Ollerenshaw played Mrs. Violet Clegg in the short-lived series
First of the Summer Wine, and became a more familiar television face after starring in
The House of Eliott as Florence Ranby, a dour Victorian and head of the Eliott workroom, who died in a tragic road accident outside the Eliott's fashion house. The actress also featured as Martha in the
Andrew Davies adaptation of
Trollope's classic
He Knew He Was Right. Her many other television credits include roles in
Lovejoy,
Coronation Street,
Juliet Bravo,
Last of The Summer Wine,
Heartbeat,
Holby City,
One Foot In The Grave,
Seaview,
Teachers,
Victoria Wood - As Seen On TV,
The Hunt For The Yorkshire Ripper,
Midsomer Murders and
Wire In The Blood. Her film credits include
Britannia Hospital,
A Private Function,
Pierrepoint and Steven Spielberg's
War Horse. Her one-woman show
Yours Sincerely, a musical play about
Dame Vera Lynn has played in the UK and abroad. She also starred in the play
Screamers at the
Warehouse Theatre. Since 2014, Ollerenshaw has provided the voice of Henrietta (UK/US) in the British animated television series
Thomas & Friends. She also voiced the role of The Queen in
Little Princess. In 2019, she was in the television show
Scarborough as Geraldine, the owner of a hair salon. ==Personal life==