Background
Ashton was born and raised in Wood Green, North London.
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Pat Ashton
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Career
Her engaging cockney, blonde persona is best remembered for appearances in English television-sitcom film spin-offs and Trained from childhood as a singer and tap-dancer, she performed in the 1950s at seaside resorts around England in summer season shows. In the early 1960s, she toured Europe with Joan Littlewood"s Theatre Workshop in Oh, What a Lovely War!.
Early West End appearances included Half a Sixpence and The Matchgirls.
Ashton"s first television break was taking the role of Fanny Cornforth opposite Oliver Reed in Ken Russell"s Danté"s Inferno (1967), a film in the Omnibus series on the life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The part later led to a small role in Russell"s 1971 film The Devils.
In 1970, Ashton"s chirpy, blonde persona found her understudying Barbara Windsor in the Ned Sherrin-produced musical Sing a Rude Song, based on the life of music hall singer Marie Lloyd. She successfully took the lead role when Windsor was struck down with laryngitis.
Ashton played numerous television roles.
Credits include: - subsequently making memorable appearances in two spin-off films. The Benny Hill Show (1972-1980). Both Ends Meet (1972, with Dora Bryan).
Don"t Drink the Water (1975, an On the Buses spin-off).
Yus, My Dear (1976, with Arthur Mullard), Rooms (1977). Only When I Laugh (1980, with James Bolam).
The Gaffer (1981-1983, with Bill Maynard), and Tripper"s Day (1984, with Leonard Rossiter) Beer Hunter Minder Episode 1980 (with Dennis Waterman, George Cole. When LWT declined a second series, the writers Dick Clement and Ian Louisiana Frenais took the idea to the British Broadcasting Corporation, where it was developed into the much-loved series Porridge.
On stage, she later appeared in Stepping Out, and was a regular performer at the Players" Theatre in London.
