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Kathy Staff - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kathy Staff (born Minnie Higginbottom, 12 July 1928 – 13 December 2008) was an English actress, well known for her work on British television.

Born in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, Staff was best known for her role as one of the main characters, Nora Batty, in the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. She played Nora from the pilot episode in 1972,[1] until 2008, the year she died.

When she took up acting, she changed her name to Katherine Grant. After she married John Staff in 1951,[1] she adopted the surname as her stage name, hence Kathy Staff.

Staff had a regular role as Doris Luke in the ITV soap opera, Crossroads, and other appearances include Coronation Street as Vera Hopkins,[1] No Frills as Molly Bickerstaff, Open All Hours as Mrs Blewitt, Follyfoot and Freddie Starr.

Her theatre roles included Mrs Northrop in When We Are Married (Whitehall Theatre, 1986), Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (Birmingham Rep, 1989), Edie Hornett in Sailor Beware! (UK Tour, 1992/ 93) and various pantomimes[2].

Staff has also appeared in the "Observation" round in the 1989 Krypton Factor grand final.

She died on 13 December 2008 at the Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton, with her husband John at her bedside, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier in the year.[3][4] Her death was announced on 14 December.[5