AS the year draws to a close, it is a time to commemorate those we have lost in the last 12 months.
Wirral has lost many of our own in 2023, from actors to musicians, they will all be missed.
As 2023 comes to an end, here's a look back at the lives and careers of those Wirral greats that we've said goodbye to.
Paul O'Grady
Beloved Birkenhead TV star and comedian Paul O'Grady rose to fame as his drag queen persona Lily Savage.
During his career, he hosted a number of shows including The Paul O'Grady Show, Blind Date and For The Love Of Dogs, as well as Blankety Blank in the late '90s under the guise of Savage.
The presenter was honoured with an MBE for services to entertainment in 2008, adding to a list of achievements including a TV BAFTA, a British Comedy Award, and a National Television Award.
He was also well known for his love of animals, particularly dogs, having been an ambassador of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home since 2012.
He sadly died aged 67 on March 28 and he is sorely missed by the Wirral community.
Glenda Jackson
Wirral-born Glenda Jackson, who was a double Oscar-winning actress and Labour MP for 23 years, died peacefully following a brief illness on June 15, 2023 at the age of 87.
Jackson was born at 151 Market Street in Birkenhead in May 1936. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to Hoylake.
She won the best actress Oscar in 1970 for Women In Love and again three years later for A Touch Of Class – although opted not to attend the ceremony on either occasion.
Despite her successful career, which also included two Emmy Awards and a Tony, Jackson previously said she never had any interest in the social and glamorous aspects of the industry.
She gave up acting for politics more than a quarter of a century ago and served as a Labour MP for 23 years.
Dean Sullivan
Wirral actor Dean Sullivan, who played Jimmy Corkhill in Channel Four soap Brookside, passed away on Wednesday, November 29, his agent, Alan Hamilton confirmed.
The star, who had lived in New Brighton for many years, died aged 68.
His funeral service took place at Our Lady & St Nicholas, The Parish Church of Liverpool on December 19.
Brookside cast members, including Sue Johnston, who also starred in the Royle Family, Michael Starke and Wallasey-based actor Louis Emerick were among those attending the service.
Liverpool-born Dean had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018.
He was a two-time British Soap Awards winner and had roles in other TV dramas, including BBC’s Doctors and ITV’s The Royal.
Jean Boht
Wirral actress Jean Boht, who was best known for her role of Nellie Boswell in the sitcom Bread, died at the age of 91 in September.
The family of Boht, who was born in Bebington and was a pupil at Wirral Grammar School for Girls, confirmed in a statement that the star died on Tuesday, September 13 after battling "vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease".
Born in Bebington in 1932, Boht began her career as a £1-a-week student at the Liverpool Playhouse and went on to join the Bristol Old Vic and Manchester Companies before returning to Liverpool to star alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins, Lynda La Plante and Sir Patrick Stewart.
She also starred at the Royal Court, the National Theatre and at the Chichester Festival, as well as numerous West End theatres.
Her film roles included appearances in The Girl In A Swing, Bad Night For The Blues and Mothers And Daughters.
Bill Tidy
Bill Tidy, the former Private Eye cartoonist, died at the age of 89 on March 11.
Tidy, born in Tranmere, was known for his appearances on Countdown and the Watercolour Challenge and he received an MBE in 2000 for his services to journalism.
His family announced his death on his Facebook page.
The post said: “It is with huge sadness that I have to share with you the tragic news that we lost our dad who is not only the most brilliant cartoonist (and) the very best dad two sons, a son in law and a daughter could ever wish for.”
The cartoonist did not receive any formal artistic training and instead worked for the Royal Engineers in the Army before his career began as a cartoonist when he sold a sketch to a Japanese newspaper in 1955, according to the BBC.
His cartoons included The Cloggies, which appeared in the Private Eye from 1967 to 1981, and The Fosdyke Saga, which ran in the Daily Mirror from 1971 to 1985 and was later made into a BBC radio drama, the broadcaster reported.
Les Maguire
Born on December 27, 1941 in Wallasey, Les Maguire, was best known as the keyboardist for Merseybeat band Gerry and the Pacemakers who he joined in 1961.
After the Pacemaker split in 1967, Les would go on to play in clubs and bars around Merseyside with Ian and the Zodiacs.
After the deaths of the original Pacemakers drummer, Freddie Marsden, in 2006, Les Chadwick in 2019 and Gerry Marsden in 2021, Les was the last surviving member of the band until his death on November 25, aged 81.
After signing to EMI Records In 1963, and being managed by Brian Epstein, Gerry and the Pacemakers achieved immediate success in the British chart and later in the United States.
They were the first group to hit number one in the British charts with their first three singles, starting with How Do You Do It?
The band would go on to have many more hits, including I Like It, You'll Never Walk Alone and Ferry Cross the Mersey.
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