Valentine no more

Sad news. Another of the UK's most popular actresses, Miss Pauline Collins has departed for the bright lights of Fabulon.

In a career spanning seven decades, her roles encompassed realist drama, situation comedy, costume drama, children's programmes, sci-fi and a variety of "homespun" character parts on telly and on the big screen - everything from Z-Cars to Upstairs, Downstairs to Tales of the Unexpected to The Ambassador to Quartet to The Time of Their Lives (with Joan Collins).

Of course, it is for one marvellous performance that she is forever immortalised, however - Shirley Valentine (for which she was nominated for an Oscar)!

Shirley Valentine - Trailer

"That's right, Millandra, I'm going to Greece for the sex! Sex for breakfast! Sex for dinner! Sex for tea! And sex for supper!"
"Sounds like a fantastic diet, love!"
"It is, have you never heard of it? It's called the "F" plan!"

A superb film. A superb actress. We'll miss her terribly.

Facts about Pauline Collins:

• Despite her Scouse accent, Pauline was actually born in Exmouth in Devon; her family moved to Liverpool when she was a child.
• After an early part in Doctor Who, in 1967 she was offered to become the Second Doctor's next companion but turned the part down.
• She was "Dawn" in the first five episodes of the classic 70s BBC sitcom The Liver Birds, before Nerys Hughes debuted in the show as "Sandra".
• She and real-life husband John Alderton not only acted together as "Thomas and Sarah" in Upstairs, Downstairs and its eponymous spin-off, they were often cast as a couple - in Yes, Honestly, Wodehouse Playhouse, Forever Green and Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War, as well as on stage.

RIP, Pauline Collins OBE (3rd September 1940 - )