Shirley Anne Field: Star of stage and screen who attended school in Lancashire has passed aged 87

Shirley Anne Field, who starred in films such as ‘Alfie’ with Sir Michael Caine and ‘Saturday Night and Sunday Morning’ with Albert Finney, sadly passed away on Sunday, December 10, her family announced yesterday.

Although she was brought up in various children’s homes across the North West, Shirley established herself as a model in the 1950s and went on to become a prominent star during the British New Wave (1959-1963), continuing her acting career up until her final credit in 2011. 

Born in Essex, Shirley was placed in the National Children's Home at Edgworth near Bolton aged six then four years later was moved to another children's home in Blackburn, where she attended Blakey Moor School for Girls.

Shirley’s breakthrough role came in 1960 when she played Tina Lapford in The Entertainer opposite the late Laurence Olivier, but she later appeared in numerous popular TV series including The Bill, Doctors, Murder She Wrote, Last of the Summer Wine and Upstairs, Downstairs.

Her other hit films inlcude The War Lover (1962) alongside the late Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner and 1985's rom-com My Beautiful Laundrette with Daniel Day-Lewis.

During her successful career, Shirley could also claim John F Kennedy as a friend and Frank Sinatra as a one time date!

Sharing the news of Shirley’s death, a statement from her family said: "It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday... surrounded by her family and friends.

"Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen."