The character of Mrs A - an 85 year-old Welsh woman - was voiced by a Lancashire-born male actor, John Thomson, who was 29 at the time of the first series. Thomson also voiced the regular character of Nobby.
Charlotte Mitchell, who voiced Dolly's mother Ivy, was the real-life mother of the show's creator, Candy Guard.
Mrs A's surname, Alwright, is a pun on "alright" - essentially describing her humdrum life; something Dolly wishes to avoid. Both Gloria Leaf and Dolly's therapist, Ruth, reference Dolly's fears of becoming Mrs A as she gets older.
The show being set in a cul-de-sac is a metaphor for how Dolly feels about her life - a literal and figurative "dead end".
In addition to the Pond family, many other characters have surnames related to pond life, including Belle Stickleback, Nobby Newton (newt-on) and Gloria Leaf. The exception is Mrs A, whose surname, Alwright, is a pun. Additionally, Alan and Alana's married name is not revealed.
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