Hilda Braid (3 March 1929 – 6 November 2007) was an English actress who had a long career on British television. She became well known in her later years for playing Victoria "Nana" Moon on the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.
Early life Braid was born in Northfleet, Kent. She trained as an actress and dancer at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, having won a scholarship to train there. At RADA, she won the Lord Lurgan Award.
Career After graduating from RADA, Braid did rep and was cast in West End theatre productions, including parts in The Waltz of the Toreadors from 1956 to 1957, and Pickwick from 1963 to 1964. Later, she was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, performing in productions of Richard II in 1974,The Life and Death of King Richard II, The RSC Shakespeare and King John in 1974 to 1975.The Life and Death of King John, The RSC Shakespeare Braid made her television debut in the police drama No Hiding Place, playing Alice Flinders in an episode that aired on 14 October 1960. In 1963, she appeared in Suspense. In the 1960s and 1970s, she also appeared in Crossroads, Softly, Softly, Catweazle, Z-Cars, Play for Today, The Onedin Line, The Crezz, Emmerdale, and Man About the House.
Braid's first major role came in middle-age and was that of Florence Johnson in the late 1970s British sitcom Citizen Smith. Around this time, she also appeared in In Loving Memory, Robin's Nest, and On Giant's Shoulders. She later had recurring roles in other sitcoms, including L for Lester (1982), The Bright Side (1985), The 10%ers (1994–1996), and Gogglewatch (1997–1998). TV appearances during the 1980s and 1990s included Oliver Twist, Brookside, One Foot in the Grave, Goodnight Sweetheart, Dangerfield, The Bill, Midsomer Murders, ChuckleVision, My Family, and Casualty. She also briefly appeared alongside Al Murray in the sitcom Time Gentlemen Please in the early 2000s. Her film roles were few, but she appeared in the film version of For the Love of Ada (1972), the cult horror film Killer's Moon (1978), The Wildcats of St Trinian's (1980), and 101 Dalmatians (1996).
In 2002, by then in her early 70s, Braid took up the role by which she would be best known, that of Nana Moon in EastEnders. Nana's grandson Alfie was played by Shane Richie, and following Ritchie's announcement that he was to leave the soap, her character was also written out, with the programme's makers saying it would be "unrealistic" for Nana to stay without Alfie. In EastEnders, her character Nana developed an aortic aneurysm, and before her death, wished to visit the grave of her husband (who had died during World War II) in France. The Normandy-set episode with Alfie and Nana won a British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode" in 2006. Braid left the soap, with Nana's death on 16 December 2005.
Personal life and death During her later years on EastEnders, Braid was having problems remembering her lines. Her departure from EastEnders proved to be the end of her acting career. She died on 6 November 2007 at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, Sussex. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease shortly after her departure from EastEnders, and subsequently moved into a nursing home in Hove. Braid was married to Brian Badcoe, an actor who died in 1992, and was survived by their son and daughter. Her funeral service took place on 25 November 2007 at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton.
Selected filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1959 Twelfth Night Maria TV film, for schools 1970 Scrooge Party Guest Uncredited 1972 For the Love of Ada Mrs. Armitage 1978 Killer's Moon Mrs. May 1980 The Wildcats of St Trinian's Miss Summers1996 Kiss and Tell Gloria Sumner TV film 101 Dalmatians Woman on Park Bench1997 Mrs Dalloway Woman in deckchair Cold Enough for Snow Customer at the Dry Cleaners TV film 1998 Romeo Thinks Again Mrs. Sudberry Short
Television Year Title Role Notes1960No Hiding PlaceAlice FlickersEpisode: "Point of Release"1963SuspenseMaisieStory: "The Honest Man"1965–1966The NewcomersMrs. Harbottle16 episodes1966Armchair TheatreJoan FieldingStory: "A Fair Swap"1967Softly, SoftlyJune ParkerEpisode: "On the Side of the Law"1969The Gold RobbersVi ConroyEpisode Rough TradeParkin's PatchMrs. DurrantEpisode: "Dead or Alive?"1970The BorderersBarbaraEpisode: "The Siege of Cocklaws"Z-CarsNorah WardleEpisode: "For Old Time's Sake!" (2 parts)CatweazelAunty FloEpisode: "The Tricky Lantern"1971Play for TodayMajor's wifeStory: "Alma Mater"The Onedin LineMrs. SimmonsEpisode: "The High Place"The ExpertFlora WalshEpisode: "True Confession"1972New Scotland YardMrs. WhiteEpisode: "Evidence of Character"1975...And Mother Makes FiveMadgeEpisode: "Legs Eleven"1976Man About the HouseMrs. HollinsEpisode: "The Party's Over"The CrezzMolly SmithEpisode: "Gone to the Dogs"1977EmmerdaleP. Morphett3 episodes 1977–1980 Citizen Smith Mrs Florence Johnson30 episodes1978Rings on Their FingersMrs. BristowEpisode: "Party Mood"1979On Giant's ShouldersSister PageTV FilmIn Loving MemoryGladys UnsworthEpisode: "The Legacy"1980Dick TurpinAbbyEpisode: "The Elixir of Life"1982L for LesterMrs. Davies6 episodes 1984 Brookside Molly Partridge6 episodesJuliet BravoSoroptomist ChairwomanEpisode: "Ducks in a Row"1985Oliver TwistMrs. Bedwin3 episodes1987The BillMrs. AdlerEpisode: "Some You Win Some You Lose"1990CampionRenee RoperEpisode: "Dancers in Mourning - Part 1"In Sickness and in HealthCompanionEpisode: "Bus"You Rang, M'Lord?Flo KendallEpisode: "Royal Flush"CasualtyAgnes HartleyEpisode: "Say It with Flowers"1990–1991Press GangMiss McGuigan2 episodes1992One Foot in the GraveMrs SkimpsonEpisode: "Beware of the Trickster on the Roof" 1994 The 10%ers Enid7 episodes 1995 Moving Story MarieEpisode: "Something Blue" 1996 Lloyds Bank Channel 4 Film Challenge SarahStory: "Cold Season" Dangerfield Mrs BlytheEpisode: "Games"1996–1998GooglewatchGran15 episodes1998The BillMrs. BourneEpisode: "S.A.D." 1999 Midsomer Murders Doreen Beavis Episode: "Dead Man's Eleven" Bodger & Badger Miss Piper2 episodes 2000 Time Gentlemen Please Old Woman2 episodes 2001 My Family Aunt KateEpisode: "Death and Ben Take a Holiday"The BillMrs. FlowersEpisode: "Liquid City" Doctors Sylvie ConnorsEpisode: "Old Wives Tales" ChuckleVision Mrs HalibutEpisode: "Lost and Floundering" 2002 Ultimate Force Bank customerEpisode: "The Killing House" Casualty Winnie HowardEpisode: "Nobody's Perfect" 2002–2005 EastEnders Nana Moon 211 episodes 2003 Comic Relief 2003: The Big Hair Do Television special
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