Background
She was born in 1923 in Bishop Middleham near Sedgefield, County Durham. Her father, Wilfrid Young, was batman and later chauffeur to Colonel Kitching, who lived at Elmwood for many years after retiring from the army in 1939.
She was born in 1923 in Bishop Middleham near Sedgefield, County Durham. Her father, Wilfrid Young, was batman and later chauffeur to Colonel Kitching, who lived at Elmwood for many years after retiring from the army in 1939.
Young worked briefly as a librarian on leaving school and attended art college, before deciding to embark on a career as an actress. She also studied to be a dental nurse and used her substantial artistic talents to paint glassware.
As a child, she lived with her family in the gatehouse of Elmwood (now the Elmwood Community Centre), Hartburn, County Durham, near Stockton-on-Tees. She subsequently performed at The Gateway Theatre, London, and the Theatre Royal in Chatham. Trying to get into the movie industry, she did modelling for advertising agencies, including promoting products such as toothpaste, which paid her enough money until she became an actress.
Starting out as an actress, she starred with Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall in The Constant Husband and was also in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953).
She also obtained parts in the movie The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan, acting in a segment featuring The Mikado.
