of her, merely annoyed by her.

Major Wilton Smythe

Major Wilton Smythe (played by Peter Cellier), commonly known simply as "the major", only appears in the first two series, and hopelessly lusts after Hyacinth even though he is married to a never-seen wife, whom he refers to as "the ball and chain".

He fought in World War II and is a veteran of the British North African Campaign against Erwin Rommel. The Major lives in a large house called 'The Laurels', which is just around the corner from Hyacinth and Richard's bungalow. He also owns a big dog. In Season 2, Episode 4, it's stated that Major Smythe was wounded in the leg somewhere east of Suez, and he still has "some poxy foreign lead in there somewhere", which causes him to walk with a slight limp, but only if he's certain nobody is watching.

He is brash and forceful, and disliked by Richard. In particular, Richard finds it odd that an "elderly" man like the major prefers whizzing about in a two-seat sports car convertible rather than driving in presumably a more sensible car - the major drives a Morgan Plus 4 (seen in Season 2, episode 4).

Despite his irritating behaviour, his upper-class status means that Hyacinth refuses to sever contact with the man. At one point she admits "it's a good thing he's a Major... if he were a Sergeant, he wouldn't get a foot past the door!"

Mrs Councillor Nugent

Mrs Nugent (played by Charmian May) is high up the social ladder but low down the charismatic scale, being a dull, bad-tempered and ill-mannered woman. She speaks in an overly loud and militaristic tone and goes on unnecessary tirades about "excessive romantic behaviour".

She also seems to be the only person who can get away with referring to Hyacinth as "Mrs Bucket" without incurring her wrath (as was the major, until he got physical with Hyacinth). In "The Toy Store", when Mrs Nugent yells "Mrs Bucket", Hyacinth can be seen mouthing out "It's Bouquet", meaning she still wants to correct her, but stifles it.

Hyacinth tolerates her, not only because of her status, but also because she wants a place on her committee. The committee itself is never identified, nor it is clear if Mrs Nugent or her husband is the Councillor. Hyacinth admits that she doesn't know what the committee does, she just wants a seat on it.

Mrs Barker-Finch

Sonia Barker-Finch lives in the same street as Hyacinth, just opposite her own home in Number 23, Villa Costa Blanca. Above all her other acquaintances, Hyacinth is convinced that Mrs Barker-Finch is her greatest social rival; however, Mrs Barker-Finch does not seek to outdo Hyacinth in any way, and generally wants nothing to do with her at all. She is referred to in many episodes, but is only seen in the episode "Driving Mrs. Fortescue", appearing on the sidewalk with a friend just in time to see Hyacinth embarrassingly trapped on the back of a moving lorry.

Although Hyacinth invites Mrs Barker-Finch to parties and dinners, Mrs Barker-Finch usually declines. She also had the temerity to talk while Hyacinth was singing, once, firmly making her an enemy of Hyacinth's. Hyacinth hypocritically believes Mrs Barker-Finch to be a snob ("She was a Barker, he was a Finch, now suddenly they're hyphenated") and is determined to get one up on her at every opportunity.

She also believes Mrs Barker-Finch is inferior to her. In "Hyacinth is Alarmed", when Hyacinth hears that Mrs Barker-Finch has been burgled for the third time, rather than sympathise with her, she accuses Mrs Barker-Finch of being "pretentious", and opines that only a "low-class burglar" would rob Number 23. Hyacinth furthermore becomes unreasonably jealous whenever Mrs Barker-Finch has some form of social success and becomes adamant that she will do better than her. This was best exampled in the episode "A Celebrity for the Barbecue", when Mrs. Barker Finch invited a businessman to her house. Hyacinth went to great lengths to throw a barbecue with a more distinguished celebrity.

In "Three Piece Suite", Hyacinth ordered a suite that was "an exact replica of the one at Sandringham House", and went to extraordinary lengths to ensure Mrs Barker-Finch saw it being delivered by "The van with the royal warrant on it", such as repeatedly phoning her so that she would have to come to the window and see the delivery van pull up. An ill-timed phone call from Sheridan to ask for money fouled the plan up, and Richard had to pay the van to drive away and come back. Unfortunately, the van was seen to crash into a verge shortly thereafter, and Daisy and Onslow's hired lorry turned up just as this happened. This resulted in them delivering the three-piece suite to Hyacinth's house instead, which Mrs. Barker Finch presumably saw (much to Hyacinth's dismay).

Delia Wheelwright

Delia Wheelright is another unseen rival of Hyacinth. Her rivalry with Hyacinth forms the central plot for the episode 'How To Go On Holiday Without Really Trying'. Hyacinth is talking to Delia Wheelright on the phone. We do not hear the other side of the conversation, but it is revealed that the former is going on an expensive holiday to the Caribbean.

Although she does not express it on the telephone, Hyacinth is greatly put out by this and sets out to better her. Hyacinth drags Richard into town to visit some travel agencies; but not those catering for the 'Spaghetti and trips Brigade'. Of course the Buckets cannot afford to pay for any of the expensive holidays, however Hyacinth takes a handful of brochures including those for the 'Orient Express' and the QE2 (a trip which they later take in the 1994 Christmas Special). On the way home, Hyacinth deliberately drops the brochures out of the car window in front of some friends of Delia Wheelright, in the hope that they will see the brochures and the news gets back to her that Hyacinth is going on an expensive holiday. As usual the plan comes to nothing as the friends in question take no notice.

Lydia Hawksworth

Another of Hyacinth's social rivals, Lydia Hawksworth earned Hyacinth's ire during one of her candlelight suppers, when she obnoxiously commented that Hyacinth's kiwi fruit were "lower middle-class", and further rubbed Hyacinth up the wrong way by boasting about her recent holiday in Corfu. By this behaviour, it can be assumed that she too is as snobbish as Hyacinth.

In the episode, "The Rolls Royce", Hyacinth was outraged at losing to Lydia in a flower arranging contest, and even further dismayed that Lydia had acquired a flashy new Jaguar. She then began a scheme to show her up, by visiting an exclusive garage and convincing the owner to let her "test drive" a Rolls Royce.

However, Hyacinth badgered Richard into driving the Rolls out to the country club where Mrs Hawksworth often went, and the vehicle was reported as stolen. Hyacinth was apprehended by police officers as soon as Mrs Hawksworth arrived. Although not explicitly mentioned, because of her surname and antagonistic personality, it is possible that she may be Emmet's ex-wife.

Mrs Fortescue

Mrs Fortescue (played by Jean Anderson) is the irascible, bossy and inconsiderate widow of a wealthy businessman who is a parishioner at the Buckets' church. Her sister is married to a baronet, which leads Hyacinth to perform favours for her even if they are inconvenient to her and Richard, with hopes of socializing with members of the nobility. She appeared in "Driving Mrs. Fortescue".

Mrs Fortescue asks for a lift into town - as she has had her own driving license revoked for speeding - and Hyacinth goes to enormous lengths to impress her, even forcing Richard to rehearse how he is going to ring her doorbell. Richard is not fond of Mrs Fortescue because she hits him with her walking stick. Much to Hyacinth's dismay, Mrs Fortescue accidentally meets Rose, Daisy and Onslow, and gets on extremely well with them.

The Two Miss Pillsworths

Miss Pillsworth and Miss Pillsworth (played by Lois Penson and Clare Kelly) are two elderly spinster sisters that appear in the series 5 episode 'Skis'. They are from a rather posh and "very old" family, their late father having been a Colonel. Hyacinth and Richard drive through town, and on the way they pass the two Miss Pillsworths and despite the lack of space in the car and the fact that both dislike Hyacinth and are reluctant to travel with her, manage to persuade the two women to take a lift.

Mr and Mrs Thorgunby

Mr Reginald 'Reggie' Thorgunby (played by Mark Brackenbury) was Richard's superior in the Department of Finance and General Purposes. In "The Father Christmas Suit", it was Hyacinth's intention to have Mr Thorgunby and his wife Fiona (played by Annette Peters) around for mulled wine and hot mince pies so that they could discuss the conditions of Richard's early retirement. Unfortunately for her, a series of mishaps involving a drunken Richard, a disguised Elizabeth, and a semi-naked Daddy invading the church hall caused the Thorgunbys to give up on the idea of a Christmas visit and drive back home.

Earlier on in the episode, Hyacinth phoned the Thorgunby's house. She was surprised to have a timid childish voice answer at the other end. Believing it to be a child, Hyacinth told the person to "run along, poppet, and tell your Mummy Mrs Thorgunby that there is a nice lady wanting to speak with her". However, it turned out that Hyacinth was speaking to Mrs Thorgunby.

The Millburns

Mr. Millburn (Played by Frederick Jaeger) is the owner of Frosticles Frozen Food factory, and a neighbor of Hyacinth and Richard. His unseen wife is a member of the Ladies' Luncheon Committee along with Hyacinth, and Hyacinth dislikes her, calling her a "thrusting creature." Hyacinth and Richard tend to refer to the Millburns as Mr. and Mrs. Frosticles instead of their actual names. Their acquaintance is only slight, as Richard forgot who they were for a time, and Millburn had no recollection at all of who Hyacinth and Richard were. He was shown as a not-very-bright man, who valued stupidity as a quality and who enjoyed golfing.

In "A Job for Richard", Millburn announced an open senior executive position at his factory. Hyacinth schemed with Onslow to get Richard the job, roping a reluctant Richard into it. The scheme involved Onslow pretending to be a hoodlum and Richard pretending to subdue him, to impress Millburn. The arrival of two real hoodlums (which Hyacinth had to chase off herself) messed up the plan, and Millburn offered the job to Hyacinth instead, though she refused.

The Cooper-Bassets

The Cooper-Bassets (Mr. Cooper-Basset was played by Derek Waring, Mrs. Cooper-Basset was uncredited) were a wealthy married couple, who liked amusement parks, having met on a ghost train. They appeared in "Senior Citizen's Outing." Hyacinth, Richard, and Elizabeth ran into them while escorting some senior citizens on an outing to the seaside. Hyacinth initially wanted to meet up with them, but they went out of their way to avoid her. However, the tables were turned when the Cooper-Bassets showed up a second time while Hyacinth was dealing with an embarrassing situation with one of the senior citizens, and she tried to avoid them, but without success.

Signor Farrini

Signor Farrini (played by Angus Lennie) was a senile, elderly Italian gentleman, who was on the senior citizen's outing with Hyacinth, Richard, and Elizabeth. He was almost instantly enamored with Hyacinth and did everything in his power to follow her around and express his love, even going so far as to handcuff himself and Hyacinth together when she wasn't looking.

Mrs. Drummond

Mrs. Drummond (played by Sue Lloyd) appeared in "Let There Be Light" and was a wealthy and very inconsiderate parishioner of Michael the Vicar, and another person Hyacinth tried to impress. Her family lived on an estate called "The Grange", and Hyacinth always introduced them as "The Drummonds. From the Grange, you know." She had two ill-behaved Labrador retrievers who despised Hyacinth, but Hyacinth pretended not to notice, since Mrs. Drummond had said she had no time for anyone who disliked dogs. Mrs. Drummond would watch while other people worked, and was very much so a snob.

Bunty and Dorian

Bunty and Dorian (played by Marcia Warren and Royce Mills) were two extremely eccentric neighbors of Bruce and Violet, who appeared in "Violet's Country Cottage", which Richard and Hyacinth stayed in for a time. They lived in a manor house next door to the aforementioned cottage, but whether they actually were aristocracy or not was not mentioned. They tended to dress in shabby yokel-like clothing and behaved very oddly, as befits friends of the equally eccentric Bruce (whom Bunty referred to as "The Weirdo"). Bunty enjoyed drinking, hunting and shooting, and first met Hyacinth while looking for her Spaniel, who was gun-shy and had fled. Richard met up with her husband Dorian while looking for the missing dog at Hyacinth's behest, and brought Dorian back to the cottage with him. Bunty quickly became drunk and Dorian started to pursue Hyacinth amorously, which amused Bunty to no end. For once, Hyacinth did not act snobbish but went with the flow, and the four of them danced a conga line at the end of the episode.

The Commodore

The Commodore (played by Nigel Davenport) appeared in the episode "The Commodore" and was an old seafaring man who became famous sailing round Cape Horn on his own. He retired from the sea and made a living going around as a guest speaker at events. Hyacinth went to great lengths to meet and impress him, and volunteered the Vicar to give him a ride back to the station after the Commodore had given a speech. The Commodore had a notorious reputation with the ladies, including a scandalous divorce. Hyacinth ignored warnings about him, enamored with the prospect of meeting a Commodore, until he tried to seduce her in the back seat of the Vicar's car. For once the Vicar showed sympathy, and asked if she wanted him to stop driving, but Hyacinth told him to keep on to the station.

His Lordship

Never named, and played by Bruce Montague, His Lordship was a suave and wealthy peer who lived on a large estate some miles out in the country from Hyacinth's house. He was one of only two members of the aristocracy that Hyacinth actually interacted with for any length of time, during the series, and was said to be the son of a Dowager Duchess. He was one of the kindliest, most considerate characters in the series.

In "Country Estate Sale", Hyacinth first met His Lordship in the large drive of his house, at the estate sale of his late mother. Hyacinth, unaware to whom she was speaking, asked him for directions, which he happily gave her. Later, she overheard a butler address him as 'Milord' and realized who she was talking to. After the estate sale had concluded, Hyacinth, who had bought several bottles of homemade wine in the sale, sought out his Lordship, and the two seemed to get along well together. They shared a toast to the late Dowager Duchess, but the wine was too strong for Hyacinth, who promptly became hopelessly drunk. However, His Lordship was very nice about the whole business, blaming the wine and not Hyacinth and helping Richard get his confused wife safely back to the car.

Sir Edward

In the episode "Looking at Properties", Hyacinth and Richard briefly leased a second home in the form of a flat in the roof of a large manor house, and were neighbors to the only other member of the aristocracy Hyacinth ever encountered during the series, Sir Edward (played by John Arnatt). Sir Edward lived on the ground floor, and spent most of his time snoozing in a wheelchair with his gouty foot propped up. He took an instant dislike to Hyacinth when the first thing she did was inadvertently bump into his gouty foot, and barely spoke to her after that incident.

Mrs. Braddock

Seen only in "Country Estate Sale", Mrs. Braddock (played by Jessica James) is a senile older woman who attends Senior Lunches with Daddy and who stalks his house and insists he proposed to her, though Daddy remembers only offering her a "temporary arrangement". Rose and Daisy imply she's stalked their house before, but only one instance is shown, in which she shoos Onslow's dog from the car and takes her place, waiting outside to nab Daddy. She causes Onslow to fall into the hedge (parodying a recurring gag of Hyacinth doing the same whenever the dog barks) by jumping out and yelling "Oi!" at him. She also scares Hyacinth into the hedge when she arrives later in the episode.

See also

• Keeping Up Appearances (list of episodes)

References

1. In Young Hyancinth set in the 1950s, Hyacinth is 19. Depending on the exact year of the show, Hyacinth is born between 1930 (to be 19 on the first day of 1950) and 1940 (to be 19 in exactly 1959).

• Content in this article was copied from Delia Wheelright and Daisy at the Keeping Up Appearances Wiki, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.

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• Lists of British sitcom television characters