Patricia Shakesby facts for kids

Patricia Shakesby, born on November 6, 1942, is an English actress and writer. She is well-known for her role as Polly Urquhart in the TV series Howards' Way. She was also one of the first actors in the famous show Coronation Street. In that show, she played Susan Cunningham, who was the first girlfriend of the character Ken Barlow.

Early Acting Roles

Patricia Shakesby was born in Cottingham, a town in the East Riding of Yorkshire. She started her TV career when she was 18 years old. Her first appearance was on December 9, 1960, in the very first episode of Coronation Street.

Patricia played Susan Cunningham, the girlfriend of Ken Barlow (played by William Roache). She appeared in 12 episodes. In the first episode, Ken wanted to take Susan to a fancy hotel. However, Ken's father, Frank, did not like this idea. Ken's mother, Ida, worked as a cleaner in the hotel's kitchens. Frank felt it was wrong for Ken to spend money in a place where his mother worked so hard.

More TV Shows and Stage Work

In 1972, Patricia Shakesby acted alongside the famous actor Anthony Hopkins. They were both in the TV series War and Peace, where Patricia played Vera Rostova.

From 1985 to 1991, she was a regular on the BBC TV show Howard's Way. She played the character Polly Urquhart for six seasons. Patricia also appeared in many other popular TV shows. These include Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Z-Cars, The Borderers, On the Buses, The Liver Birds, The Likely Lads, Sapphire & Steel, and Yes Minister.

On stage, Patricia worked with comedian Ronnie Barker in a play called The Real Inspector Hound in the 1970s. She also performed in several plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company. These performances took place in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. Patricia also wrote a play herself, called The Lady of the Abbey. This play was about the wife of Robert Fitzhamon, who helped start Tewkesbury Abbey.

Personal Life

Patricia Shakesby married Alan Purkiss in 1997. Alan was the chairman of the Tewkesbury Civic Society. The couple lives in Mill Bank, a place in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Film Roles

Patricia Shakesby also appeared in a few movies:

• She Knows Y'Know (1962)
• He Who Rides a Tiger (1965)