 kathy staff (12 july 1928 â 13 december 2008), born minnie higginbottom, was an english actress, well known for her work on british television. she is most famous for her portrayal of nora batty on the longest running sitcom in the world, last of the summer wine. ==last of the summer wine== born in dukinfield, cheshire, staff was best known for her role as one of the main characters, nora batty, in the long-running bbc sitcom last of the summer wine. she played nora from the pilot episode in 1973 until 2008, the year she died from a brain tumour. shortly after the death of actor bill owen, staff left the show briefly, stating in interviews that things just weren't the same since his passing, and her heart wasn't in it anymore. she would later return and remain with the show until her death. ==early life and career== she began her acting career with touring repertory companies in 1946, changing her name to katherine brant. after she married john staff in 1951, she adopted the surname as her stage name, hence kathy staff. she retired from the stage at this point to raise her family, but starting working as an extra for granada television in manchester in the 1960s. ==television== staff had a regular role as doris luke in the popular itv soap opera, crossroads from 1978 to 1985 and 2001 to 2002. her other television roles included coronation street as vera hopkins, no frills as molly bickerstaff, open all hours as mrs blewitt, dawson's weekly and the benny hill show. she appeared in a television version of separate tables in 1983. she was the subject of this is your life in 1984 when she was surprised by eamonn andrews in harrods. ==theatre== her theatre roles included lady bracknell in the importance of being earnest at birmingham rep, madame arcati and mrs malaprop in touring productions of blithe spirit and the rivals respectively and a
1928_births 2008_deaths 20th-century_English_actresses 21st-century_English_actresses Actors_from_Cheshire Cancer_deaths_in_England Deaths_from_brain_tumor English_film_actresses English_soap_opera_actresses English_stage_actresses English_television_actresses People_from_Dukinfield