Geraldine Newman Geraldine Newman Geraldine Newman (born 18 February 1934) is an English film and television actress who has acted in more than 30 television programmes and films. Her most notable television performance was in the sitcom "Ever Decreasing Circles". Newman attended drama school in Brighton. She is best known for her role as Hilda Hughes in the 1980s BBC TV series, "Ever Decreasing Circles" which ran from 1984-87 with a special, extended Christmas series finale in December 1989. She was married to fellow English actor, David Garth, who was 14 years her senior, until his death in 1988. She continues to
BBC Television obsolete. After a series of test transmissions and special broadcasts that began in August 1936, the BBC Television Service officially launched on 2 November 1936 from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London. "Ally Pally" housed two studios, various scenery stores, make-up areas, dressing rooms, offices, and the transmitter itself, which then broadcast on the VHF band. BBC television initially used two systems on alternate weeks: the 240-line Baird intermediate film system and the 405-line Marconi-EMI system. The use of both formats made the BBC's service the world's first regular high-definition television service; it broadcast from Monday to Saturday