Lesley Saweard
{{Short description|British actress (born 1934)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| name = Lesley Saweard
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1934|08|13|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
| occupation = Actress
| known_for = The Archers (1953–2019)
| years_active = 1953–2019
| spouse = {{marriage|Geoffrey Lewis|1956|1997|reason=died}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FM%2F1956%2F1%2FAZ%2F001429%2F090 |title=Lesley Saweard marriage record |work=FindMyPast |access-date=3 July 2021}}
}}
Lesley J. Saweard (born 13 August 1934{{cite web |last1=Bird |first1=Kenneth |title=Meet the Archers |url=http://luff.org.uk/archers/Books/Edward%20J%20Webb,%20Geoffrey/The%20Archers%20of%20Ambridge%20(798)/The%20Archers%20of%20Ambridge%20-%20Edward%20J%20Webb,%20Geoffrey.pdf |website=luff.org.uk |access-date=19 November 2024}}){{cite news|url=https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/people/star-of-the-archers-soap-is-now-a-talking-newspaper-volunteer-in-louth-at-age-of-90-4747311 |title = Lesley Saweard 'talking newspaper' volunteer aged 90 |work=Lincolnshire News |access-date=30 August 2024}} is a British retired actress. She played Christine Barford in the long-running radio soap opera, The Archers, from 1953 until 2019.{{cite web |title=Christine Barford |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/MrVfQXT37nq9tJ7lcCk82w/christine-barford |website=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=2 March 2022}}
Early Life
Saweard was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire to parents William and Hilda (née Kiddle).{{cite news|url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=BMD%2FM%2F1926%2F2%2FAZ%2F001041%2F114 |title = Parents marriage record |work=Find My Past |access-date=3 July 2021}}
Career
Saweard began her career as a teacher, and also appeared in the local amateur dramatic society ‘Playgoers’. In 1953, she began playing the role of Christine Barford (the sister of established character Phil Archer) in BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers; she remained on the program until 2019, apart from a break during the 1960s, between 1962 and returning in 1968.
As of 2024, she was a volunteer for the Lincoln and Lindsey Blind Society, which produces an audio version of the newspapers in and around Louth.{{cite web |last1=Silverwood |first1=Richard |title=Star of 'The Archers' soap is now a talking newspaper volunteer in Louth - at age of 90 |url=https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/people/star-of-the-archers-soap-is-now-a-talking-newspaper-volunteer-in-louth-at-age-of-90-4747311 |website=lincolnshireworld.com |access-date=11 July 2025}}
Personal life
References
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Category:British radio actresses
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