KATHY Staff – known to millions of television viewers as battleaxe Nora Batty – has died.

The actor, who starred in Holmfirth-based Last of the Summer Wine for 35 years, passed away on Saturday aged 80.

Mrs Staff appeared in 243 episodes of the BBC sitcom between January, 1973, and this August.

She spoke the first words in the opening scene of Last of the Summer Wine in 1973. Millions loved watching her character Nora’s feisty doorstep encounters with her mischief-making neighbour Compo, played by actor Bill Owen who died in 1999.

Nora’s house on Scar Fold off Hollowgate in Holmfirth became a tourist attraction as the success of the long-running comedy show grew.

Last of the Summer Wine producer and director Alan Bell paid tribute to the veteran actor yesterday.

He said: “She was lovely, a very nice, honourable, friendly lady – not at all like the character she played.”

Mr Bell, who has worked on the programme since 1980, remembered Mrs Staff as a hard worker. He said: “She was thoroughly professional, she never complained and she always knew her lines.”

Mrs Staff died of a brain tumour at a hospice near her home in Ashton-under-Lyne in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Mr Bell said: “Her family were with her when she died. They told me she had been in a peaceful frame of mind in her final weeks.”

Mrs Staff could not appear in the most recent series of the hit show because of her failing health.

Mr Bell said: “When we were preparing for the current series in May we had to face up to this. We brought in Barbara Young to play Nora’s sister Stella but we always hoped that Kathy could come back.”

Jane Freeman, who plays Ivy in the long-running series, also paid tribute to Mrs Staff yesterday.

She said: “We were in the first programme all those years ago and I have very happy memories of working with Kathy. She was a very kind Christian woman.

“If there’s one character everyone knows from Last of the Summer Wine, it’s Nora Batty. She has become a stalwart of the show.”

The pair met for the last time six weeks ago.

More on next page or click here for a photogallery of Mrs Staff as Nora Batty and in other roles.

Mrs Freeman said: “Kathy’s husband John brought her down to see me in Gloucestershire and we had a lovely lunch together. We said good-bye and we both knew in our hearts that we wouldn’t see each other again.”

Brian Murphy, who plays Alvin Smedley on the show, added his tribute to Mrs Staff.

He said: “I had great respect for Kathy, she played the perfect comedic battleaxe. She was unmatchable.

“Kathy was a very generous person and she always looked our for her fellow artists in what can be a cut-throat profession. She was a great human being and she will be missed.”

Mrs Staff also appeared in the soap Crossroads as kindly Doris Luke and in Open All Hours as Mrs Blewitt, a regular customer of grocer Arkwright (Ronnie Barker) and his nephew Granville (David Jason).

Mrs Staff was born and brought up in Dukinfield in Cheshire – also the home village of Ronnie Hazelhurst who composed Last of the Summer Wine’s theme tune.

She is survived by her husband John, a retired maths teacher, and their two daughters.

Katherine works as a travel agent while Susan was among the first women priests in the Church of England.

Peter Sallis who play Cleggy and Jane Freeman are the only surviving members of the original cast from 1973.