Sunday 25 November 2012

The quintessential Englishwoman









We bid a sad farewell today (at the ripe old age of 92) to one of the great beauties of the silver and small screens, the lovely Dinah Sheridan. Her most memorable films - decades apart - included Genevieve (1953) and The Railway Children (1970); she also went on to become a household name in the BBC sitcom Don't Wait Up (with Nigel Havers and Tony Britton), and even featured in the 20th anniversary Doctor Who special (The Five Doctors).

I always thought she was an utterly charming screen presence, and she will be sadly missed.

Facts about Dinah Sheridan:
  • Although generally thought of as the "quintessential Englishwoman", she was actually born Dinah Nadyejda Ginsburg of Russian-German parents (who also changed their name to Sheridan when showbiz fame beckoned).
  • Her daughter is Jenny Hanley, who kids of my generation fondly remember as a presenter on the children's TV programme Magpie.
  • Her son is Sir Jeremy Hanley, former cabinet member in John Major's government and member of the Privy Council.
RIP.

Dinah Sheridan (17th September 1920 – 25th November 2012)

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