Three Manchester Lives have been added to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The latest update of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is published this morning and adds biographies of 229 people who left their mark on the UK, and who died in the year 2022.
Born in Wigan in 1932 Sir James Anderton joined the Manchester city police force in 1953 and became chief constable of Greater Manchester Police from 1976 to 1991.
Known in the press as ‘God’s copper’, he brought a harsh approach to law enforcement, and also made highly controversial statements about AIDS, homosexuality, the miners’ strike, and corporal punishment.
Lynda Baron was born 14 Alfred Street, Manchester, and educated at Flixton School for Girls
She was dancer, chorus girl, and comic actress who appeared in a wide variety of programmes, including Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1964–5), though it was probably as Nurse Gladys in Open All Hours (1976-85) alongside Ronnie Barker which she was best remembered for.
Born at 16 Leighbrook Road, Fallowfield, in 1941 the actor David Warner scored early successes with his Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1965 and as the anti-hero of Karel Reisz’s Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment on film the following year; his later career was prolific and wide-ranging but never reached such heights.
They join Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) who was the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
During the course of her reign, the United Kingdom ceased to be a great power in the world, and changed in many other ways. To all this she adapted, slowly and not always enthusiastically, but on the whole wisely and well.
Other prominent figures in the new edition include politician and inaugural first minister of Northern Ireland David Trimble, Baron Trimble (1944-2022); peace campaigner Bruce Kent (1929-2022); authors Dame Hilary Mantel (1952-2022), Jack Higgins (1929-2022), and Raymond Briggs (1934-2022); inventor of the Jump Jet Ralph Hooper (1926-2022); fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022); artist Dame Paula Rego (1935-2022); theatre director Peter Brook (1925-2022); actors Dame Angela Lansbury (1925-2022) and Robbie Coltrane (1950-2022); singer Dame Olivia Newton-John (1948-2022); jockey Lester Piggott (1935-2022); and 1966 World Cup winner George Cohen (1939-2022).
