Kathy Staff

Kathy Staff IF anyone ever made the role of lovable battleaxe her own it was Kathy Staff. She played a succession of gruff women but all of them had a heart of gold deep beneath their flinty exterior. Kathy, whose real maiden name was Minnie Higginbottom, was born at 243 Astley Street, Dukinfield, in 1928. She attended St Mark’s Primary School and then moved on to Lakes Road Secondary Modern where she became head girl. From a very early age she appeared in productions at St Mark’s Church – with which she was associated throughout her life – and later with local amateur dramatic and operatic societies. When she left school at 14, she trained as a shorthand-typist but became a professional actress in 1949. Using the name Katherine Brant she joined the Kinloch Players in Aberdeenshire and then the International Players in Llanelli, South Wales. After marriage, Kathy devoted herself to her family but a chance meeting with her friend, the actor Gerald Harper, led her into television work and she appeared as an extra in BBC, Granada and ATV programmes made in Manchester. Kathy’s breakthrough came when she won the part of Thora Hird’s neighbour in the avant-garde film “A Kind of Loving” in 1962. Later in the decade Kathy was offered a role partnering Roy Barraclough in “Castle Haven”, a soap produced by the newly formed Yorkshire TV. Yorkshire also booked her to work on comedy shows with comedian Les Dawson, she was in “Here’s Harry”, with Harry Worth, and played Vera Hopkins, a character who briefly owned the corner shop in “Coronation Street”. Kathy’s major breakthrough came in 1972 when she was cast as the legendary Nora Batty in the BBC’s comedy “Last of the Summer Wine” which was filmed in Holmfirth. Her angry rejections of Compo (Bill Owen’s) amorous advances, usually with a sweeping brush, were one of the most popular parts of the long-running series. Life overflowed for her from then on. She worked with Ronnie Barker as Mrs Blewett in “Open All Hours” for the BBC, and as Doris Luke in “Crossroads”. Doris was originally housekeeper at the farmhouse in Peachey where Benny lived with Gaffer. Later, she moved to the motel in King’s Oak and appeared again when the series enjoyed a shortlived relaunch in 2001-03. In 1982 Kathy was invited to be in her first pantomime, playing the title role in “Mother Goose” at Norwich. In subsequent years she appeared in a further 17 pantos, and in shows in London’s West End. Her film appearances included “The Dresser” with Julia Roberts in 1983, “Camille” in 1983, “Little Dorrit” in 1988 and “Mary Reilly” in 1994. Kathy had hoped to be in the finale of Last of the Summer Wine but she died in December, 2008. There is a Tameside Council blue plaque to her memory at St Mark’s Church, Dukinfield, which she attended throughout her life and where she was a member of the choir.

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