Deddie Davies (born Gillian Nancy Davies, 2 March 1938 – 21 December 2016) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

Biography

Davies was born in

Bridgend Bridgend (; cy, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the medieval bridge over the River Og ...

, Wales. She trained at

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the S ...

and is most familiar to television viewers for comedy roles in a host of series, including '' The Rag Trade'', '' That's My Boy, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' and '' Chance in a Million''. She appeared in non-comedic roles in series such as ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

'', '' Upstairs, Downstairs, The Forsyte Saga'' and ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical comprehensive school. The show began its run on 8 February 1978 on BBC1, and was one of the longest-running program ...

''. Her film roles include that of Nell Perks in '' The Railway Children'' (1970), and ''

The Amazing Mr Blunden ''The Amazing Mr. Blunden'' is a 1972 British family mystery film involving ghosts directed by Lionel Jeffries. It was based on the 1969 novel ''The Ghosts'' by Antonia Barber. It stars Laurence Naismith, Lynne Frederick, Garry Miller, Rosa ...

'' (1972). In her later life, Davies was concerned for issues facing the elderly. In May 2007 she had musical success as a member of superannuated pop group The Zimmers. Their

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...

of " My Generation" reached number 26 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. In 2008, Davies investigated the quality of life in elderly care facilities by posing as the aunt of a BBC reporter, being admitted to a rest home, and spending five days there. She recorded her experiences and treatment and concluded that life in many facilities was a "slow death", featuring inactivity, loneliness and minimal interpersonal interaction. Davies's research was reported on BBC Radio 4's ''Today'' programme. She became a trustee and recorded a video for UK registered charity Compassion in Care. From 2012, she appeared as Marj Brennig in the British TV series '' Stella''. She died of

ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different ...

on 21 December 2016, aged 78.

Filmography

TV

Film

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Deddie 1938 births 2016 deaths People from Bridgend Welsh television actresses 20th-century Welsh women singers Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 20th-century British businesspeople