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Joan Hickson was born in 1906 at Kingsthorpe, Northampton. Her stage career began with provincial theater in 1927, going on to a long series of West End comedies, usually playing the part of a confused or eccentric middle-age woman. She performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, at the time London was subject to World War II bombing. Her work gradually included screen roles: The Outsider (1948), The Promoter (1952), The 39 Steps (1959) - over 80 movies in all - but her stage career continued, with parts in three Peter Nichols plays, Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" (1976) and and a Tony award supporting actress performance in Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" (1977). Her first Agatha Christie role was "Miss Pryce" in the play, "Appointment With Death" (1946), which prompted Christie, herself, to write "I hope you will play my dear Miss Marple". She began playing this, her best known part, in her late 70s, in a BBC television series which ran from 1984 to 1992. A Miss Marple fan, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded her the Order of the British Empire in 1987. After the series closed, Joan recorded audio books of the Christie mysteries. She died, aged 92, in a hospital at Colchester, Essex, survived by a son and daughter (her physician husband Eric Butler died in 1967).

John Bryans was born on 5 August 1942 in England, UK. He was an actor, known for For Whom the Bell Tolls (1965), Nana (1968) and Blake's 7 (1978). He died on 2 March 1989 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Patricia Hicks was born on 10 June 1919 in Essex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Midsummer Night's Dream (1946), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1947) and There Is No Escape (1948). She was married to Jack Watling and Sidney Rhys Jones. She died on 25 May 2011 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Richard Fraser was born on 19 March 1928 in Wellington, Shropshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Compact (1962), Man About the House (1973) and Somerset Maugham Hour (1960). He was married to Paddy Glynn. He died on 11 August 1984 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Mary Whitehouse was born on 13 June 1910 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, UK. She was married to Ernest Raymond Whitehouse. She died on 23 November 2001 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Gerry Poulson was born on 23 February 1930 in Islington, London, England, UK. Gerry was a director, known for Stanley's Dragon (1994), The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972) and The Knock (1994). Gerry was married to Jacqueline Frances Watson. Gerry died on 30 November 2019 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Charlotte Hastings was born on 5 June 1909. She was a writer, known for Thunder on the Hill (1951), Strange Affection (1957) and White Hunter (1957). She was married to Victor W. Holland. She died on 9 August 2003 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Steven Pimlott was born on 18 April 1953 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor and director, known for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999), Carmen (1989) and Great Performances (1971). He was married to Bechly, Daniela. He died on 14 February 2007 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Margery Allingham was born on 20 May 1904 in Ealing, Middlesex, England, UK. She was a writer, known for Tiger in the Smoke (1956), Room to Let (1950) and Orson Welles Great Mysteries (1973). She was married to Youngman Carter. She died on 30 June 1966 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Kitty Bluett was the daughter of English comedian Fred George Bluett and Catherine McKechnie. She had one sister Belle who was married to comedian Jimmy Jewel. She had one brother Gus who became part of his father's act. Kitty was born in Brixton, London at the height of a Zeppelin raid. At the age of 10 weeks, she was taken by her family back to Australia. She became a top radio star down under where she was the professional partner of Dick Bentley and at one time was Australia's top female disc jockey. She married Walter Robert Portingale during the forties and divorced him in January 1947 on the grounds that he refused to provide a home for her and was not sympathetic to her career aspirations. In 1948 she came to England and became as household name on radio playing comedian Ted Ray's wife in "Ray's a Laugh" during the fifties. She married secondly Julian Jover, acrobat and Variety performer, in 1955 and with him had a daughter named Jodie who was born in the last quarter of 1958 in Sussex, England. The family went back to Australia where Jover became a highly successful children's television producer and was as of 2006 remarried to Lynn and living in Bunderberg, Australia. Kitty had divorced him and moved back to England where she died as Kathleen Zeppy Jover in Colchester at age 78.

Luba Lisa was born on 10 March 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The John Gary Show (1966), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and Girl Talk (1963). She died on 15 December 1972 in Colchester, Vermont, USA.

Beatrice Shaw was born on 2 August 1908 in Barking, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for ITV Play of the Week (1955), The Quatermass Conclusion (1979) and The Girl from Starship Venus (1975). She died on 1 December 1995 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Monica Stewart was born in 1925 in Torquay, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Crossroads (1964), Front Page Story (1965) and A Sharp Intake of Breath (1977). She died on 13 June 2008 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Reginald Jarman was born on 7 July 1901 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Zardoz (1974), The Challenge (1938) and Death of a Ghost (1960). He died in 1981 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Tom Keating was born on 1 March 1917 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He died on 12 February 1984 in Colchester, England, UK.

Norman Stenfalt was born on 20 February 1922 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Drama 61-67 (1961) and ITV Play of the Week (1955). He died on 24 November 1991 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Lina Naseby was born on 30 November 1864 in Liverpool, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Auld Lang Syne (1937). She was married to Frank Strickland and Lewis Gilbert. She died in 1952 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Tim Rendle was an editor, known for Stand-Up: A Documentary by Jennifer Darwin (2013), The Street (2006) and Surgical Spirit (1989). He died on 23 June 2018 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Neil Tuson was born on 13 May 1911 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Lilli Marlene (1950). He was married to Anne Cullen. He died in 1991 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Eileen Fowler was born on 13 May 1906 in Tottenham, London, England, UK. She was married to John Morgan Carson. She died on 7 March 2000 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Mark Utter was born on 20 January 1965 in Vermont, USA. He was a writer, known for I Am in Here (2013) and De ideale wereld (2013). He died on 28 October 2024 in Colchester, Vermont, USA.

Brian Couzens was born on 17 January 1933 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, UK. Brian is known for Classic Widows (1995). Brian was married to Deborah Frogel and Ilse Hauguth. Brian died on 17 April 2015 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Michael Voysey was born in 1920 in Grimsby, Humberside, England, UK. He was a writer, known for Imperial Palace (1969), Mystery and Imagination (1966) and Father Brown (1974). He died in 1987 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

Tony Newton was born on 29 August 1937 in Harwich, Essex, England, UK. He was married to Patricia Gilthorpe and Janet Huxley. He died on 25 March 2012 in Colchester, Essex, England, UK.

John Nash was born on 11 April 1893 in Kensington, London, England, UK. He was married to Christine Nash. He died on 23 September 1977 in Balkerne Hill, Colchester, Essex, England, UK.