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From Minnie Higginbottom to Kathy Staff to Nora Batty

There can be few who would deny that after the leading trio or bunch of mature male characters in Last of the Summer Wine, the actor whose role portrays an indomitable female force which no mortal can resist is clearly the self-appointed leader of the “Ladies” pack; this is of course Nora Batty played by Kathy Staff. She has been starring in our favourite programme ever since its inception with only a handful of episodes missed due to her successful acting career commitments elsewhere.

In her excellent book My Story – Wrinkles and All (published in paperback in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton after original publication in 1997) readers can learn something of the life of this very special person, from her birth in Dukinfield, Cheshire through her career on the stage and in television up to a few years ago.

I commend this fascinating biography to all as it confirms that which we all guess namely that Kathy is not only a most convincing and able actor but is equally special at being a wife and mother. In the words of Roy Clarke in the foreword:

“Despite a lifetime in the arts there’s little that’s ‘showbizzy’ about Kathy. There’s solid good sense and a calm not always to be found in our shaky professions. For me one of the attractions of this book will be its pointers to the factors which have enabled this woman to remain comfortably Kathy through all the invitations to the ego which success in her career has afforded”.

Assisted by Liz Bar as co-writer Kathy’s book is a must for those who wish to learn more about one of our most favourite stars of the show. Her modesty shines through and in the Afterword Kathy comments “ I always feel I’m so normal, so ordinary, quite a boring person really, so what interest is my life to anyone else?” By the time you have read her life story you will be in a position to answer that statement! Her strong Christian faith has supported her throughout her lifetime and when asked what she would like her epitaph to be she replied “ ‘She was a good Christian mum’ perhaps; that’s been the most important role of my life. It’s the role that you don’t shake off. It’s the role you play twenty-four hours a day. It’s not like Nora Batty. You can take the rollers out and the apron and wrinkled stockings off, and she’s just a heap on the floor. Being a Mum has been the most important thing. I hope I’ve done it right”.

Readers will glean glimpses of her public and private side and her pride in her family but most of all a sense of her purpose in life. Her work on so many successful television comedy series is remarkable and her stage roles in London’s West End and provincial theatres will interest her many fans. For me, the most memorable photograph is of Kathy as the Flying Fairy Godmother on stage in Blackpool in the pantomime Cinderella in 1990.

Most of us will always think of her as half of the great romance between Nora and Compo. In the episode marking the death of Compo when she and Ivy (Jane Freeman) were sitting quietly talking over the sad event she comments to the effect that he never meant her any harm and that she liked him really – and Ivy says that she is sure Compo knew that …… well, not a dry eye for the viewers I guess. I often wonder why Compo never gave her some tights……….. 

Gerald Hayne