My friend Valerie Lester, who has died aged 75, was an actor with an unusual career path, finding fame in cold war East Germany, and in later life became an English teacher in Argentina. She was born in Leicester but grew up in Coventry, the daughter of Brenda (nee Harris), a housewife, and her husband, John Lester, who worked in the car industry. Valerie won a place at the Birmingham Theatre School and after completing her studies she went to London, where most of the work was. After the death of both Stan and her younger sister Hazel in 1984, Valerie became seriously depressed but managed to overcome it. In her last years she threw herself into working for the Labour party in Coventry, where she had grown up.

Source: The Guardian September 02, 2020 09:56 UTC