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| Summer Wine star Staff dies at 80 | Summer Wine star Staff dies at 80 |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Actress Kathy Staff, who played Nora Batty in long-running BBC One sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died. | Actress Kathy Staff, who played Nora Batty in long-running BBC One sitcom Last Of The Summer Wine, has died. |
| The 80-year-old, who was born in Dukinfield, Greater Manchester, also played cleaner Doris Luke in long-running ITV soap Crossroads. | |
| She also appeared in Emmerdale Farm, Coronation Street, and with David Jason and Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours. | She also appeared in Emmerdale Farm, Coronation Street, and with David Jason and Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours. |
| Last of the Summer Wine producer Alan Bell told BBC News the actress had been ill for some time. | Last of the Summer Wine producer Alan Bell told BBC News the actress had been ill for some time. |
| "We're distraught, but we have very fond memories of her," he said. | "We're distraught, but we have very fond memories of her," he said. |
| Battleaxe Nora Batty proved to be her most enduring character. She appeared in 243 episodes of the Yorkshire-based comedy, beginning in the very first episode in January 1973. She made her last appearance in August. | Battleaxe Nora Batty proved to be her most enduring character. She appeared in 243 episodes of the Yorkshire-based comedy, beginning in the very first episode in January 1973. She made her last appearance in August. |
| Mr Bell said she often yearned for her character to be more gentle. | Mr Bell said she often yearned for her character to be more gentle. |
| "She would play a scene quite gently, and I'd say, 'But Kathy, you've got to harden up, because that's who we all love, the hard, tough Nora Batty.' | "She would play a scene quite gently, and I'd say, 'But Kathy, you've got to harden up, because that's who we all love, the hard, tough Nora Batty.' |
| "And she said, 'Why can't I be just soft and gentle at times?' And I said, 'Maybe some time we will.' | "And she said, 'Why can't I be just soft and gentle at times?' And I said, 'Maybe some time we will.' |
| "She was such a good lady, she was religious, she would never do anyone any harm. | "She was such a good lady, she was religious, she would never do anyone any harm. |
| "But above all that, she was thoroughly professional." | "But above all that, she was thoroughly professional." |