❉ This affectionate tome looks at the life and career Patricia ‘Pat’ Coombs in detail for the first time ever.
“Her biography reveals her personal battles and professional struggles and how she overcame them to carry on working until just weeks before her death in 2002… The biography chronicles not only Pat’s prolific career but also the many changes she lived through in the world of entertainment and how she was able to successfully navigate them.” – Author Andrew Ross.
Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Patricia ‘Pat’ Coombs was a star on radio from the 1950s and went on to become a familiar face on television with appearances in countless series, ranging from Beggar My Neighbour and Don’t Drink the Water to You’re Only Young Twice and EastEnders.
Author Andrew Ross explains; “I knew Pat for the last five years of her life and met her on a couple of occasions. We discussed the possibility of co-writing her autobiography but sadly this never happened. She was an amazing character, fundamentally a shy person, but always slipping into ‘funny’ voices and making everyone laugh! My lasting impression of her was of a truly lovable lady – kind, thoughtful and very modest, despite her undoubted talents. She is still very well remembered, and I wanted to write her biography as a lasting tribute to her life and career.”
“Despite her 50-year career in entertainment she was a private person,” continues Andrew. “Her biography reveals her personal battles and professional struggles and how she overcame them to carry on working until just weeks before her death in 2002. I have also been able to incorporate our private correspondence into the book, giving a unique insight into her day-to-day activities and thoughts during the final years of her life. I was very grateful to be allowed unprecedented access to Pat’s personal archive, including letters from colleagues such as Larry Grayson and Barbara Knox, and her photograph collection dating back to the 1920s. The biography chronicles not only Pat’s prolific career but also the many changes she lived through in the world of entertainment and how she was able to successfully navigate them.”
“Pat’s friend Roy Hudd described her as a ‘one off’ and indeed she was. Throughout her career she worked with the finest comedy actors in the business. There has been no one to replace her – or even come close. Her looks, mannerisms, voice and talent were totally unique and remain her lasting legacy to radio, film and television. I’m very pleased that the account has been authorised by her family and I hope it goes some way to fulfilling her wish of us working on a book together”.
From her earliest days in wartime London to the final years of her life (when she stoically battled ill-health to continue working), this authorised biography is a tribute to an unforgettable lady who touched the lives of many generations.
❉ Pat Coombs – The Authorised Biography is published in hardback priced £16.99. The book will be available exclusively via the Fantom website a month before its official release in September.
❉ News source: Fantom Publishing.
❉ We Are Cult is not responsible for the content of this news release.
Her name was Coombs, not Coombes.