AS ONE of the UK's fi nest actress, Dame Judi Dench is used to high praise - but one phrase does not please her.
She hates being described as a 'national treasure'. "Please don't call me that, " she says. "It makes me sound like a fusty old thing."
Meeting her, she is about as far from seeming like an institutional relic as you could imagine. Her hair - bright white, cut into a short, funky crop - deep blue eyes and perfect complexion do not look like they belong to a 74-year-old. She is also a barrel of laughs.
Since making her first professional appearance on stage in 1957, Dame Judi has played just about every classic female lead theatre has to offer and won every award going .
Fake IWC SchaffhausenIn Cranford, Dame Judi plays Miss Matty Jenkyns, a warmhearted lady loved by everyone in the small Cheshire town. And like her character, the actress enjoys her time in Cranford.
After Miss Matty's sister Deborah - played by another great British actress, Dame Eileen Atkins - died in the second episode of the series, Dame Judi describes how she took it on the chin.
"She made her presence felt on set, even after being killed off, " says Dame Judi . "I had a lifesize photograph of her made, which I moved round the set so she would appear in shot many times. She was not forgotten and we sent her lots of pictures of herself on set!"
Aside from larking around, the other main activity among the cast, when not putting in 12-hour days of filming, seems to be baking.
Gucci Ring"Julia McKenzie's meringues are to die for, " says Dame Judi discussing Cake Day - when each cast member had to take in their favourite sweet to share around. "I made a Victoria sponge, Barbara Flynn made macaroons, and Deborah Findlay made excellent brandy snaps."
The forthcoming two-part Christmas special takes place in August, 1844, a year after the wedding of Sophy Hutton and Dr Harrison and two years since Miss Matty lost her beloved sister.
Still struggling with the loss, Miss Matty is busying herself with looking after Tilly, the daughter of her maid Martha and local carpenter Jem.
"The one thing Matty wanted was a child. In the first series she talked with Mary about how she often dreamt there was a child in the house, " says Dame Judi. "It's lovely that having longed for that, and well after the time she thought it would happen, one arrives, so Matty keeps Martha busy in the kitchen and gets to spend time with the baby."
Viewers will also be introduced to several new characters: the Buxton family headed by wealthy salt miner Mr Buxton (Jonathan Pryce), and his two children William (Tom Hiddlestone) and Erminia (Michelle Dockery); grieving widow Mrs Bell (Lesley Sharp), her put- upon daughter Peggy (Jodie Whittaker) and domineering son Edward (Matthew McNulty).
embroidered patches
While characters develop and romances blossom, the shadow of the railway hangs over Cranford. As it stands, the line stops several miles from the village, despite the best efforts of Captain Brown, played by Imelda Staunton's real-life husband, Jim Carter.
Matty believes it is her job to find out more about the new transport .
Lady Ludlow's errant son Septimus, (Rory Kinnear), also returns to Cranford, and Miss Matty's brother Peter decides to stay on, bringing with him a whole host of trinke
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