Who's your favourite battleaxe?

Ena Sharples. Elsie Tanner.

My best friend J.
She should be running the country

Got to be Hyacinth Bucket for me...

Used to be Barbara Castle..

Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister of the SNP

The original battle axe........Peggy Mount.

Margo MacDonald MSP

Fictional...Big Bee the doctor in Tenko - love Stephanie Cole.

Absolutely Peggy Mount the queen of them all and my mother's role model.

Ooh yes, Stephanie Cole. I think she's fab!

How about Bessie Bradock!

Lots of historical ones here, are there any present day ones apart from the MEP and SNP? Maybe Ross Altman but she doesn't come across very battleaxey although she does seem to get her point well made.

I think we're much more able to do our own battleaxe-ing these days. What with forums, facebook, e-petitions, etc. Perhaps we no longer need anyone in particular doing it for us.

You have a point there, Jingle

Mildred, from George and Mildred.

Madge from Benidorm

OK. Get real!

I'm quite fond of Widders. I have met her a couple of times, and heard her speak. We have nothing in common politically, socially or religious-ly, but she is totally straight, sticks to what she believes in and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

They're rare these days aren't they. Peggy Mount, Ena Sharples, Stephanie Cole and my Matron at the hospital that I did my nurse training. She was terrifying - when on the rare occasion you had to see her one -to -one used to make my heart hammer in my chest.

My primary school headmistress when at work - but she a softie underneath off duty

The nun who taught Latin. She invited me to share the contents of an exercise book [in which I was writing a perfectly innocent love story]. Her eyebrows hit the ceiling at the close of paragraph one and she frog-marched me to Mother Superior's room for a right royal lecture.

Betty Boothroyde she is a force to be reckoned with and Widders ofcourse.

I thought of Betty Boothroyd as well but I think my all time favourite must be JO4