Grange Hill Gold is devastated to report the death of actress Gwyneth Powell who played Grange Hill’s unforgettable headmistress Mrs McClusky.
Gwyneth passed away in hospital on 8th September, following complications from an operation.
A qualified teacher herself, Gwyneth went into repertory theatre, leading to the Bristol Old Vic. From their television roles in Dixon of Dock Green and Z Cars, amongst others, followed.
It was in Grange Hill’s fourth series that Gwyneth arrived playing headmistress Mrs McCluskey. It was a role with which she would forever be associated, staying until 1991. However it was also a role which she nearly turned down, only accepting after being persuaded by her young niece and nephew.
Gwyneth continued to act regularly with roles in A Touch Of Frost, alongside David Jason, and Greg Davies’ Man Down. She was also a keen traveller.
In later life, Gwyneth embraced her role in Grange Hill as she began to realise how well remembered it was. For Grange Hill Gold our enduring memory of Gwyneth is seeing her attend her first Grange Hill convention, back at the original school. As her name was announced and a series of her greatest moments played on the screen, the room erupted into spontaneous applause, taking Gwyneth by surprise and causing her to become quite emotional. She truly was the Queen of Grange Hill.
You can read our interview with Gwyneth here.
Her fellow co-stars left tributes on social media.
“On Thursday we lost our Queen too. There are only a few true Grange Hill icons and I was lucky enough to work with this one. She was a special lady, a brilliant actor and she looked out for us. Sleep well Gwyneth” – Ricky Simmonds (Ant Jones)
“So sad to hear about the loss of Gwyneth Powell aka Mrs McClusky. What a wonderful lady and will be missed by so many. She was a massive part of my childhood. Sleep well Gwyneth.” – Lee Macdonald (Zammo Maguire)
“Such sad news. She was the heartbeat of GH. Safe journey Mrs M xx” – Mark Baxter (Duane Orpington)
“R.I.P to the best headmistress I ever had.” Erkan Mustafa (Roland Browning)
“I am so sad to hear of the passing of the lovely Gwyneth Powell. Remembered by many as our Grange Hill headmistress Mrs McClusky. Gwyneth was a fantastic actress and dedicated to her performance. She was a kind and thoughtful lady. I wish her love and respect. Her Grange Hill family will cherish every moment of joy she brought to our childhoods. Thank you Gwyneth for the love and laughter.” – Paula Ann Bland (Claire Scott)
“Sad to hear my fictional headmistress of the 80s has passed away. A terrific lady and saintly for putting up with us. RIP Gwyneth” – Peter Moran – Pogo Patterson
Grange Hill Gold 