Amanda Barrie - Biography - IMDb Amanda Barrie Biography Showing all 16 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trivia (8) | Personal Quotes (1) | Salary (1) Overview (4) 5' 4" (1.63 m) Mini Bio (1) This feisty and very funny British comedienne and musical revue vet with the trademark 60s brunet page-boy haircut, pronounced jaw, and arguably the largest, Bette Davis-like eyes in London was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Cheshire on September 14, 1935. The daughter of Hubert Howath Broadbent, an accountant, and wife Connie (Pyke) Broadbent, who greatly prodded her young daughter into becoming a performer, Amanda was named after the Depression-era child star Shirley Temple . Her grandfather was a theatre owner in Ashton-under-Lyne, and young Shirley made her very first appearance there at the age of 3 as a Christmas Tree Fairy. Not long after this she began training earnestly in singing and in dance, particularly ballet.

As a youngster she won a talent-judging contest singing "I'm Just a Little Girl Who's Looking for a Little Boy". She then went on to attend school at St. Anne's College in St. Anne's-on-Sea and later studied acting at the Cone-Ripman School. After her parents' divorce, the teenager ran away from home and off to London where she lived at the Theatre Girls Club and subsequently found work as a chorus girl. By 1958 she had changed her marquee name to "Amanda Barrie" and made her TV debut with the comedy team of Morecambe and Wise in which her skirt accidentally fell off on live TV. She then took her first West End curtain call in a 1961 production of "Babes in the Wood". Eventually Amanada decided to set her sights beyond a dancing career, and moved more into musical revue work in the hopes for good comedy parts. Finding work as a dancer in cabaret shows and the revue "On the Brighter Side", she also trained at the Bristol Old Vic but did not perform in repertory.

Throughout the 1960s Amanda focused on her musical talents in the West End, and sparkled in a number of comedy shows. In the early part of the decade she hit solid notices with the revues "Six of One" (1963) with Dora Bryan and "See You Inside (1963)". Other stage work (which included occasional drama) came in the form of "Cabaret" (as Sally Bowles), "Private Lives", "Hobson's Choice, "Any Wednesday", "A Public Mischief", "She Loves Me" (replacing Rita Moreno in London), and "Little by Little". She also worked as the TV hostess on "Double Your Money" with Hughie Green and appeared in a number of comedy films: Operation Bullshine (1959), her debut in an unbilled bit, A Pair of Briefs (1962), Doctor in Distress (1963)and I've Gotta Horse (1965). She appeared to very good advantage in two of the slapstick "Carry On..." film series.

She played a female cabbie in the Carry on Cabby (1963) and Cleopatra herself (with a sexy lisp) in Carry on Cleo (1964). After her film peak Amanda continued to show resiliency on stage and TV. Theatre endeavors included "Absurd Person Singular", the musical "Stepping Out" with Julia McKenzie , "The Mating Game", "Blithe Spirit (as Elvira) and "Twelfth Night". Occasional movie work came in, including the addled comedy One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) with Helen Hayes . Of the countless sitcoms Amanda has been involved in, she became a soap opera favorite beginning in 1981 with her participation as Alma Sedgewick in Coronation Street (1960). Her appearances were infrequent until the character became a regular in 1989. She retired the role after 11 years in 2001 in an effort to spread her wings once again and seek other work. The producers actually killed off her popular character in quick fashion with a rapid case of cervical cancer.

In 1967 Amanda married actor and theatre director Robin Hunter and the twosome appeared occasionally on stage together, including the pantomime "Aladdin" in late 1967 and 1968 in which Amanda had the title role. The couple separated in the 1980s, however, but remained good friends and never divorced. Hunter died in 2004. In 1997 Amanda battled a serious optic disease in which she eventually lost the sight of her left eye. She has continued to perform, however, and more recent work has included the pantomimes "Jack and the Beanstalk" (2006) and "Cinderella" (2007), in which she played the Fairy Godmother. In her popular and highly candid autobiography "It's Not a Rehearsal," a best seller published in 2003, Amanda opened up for the first time about her bisexuality.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net Spouse (1) Trivia (8) Suffers from dyslexia Reached number 35 in the UK singles chart with a version of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's "Somethin' Stupid", a duet with her Coronation Street (1960) co-star Johnny Briggs . [December 1995] Widow of actor Robin Hunter and the daughter-in-law of actor Ian Hunter . Once had a romantic fling with Sixties pop idol Billy Fury . Her career began at age 3 at the Theatre Royal, Ashton-under-Lyne, which was then managed by her grandfather. She was later trained at the Art Educational School. Made her first appearance in pantomime at age 13 as a Sunshine Babe. She reportedly received her first big laugh in the show when she danced off stage and into the orchestra pit by accident. In September 2000 it was revealed that Amanda had been "economical" with the truth about her birth date. According to TV biographies and the official Corrie Street website, Amanda was born in September 1939.

But, in fact, she was born a full four years earlier. Her birth certificate, under her real name of Shirley Anne Broadbent, revealed that she was born on September 14, 1935. Is a collector of Victorian toys, especially wooden horses and teddy bears. Also collects religious icons. Personal Quotes (1) I can forget about acting when I'm acting. Salary (1) Amanda Barrie | Coronation Street Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie was born Shirley Anne Broadbent on 14th September 1935 in Ashton-under-Lyne to accountant father Hubert Howath Broadbent and his wife Connie Pyke. Her family had a theatrical background as her grandfather owned a theatre. She was named after the film star Shirley Temple and she made her debut aged three playing a Christmas tree fairy at her family theatre.

She took ballet and singing lessons as a child but was expelled from her St. Anne's college for skipping lessons for further ballet tuition. Her drama coaching took place at the Cone-Ripman School. At the age of thirteen she appeared in pantomime and in one performance danced off the stage and into the orchestra pit. Her parents divorced when she was thirteen and, as soon as she was able to, she moved to London working mostly as a chorus girl and dancer. She changed her name to Amanda Barrie in 1958 and made her TV debut in a Morecambe and Wise show. She had further drama training at the Bristol Old Vic but focused primarily on musical reviews although her range of stage performances included Cabaret (as Sally Bowles), Private Lives, Hobson's Choice, Any Wednesday and A Public Mischief. She also started to make name for herself in comedy films, appearing in A Pair of Briefs. Doctor in Distress and Carry on Cabby and it was this latter role that led to possibly her most famous and well-known performance (pre- Coronation Street ) when she was cast in the title role in the 1964 film Carry on Cleo.

By the standards of the Carry on… series this film in the run was expensive and highly successful and Amanda's performance as the ditzy femme fatale won rave reviews. Her eclectic career continued to span stage, film and television work, the latter including dramas such as The Wednesday Play, ITV Playhouse, Danger Man and an appearance as Hermia in a 1971 BBC Play of the Month production of A Midsummer Night's Dream , but she also appeared in plenty of comedies including The Many Wives of Patrick, Miss Jones and Son and Are You Being Served?, as well as, most notably, Whose Baby Are You? , a second season episode of Coronation Street spin-off Pardon the Expression in 1966 . Continuing to work solidly through the 1970s , her next brush with Weatherfield came in June 1981 when she appeared in four episodes of Coronation Street as Alma Sedgewick , the workshy wife of café owner Jim Sedgewick who employed and then rowed with Elsie Tanner .

Amanda has confessed on several occasions that she found acting opposite Patricia Phoenix to be a "terrifying ordeal" but she returned for a further eight episodes between April and June 1982 . Amanda was then absent from the Street for six years before returning as a regular in November 1988 when her character was involved in a series of storylines with Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin who Alma eventually married, enduring a tempestuous relationship. She continued in the high-profile part until June 2001 when she left the programme, complaining that he found the "tragic" storylines in which she was involved to be not to her taste, much preferring the comic, gutsy version of Alma that she had first played. She was also vocal in condemning her character's exit as a victim of cervical cancer, stating that such cancers take a far longer time to spread than happened in the somewhat-concatenated timeline shown in the programme. Amanda went on to appear in several episodes of Doctors but also made forty-one episodes of the Brian Park -produced series Bad Girls ( 2003 - 2006 ) in which she played the somewhat-camp inmate Beverley Tull.

She was also a guest panelist on Loose Women, appeared in Holby City and had an infamous altercation with chef Gordon Ramsay on reality cooking show Hell's Kitchen. In 2015 , she reunited with former Street colleague Sherrie Hewson in the hit ITV comedy Benidorm, thirty years after they first worked together in the original West End stage production of Stepping Out. Amanda was married to actor and director Robin Hunter in 1967 although they separated in the 1980s . An optic illness which built up in the late 1990s led to the loss of the sight in her left eye and in 2003 she published her autobiography It's Not a Rehearsal in which she revealed her bisexuality. She married her long-term partner - the crime writer Hilary Bonner - in September 2014 .

Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie Real name: Shirley Anne Broadbent Born: 14 September 1935, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire (see note below !) Parents: Connie Pyke and Hubert Howarth Broadbent Married: Robin Hunter, 1967 (divorced) Children:Contact: c/o Granada Television Played: Alma Baldwin (22 June - 1 July 1981; 19 April - 5 May 1982; 1989 - 17 June 2001) Shirley Anne Broadbent was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Cheshire on 14 September 1935 to Hubert Howath Broadbent and his wife Connie Pyke. Her grandfather was a theatre owner. She was named after the actress Shirley Temple and it soon became obvious that a career in the theatre was going to begin, she made her acting debut as a young child playing the Christmas Tree Fairy. At the age of three, she began taking ballet and singing lessons and also won a talent contest singing I'm Just A Little Girl Who's Looking For A Little Boy.

She was educated at St Anne's College in St Anne's-on-Sea but was expelled when she played truant to attend ballet lessons. She studied drama at the Cone-Ripman School. At the age of thirteen, her parents divorced and she moved to London where she lived at the Theatre Girls Club in Greek Street, Soho and she worked as a chorus girl. At the age of sixteen she danced at the Windsor Club alongside Danny La Rue and Barbara Windsor then the following year she performed in the play Five Past Eight and she dated the show's writer, John Law for three years. In 1958, Shirley changed her name to Amanda Barrie before making her West End debut in April 1961 at the Findsbury Park Empire in Babes In The Wood. Prior to this, Amanda had made her television debut in The Bulldog Breed alongside Donald Churchill. Throughout the sixties Amanda worked flat out on stage in productions such as Cabaret, Private Lives, See You Inside, On The Brighter Side, Hobson's Choice, Aladdin, Any Wednesday, A Public Mischief, Six Of One, She Loves Me, Cinderella and Little by Little.

She worked as the hostess on Double Your Money with Hughie Green and appeared in the films Operation Bullshine, A Pair of Briefs, Doctor In Distress and I've Gotta Horse. In 1963 she gained the role of Arthea, a female taxi driver in Carry On Cabby and the following year she played the title role in Carry On Cleo. Amanda appeared as wife to Paul Eddington in Absurd Person Singular and appeared in the musical Stepping Out with Julia McKenzie. She played Mrs Spence in the 1976 film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing and had television roles in Koroshi, A Midsummer Nights Dream and Time Of My Life. More theatre roles followed in productions such as The Mating Game, Lady Audrey's Secret, Hay Fever, Come When You Like, Who's Who, The Beggars Opera, Twelfth Night, Oh Kay!, Blithe Spirit, A Touch of Spring, Ooh La La and Lord Arthur Saville's Crime. She also danced on the Morecambe and Wise Show. Other television shows include L For Lester.

In 1981 Amanda made her Coronation Street debut as Alma Sedgewick, a role that should have lasted two weeks but continued on and off appearances until the character became a regular in 1989. Amanda married theatre director Robin Hunter in 1967 but they separated in the eighties, but remain good friends and have never divorced. She once dated singer Billy Fury. Amanda lives in Covent Garden, London and has a flat in Manchester. She loves horse riding, collecting antiques and occasional gambling. In 1997 she shocked the nation when she told a tabloid newspaper that her eye sight was in danger after she had contracted the incurable eye disease retina vein occlusion. In September 2000 it was revealed that Amanda had been 'economical with the truth' about her birth date. According to TV biographies and the official Corrie Street website, Amanda was born in September 1939. But in fact she was born a full four years earlier. Her birth certificate, under her real name of Shirley Anne Broadbent, records she was born on September 14, 1935.

This was a very well-kept secret, and even Amanda'a ex-husband, actor Robin Hunter believed his bride was still in her 20s - the marriage certificate recorded her age as 27 on their wedding day - June 19, 1967 - when in fact Amanda was nearly 32 !

TV credits: Koroshi (1967); A Midsummer Night's Dream; Are You Being Served ?; Time of My Life; L for Lester; Play for Today (BBC1): A Tale Of Two Wives (1966); Absolute Aggers & Torters (1969); A Midsummer Night's Dream (1971); Early Struggles (1976) Film credits include: Between Heaven and Hell; Operation Bullshine as ATS Girl; A Pair of Briefs; Doctor in Distress as Rona; Carry On Cabby (1963) as Arthea; Carry On Cleo (1964) as Cleo; I've Gotta Horse as Jo; Amanda Barrie - Bio, Facts, Family | Famous Birthdays Amanda Barrie Virgo Named Amanda#12 About Best known for her role as Alma Sedgewick on the popular British soap opera Coronation Street, this English actress also appeared in several episodes of the BBC's Doctors and ITV's Bad Girls. Also a stage actress, she performed in British productions of Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Before Fame After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, she acted in the 1963 and 1964 editions of the popular Carry On comedy films. Trivia In the late 1970s, she had a guest star role on the popular series Are You Being Served? Family Life She was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Lancashire, England. For more than a decade, she was married to actor and director Robin Hunter. Amanda Barrie (Author of It's Not a Rehearsal) edit data Born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Barrie attended St Anne's College, St Anne's on Sea. She then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She appeared in pantomime as a child and was a dancer before acting in a number of British television and film roles in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as presenting Hickory House with former Coronation Street star Alan Rothwell between 1973 and 1977.

She was also in two of the Carry On films, a long-running series of British comedy films: she had a supporting turn as a cab driver in Carry On Cabby (1963) and took the title role in Carry On Cleo (1964), which helped her on her way to becoming an international star of stage and sc Born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Barrie attended St Anne's College, St Anne's on Sea. She then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She appeared in pantomime as a child and was a dancer before acting in a number of British television and film roles in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as presenting Hickory House with former Coronation Street star Alan Rothwell between 1973 and 1977.

She was also in two of the Carry On films, a long-running series of British comedy films: she had a supporting turn as a cab driver in Carry On Cabby (1963) and took the title role in Carry On Cleo (1964), which helped her on her way to becoming an international star of stage and screen. In 1975, she played Mrs. B.J. Spence in the Walt Disney film One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing. After roles in a string of one-off television plays and series, she appeared in a guest role as a ballet mistress in the popular BBC comedy series Are You Being Served? in 1979. She worked for many years as a chorus girl in the West End until her first break as an actress came along. At sixteen she danced at the Windsor Club with Danny La Rue and Barbara Windsor, changing her name before making her West End debut in 1961's 'Babes in the Wood'. Throughout the sixties Amanda worked on many stage productions including 'Cabaret', 'Private Lives', 'Hobson's Choice' and 'Aladdin', and continued to perform on stage until the mid-1980s.

She is well known as Alma Sedgewick (later Baldwin), on Coronation Street. She was a bit-player in the early to mid-1980s before she was offered a contract in 1988, after which she became a very well known character. She continued in the role until her retirement in 2001. In the story, Alma was diagnosed with cervical cancer which later caused her death.[1] Since leaving Coronation Street, she continued to act, firstly as Margo Phillips in the long-running BBC soap opera Doctors for nine episodes, and in the popular ITV1 prison series, Bad Girls, playing inmate Bev Tull from the fifth series to the last, along with Phyl Oswyn played by Stephanie Beacham. The characters together were known as "The Costa Cons". She also became one of the celebrities who took part in Hell's Kitchen; a popular ITV1 "reality TV" series which screened in 2004.

While on the show, she became so frustrated with Gordon Ramsay, that she tried to slap him across the face.[2] From November 2006 to January 2007, Amanda took a starring role in the pantomime adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk in Canterbury. From December 2007 to January 2008, she appeared as the Fairy Godmother in the pantomime adaptation of Cinderella at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.[3] From December 2008 to January 2009, she played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. She again played the role from December 2009 to January 2010 in Rhyl. In December 2010 and January 2011 she played the role in Bournemouth. She played role again from December 2011 to January 2012 in Worthing. On Tuesday 7 August 2012 she appeared in the BBC drama Holby City as troubled, sassy, failed actress Annabella Casey.

She is scheduled to again play the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft from December 2013 to January 2014. Amanda Barrie - IMDb IMDb Actress | Soundtrack This feisty and very funny British comedienne and musical revue vet with the trademark 60s brunet page-boy haircut, pronounced jaw, and arguably the largest, Bette Davis-like eyes in London was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Cheshire on September 14, 1935. The daughter of Hubert Howath Broadbent, an accountant, and wife Connie (... See full bio » Born: Amanda Barrie | Filmografie | FILMER.cz Amanda Barrie 81 let Amanda Barrie, Actress: Coronation Street. This feisty and very funny British comedienne and musical revue vet with the trademark 60s brunet page-boy haircut, pronounced jaw, and arguably the largest, Bette Davis-like eyes in London was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Cheshire on September 14, 1935.

The daughter of Hubert Howath Broadbent, an accountant, and wife Connie (Pyke) Broadbent, who greatly prodded her young ... Amanda Barrie (2001)Ed Bains Entertains (June 22nd) (2001)"Star Lives"/"Stars and Their Lives"- Amanda Barrie (2000)BBC Hall of Fame: Barbara Windsor (2000)The Way They Were: Coronation Street Special (2000)40 Years on Coronation Street (1998)"This Is Your Life"- Anne Kirkbride (1995)"The Mrs. Merton Show" Ep 2.7 (1995)The Street Party (Performer) (1995)"The South Bank Show"- Coronation Street (1993)Celebrity Squares-Eps 5.6,5.12, and 5.17 (1992)A Kind of Magic-Ep May 23rd (1991)"Cluedo"- A Traveller's Tale (1990)Happy Birthday, Coronation Street!

(Audience Member) (1990-1992)That's Showbusiness (1989)The Royal Variety Performance (Alma Sedgewick) (1982)"L for Lester" (Sally Small) (1981-2001)"Coronation Street" (Alma Sedgewick/Alma Baldwin/Alma Halliwell) (1981)Family Fortunes-DJs v Funny Ladies (1980)"Time of My Life" (Joan Archer) (1980)This is Your Life-Michael Aspel (1979-2002)Blankety Blank (1978)"Strangers"- Paying Guests (Mrs. Parker) (1977)"Miss Jones and Son"- Baby Talk (Wanda) (1977)Night of 100 Stars (1976)The Many Wives of Patrick-Internal Disputes(Amy) (1975)"One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing" (Mrs. B.J.

Spence) ©Walt Disney Productions People Associated with Ashton under Lyne Links People Associated with Ashton under Lyne This page contains links to information about well-known or interesting people who came from or are associated with Ashton under Lyne. Geoff Hurst Born in Ashton in 1941, Geoff Hurst grew up in nearby Denton. He became a footballer who played for West Ham, Stoke City and England. He scored three goals in the 1966 World Cup Final and so helped England to win the World Cup 4-2 against Germany. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. He scored 252 goals for West Ham and 37 for Stoke. Arthur Brooke Born in Ashton in 1845, Arthur Brooke worked in his father's tea business, distributing tea throughout the area. In 1869 Arthur opened a shop in Manchester selling packaged tea under the name Brooke Bond and Co. There wasn't any Mr Bond - that was added to make the company's name sound better! The Brooke Bond company now makes PG Tips tea.

Hannah Mitchell Hannah Mitchell was born on a farm in Derbyshire in 1871, but lived in Elizabeth Street, Ashton, from 1900 to 1910. She campaigned to widen the horizons available to women at that time. In 1895 she married Socialist Gibbon Mitchell and was active in the Women's Social and Political Union and the Women's Freedom League. As a pacifist she opposed involvement in the First World War. In 1924 she was elected to the Manchester City Council. Margaret Beckett Margaret Beckett was born in Ashton in 1943. As a child she lived on Wilshaw Grove and attended St Mary's School. She studied Metallurgy at the University of Manchester. In 1974 she became MP for Lincoln and later for Derby South. She became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party during opposition, standing in as Leader of the Opposition for three months, following the death of John Smith, until Tony Blair was elected as Labour Party leader. She has held government posts such as Leader of the House of Commons, Trade and Industry Secretary and Foreign Secretary.

Eli Whalley Eli Whalley lived on Currier Lane and had a factory at the side of the Ashton Canal at Whitelands, which was the last to produce Donkey Stones. These were bars of scouring material used in mills to give a non-slip surface on greasy steps. It became fashionable for women to give their front doorsteps the same treatment. The blocks were made from sandstone, cement, bleach and water, mixed to a paste then allowed to harden. The materials were originally brought to the factory by canal boat. Eli Whalley produced his "Lion Brand" stones on the site until 1979. George Formby Senior George Formby Senior, father of the world-famous ukulele-playing George Formby, was born in Ashton in 1875 as James Booth. He was a successful comedian and music-hall star in his own right. He chose the name Formby after seeing a train with that destination. Brian Wilde Actor Brian Wilde was born in Ashton in 1927, but moved away and went to school in Hertfordshire. He played the prison warder "Barraclough" in the Ronnie Barker series Porridge.

He also played "Foggy" in Last of the Summer Wine, alongside "Clegg" and "Compo", for 9 years. He died in March 2008. Elyes Gabel Although born in London and spending a couple of years in Canada, actor and musician Elyes Gabel grew up in Ashton and Stalybridge, attending St Ann's and St Damian's schools. He played Doctor "Guppy" Sandhu in BBC's Casualty for 3 years as well as parts in other series, such as Waterloo Road. He plays the starring role of Walter O'Brien in the popular American TV drama series Scorpion. Ronald Fraser Ronald Fraser was born in Ashton in 1930. He was a well-known actor who appeared in many films and television series (including Swallows and Amazons, Pygmalion and The Flight of the Phoenix). Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie was born in Ashton in 1935 as Shirley Anne Broadbent. She is a film and television actor, having appeared in Coronation Street, Bad Girls, Doctors, Carry on Cleo, etc. Gillian Sheen Gillian Sheen was born in Ashton in 1928.

She took part in the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956 and won a gold medal for fencing. A J Harris Andrew Harris was born in Ashton in 1973. He was a professional cricketter, playing for Derbyshire and England, taking more than 400 wickets in over 120 matches. Mark Robins Mark Robins was born in Ashton in 1969. He played football for Manchester United from 1986 to 1992. He then played at other clubs, including Norwich, Leicester, Walsall, Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday. He went on to manage Rotherham and then Barnsley. Francis Thompson Francis Thompson, born in Preston in 1859, was a renowned poet, known as 'the poet of Catholicism'. He lived on Stamford Street in Ashton between 1864 and 1885. Read more about Francis Thompson . H V Morton Henry Vollam Morton was born in Ashton in 1892 but moved at a young age to Birmingham, where his father became editor of the Birmingham Mail. Henry followed his father into journalism, at first in Birmingham, later working for the Daily Express.

He became famous for his reports on the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb, even though another journalist had supposedly been given exclusive rights. He later gained popularity as a travel writer, with around 40 books to his name. He went to live in South Africa in his 50s and died in 1979. Read about Henry Vollam Morton's mother, Constance, who was known by the name "Cousin Maggie" and, for a while, was a well-known character in the town. Click here to read. Simone Perotta Simone Perotta was born in Ashton in 1977 where his father, Franco, ran a wine bar. Simone attended St Ann's Primary School for a short time before his parents returned to Italy. He was a member of the Italian team that won the football World Cup in 2006. Prophet John Wroe John Wroe, a self-styled "Prophet" from Bradford, founded the Christian Israelite Church. He announced that Ashton under Lyne was going to become "The New Jerusalem, where the chosen would gather at the Apocalypse. In 1825 he Church erected four buildings to be "gatehouses" of the New Jerusalem.

One of the is thought to have been the former Odd Whim public house on Mossley Road, now converted to apartments. In 1831 Wroe fled from Ashton after a scandal involving seven virgins. He went to Wakefield and later to Australia, where the Christian Israelite Church is still active. Bill Sowerbutts Bill Sowerbutts was born in 1911 in a house on Ashton Moss and became a market gardener, with a stall in Ashton Market. In 1947 he was a panellist in the first programme in the long-running radio show "Gardeners' Question Time", which was recorded in the Broadoak Hotel. Bill was one of the regular panellists for around 30 years and became a household name, taking part in over 1500 programmes. Robert Sheldon Robert Sheldon was MP for Ashton under Lyne for 37 years from 1964 to 2001. He was at one time the Financial Secretary to the Treasury. He was a Privy Councillor from 1977 and was the much-respected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee from 1983 to 1997.

He became Baron Sheldon, of Ashton-under-Lyne following his retirement from the House of Commons. Ashton's new northern by-pass is named "Lord Sheldon Way" after him. Simon Hoggart Simon Hoggart was born in Ashton in 1946. He was well known as a broadcaster and journalist, writing for the Guardian and the Spectator. He was chairman of the Radio 4 programme "The News Quiz" and appeared on BBC TV's "Grumpy Old Men". He died in January 2014. Stuart Hall Radio and television presenter Stuart Hall was born in Ashton on Christmas Day, 1929, the son of a baker, and lived in Hyde and Glossop. He presented BBC TV's Look North/North West Tonight for 25 years. He presented "It's A Knockout" with Eddie Wareing and was also the first host of TV's "A Question Of Sport". For many years has been a football reporter. He claims that, in 1958, he made up a radio commentary on a game between Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City because the fog was too thick for him to see the players!

In 2013 he was imprisoned for sexual offences and stripped of the OBE awarded to him the previous year. Raymond Ray-Jones Raymond Jones was born in Ashton in 1886 and attended St Ann's School. He later studied at the Heginbottom School of Art (now the Central Library, Ashton) before going to the Royal College of Art in London. In 1911 he joined the Studio at the Academie Julian in Paris. He travelled around Europe and, while visiting Venice, his drawings of buildings were so accurate that he was arrested as a spy! From 1913 he exhibited his work as Raymond Ray-Jones. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in 1914. After his sudden death in 1941, his work was shown for the last time in 1943 and he has now fallen into obscurity. Henry Cockburn Born in Ashton in 1921, Henry Cockburn was a professional footballer who played for Manchester United and England. He represented his country 13 times.

Gordon Taylor Born in Ashton in 1944, Gordon Taylor was a professional footballer who played for Bolton Wanderers. He went on to become Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers' Association. Bert Whalley Bert Whalley was born in Ashton in 1913. He was a professional footballer at Manchester United. Under Matt Busby, he became first team coach at United. He was killed in the 1958 Munich air disaster. Harrington Lees Born in Ashton in 1870, Harrington Lees became an Anglican priest. In 1921 he was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia. Return to Previous Page Visit the Local History index page to find out about more about places and events in Ashton. Amanda Barrie - Movies & Autographed Portraits Through The DecadesMovies & Autographed Portraits Through The Decades Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie Amanda Barrie has had a long and distinguished career in British theatre, cinema and television. She was born in Ashton-Under -Lyne in 1935. She trained at the Old Bristol Theatre School. Her first film was “Operation Bullshine” in 1959.

She starred in many comedies in the early 1960’s and had the leading role in “Carry On Cleo” in 1964. She starred with Billy Fury in “I’ve Gotta Horse”. In 1988 she began her recurring role in “Coronation Street” as Alma Baldwin. She left the series in 2001 and went on to star in TV’s “Bad Girls”. Doctor in Distress One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing Don’t Bother to Knock Operation Bullshine Her IMDB entry: This feisty and very funny British comedienne and musical revue vet with the trademark 60s brunet page-boy haircut, pronounced jaw, and arguably the largest, Bette Davis-like eyes in London was born Shirley Anne Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne, Cheshire on September 14, 1935. The daughter of Hubert Howath Broadbent, an accountant, and wife Connie (Pyke) Broadbent, who greatly prodded her young daughter into becoming a performer, Amanda was named after the Depression-era child star Shirley Temple .

Her grandfather was a theatre owner in Ashton-under-Lyne, and young Shirley made her very first appearance there at the age of 3 as a Christmas Tree Fairy. Not long after this she began training earnestly in singing and in dance, particularly ballet. As a youngster she won a talent-judging contest singing “I’m Just a Little Girl Who’s Looking for a Little Boy”. She then went on to attend school at St. Anne’s College in St. Anne’s-on-Sea and later studied acting at the Cone-Ripman School. After her parents’ divorce, the teenager ran away from home and off to London where she lived at the Theatre Girls Club and subsequently found work as a chorus girl. By 1958 she had changed her marquee name to “Amanda Barrie” and made her TV debut with the comedy team of Morecambe and Wise in which her skirt accidentally fell off on live TV. She then took her first West End curtain call in a 1961 production of “Babes in the Wood”. Eventually Amanada decided to set her sights beyond a dancing career, and moved more into musical revue work in the hopes for good comedy parts.

Finding work as a dancer in cabaret shows and the revue “On the Brighter Side”, she also trained at the Bristol Old Vic but did not perform in repertory. Throughout the 1960s Amanda focused on her musical talents in the West End, and sparkled in a number of comedy shows. In the early part of the decade she hit solid notices with the revues “Six of One” (1963) with Dora Bryan and “See You Inside (1963)”. Other stage work (which included occasional drama) came in the form of “Cabaret” (as Sally Bowles), “Private Lives”, “Hobson’s Choice, “Any Wednesday”, “A Public Mischief”, “She Loves Me” (replacing Rita Moreno in London), and “Little by Little”. She also worked as the TV hostess on “Double Your Money” with Hughie Green and appeared in a number of comedy films: Operation Bullshine (1959), her debut in an unbilled bit, A Pair of Briefs (1962), Doctor in Distress (1963)and I’ve Gotta Horse (1966).

She appeared to very good advantage in two of the slapstick “Carry On…” film series. She played a female cabbie in the Carry on Cabby (1963) and Cleopatra herself (with a sexy lisp) in Carry on Cleo (1964). After her film peak Amanda continued to show resiliency on stage and TV. Theatre endeavors included “Absurd Person Singular”, the musical “Stepping Out” with Julia McKenzie , “The Mating Game”, “Blithe Spirit (as Elvira) and “Twelfth Night”. Occasional movie work came in, including the addled comedy One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) with Helen Hayes . Of the countless sitcoms Amanda has been involved in, she became a soap opera favorite beginning in 1981 with her participation as Alma Sedgewick in Coronation Street (1960). Her appearances were infrequent until the character became a regular in 1989. She retired the role after 11 years in 2001 in an effort to spread her wings once again and seek other work.

The producers actually killed off her popular character in quick fashion with a rapid case of cervical cancer. In 1967 Amanda married actor and theatre director Robin Hunter and the twosome appeared occasionally on stage together, including the pantomime “Aladdin” in late 1967 and 1968 in which Amanda had the title role. The couple separated in the 1980s, however, but remained good friends and never divorced. Hunter died in 2004. In 1997 Amanda battled a serious optic disease in which she eventually lost the sight of her left eye. She has continued to perform, however, and more recent work has included the pantomimes “Jack and the Beanstalk” (2006) and “Cinderella” (2007), in which she played the Fairy Godmother. In her popular and highly candid autobiography “It’s Not a Rehearsal,” a best seller published in 2003, Amanda opened up for the first time about her bisexuality. – IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net Her IMDB entry can alson be accessed online here.

Liam Anyone who knows me are aware that I am a bit of a movie buff. Over the past few years I have been collecting signed photographs of my favourite actors.

Question: Which former Coronation Street actress was born Shirley Anne Broadbent?
Answer: Amanda Barrie