Born in London on October 2, 1950, Sandy Ratcliff seemed destined for a troubled and turbulent life. Expelled from Grammar School at the age of 12, Ratcliff began a relationship with drugs as a teenager, smoking and eventually supplying cannabis, which earned her some time in prison. After stints as a waitress, DJ and guitarist in two rock groups, she found some acclaim as a model, touted by photographer Lord Snowden as 'The Face of the 70s'.
However it was acting that she became famous for. She took the lead role of Janice, a schizophrenic young woman, in Ken Loach's 1971 film Family Life, and went on to appear in films like The Final Programme, Yesterday's Hero, Hussy and Radio On, as well as TV programmes such as ITV soap opera Crossroads. But her biggest role was as one of the original cast members in another soap, the BBC's EastEnders. As Sue Osman, Ratcliff appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and played the part of the cafe owner until 1989 when she was sacked due to her addiction to heroin. In her four years on the soap she took centre stage in big issue-led storylines such as cot death, adultery and mental illness.
Ill health and personal problems were something that dogged Ratcliff after leaving EastEnders, battling both cancer and drugs and hitting the headlines for providing a false alibi for her boyfriend Michael Shorey, who was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of two women. Acting work dried up beyond appearances in Maigret and a couple of TV plays and, at some stage, Ratcliff retrained as a counsellor but had retired by the 2010. It was also revealed by the tabloids that she was living on disability benefit of just £70 per week. In her final years Ratcliff lived in sheltered accommodation and it was here that her body was found on the morning of 7th April, 2019. An inquest at Poplar Coroner's Court has been adjourned, pending tests, until October.
RIP
Blooming heck, she had a tough life and an even tougher end.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the first episode of EastEnders well and I'm fairly sure her husband Ali was one of the cast members in the fist scene. Didn't know she'd been in a Ken Loach film however and certainly didn't know Lord Snowden was a fan. Not sure about The Face of the 70s tag, but she definitely had The Hair of the 70s.
Didn't she just? She seemingly kept in relatively good spirits. In 2010 when asked about acting, she said she wouldn't mind returning to it, if someone was looking to cast a bag lady!
DeleteFamily Life is a really good, intense film. Great performance from her. And you're right Ali was one of the blokes who broke into Reg Cox's flat to find him dead in the very first scene in the first ep of EE
Ok, without googling who were the others - I'm thinking Dirty Den and Arthur?
DeleteLeave your address, there'll be a medal in the post!
DeleteDen kicked the door in and delivered the opening line "Cor, stinks in 'ere dunnit?" And poor old Arthur stayed with the body, taking a swig from the whisky bottle just as Dr Legg arrived. Ali was, if I recall rightly, the most cowardly about breaking in and came in for some flak being Reg's neighbour as in, why hadn't he and Sue noticed the old boy was missing earlier.
Glad I got that right - Proves the memory is still firing on all cylinders. I did think Dr Legg (only recently departed so I hear - haven't watched it in years) also put in an appearance but obviously in his medical capacity. You would have thought the smell would have seeped into the flat next door - All a bit gruesome. An iconic scene in television history though.
ReplyDeleteI stopped watching when Den died...for the second time. It's such a ridiculous show. I did actually tune in recently for Legg's funeral and the brief returns of Lofty and Mary the punk and it was very embarrassing. Having seen a couple of the old 80s eps again on the Drama channel around the same time, you'd think TV has regressed rather than progressed.
DeleteYes, I noticed that Mary and Lofty were to put in an appearance recently so tuned in for that moment, but it was very contrived and as you say embarrassing. Didn't understand why Dot didn't go to the funeral either but maybe she had an "off day" so again it had to be contrived. Yes I remember still watching it when Tracy Ann Oberman bopped Den on the head with the Queen Vic bust (it was her wasn't it?) but gave up soon after. Another ridiculous plot-line was when Dr Truman fell for the charms of both Kat and Zoe Slater - Why can these people not venture out of the Square for their love-life? Ah that would be because it's soap land where no-one actually watches telly or ever leaves their little bubble to work or play. But hey, it's an art form that all began with Coronation Street in 1960. Those kitchen sink dramas have a lot to answer for.
DeleteSorry went on a bit there but that pic of Sue Osman brought it all back!
Hehe, it's all good! Though, I'd rather not have Oberman's name mentioned on here, makes me feel physically sick given her antics on twitter these days. I think she was the one to deal the death blow yeah. If memory saves Sam Mitchell (was it?) hit him first and presumed she'd killed him but then, like the classic Hollywood thriller/horror, up he gets again later, leading to a final blow...and then the manipulation of Sam, making her believe she did it. It's all a long way from the early days isn't it? I'm currently watching old Corrie on one of the ITV channels. It's the early 90s (so my teen years) and it brings back lots of memories. Back then a big story would be the McDonald twins putting Alf Roberts' shop window in playing footie! I couldn't watch Corrie now (or indeed any soap) with their 5 nights a week and there serial killer/murder storylines every 6 months.
DeleteOh heck, I've never taken to Twitter so didn't know Ms O was persona non grata.
DeleteI think soaps really started to take off when neighbourhood communities started to decline in terms of contact between people on a daily basis. People who never talked to their own neighbours, could live vicariously via their favourite soap. Over the last 10 years social media has started to fulfil that role instead so not as much need for them. The 5 days a week is too much and can't believe anyone has the time to invest in them any more.
Just remembered one of Eastenders' big storylines - Arthur had "water in the ear" and couldn't hear for a while. Wow, nail-biting stuff.
DeleteEE definitely exists in a fantasy realm of a working class East London community that last existed in the 60s. I mean, that square now would be full of web designers, architects, bankers and hipsters. Weirdly, the show started out addressing the yuppie invasion with characters like Andy and Debbie, Colin and Wilmott-Brown but dispensed with them all in favour of stock working class characters and cardboard gangsters instead.
DeleteWater in the ear? Wow indeed. Imagine the storyline we missed from Den's POV...he must have had that when he came out of that canal!
As for Oberman, she just seems to exist today to vilify the left on twitter along with Rachel Riley (there's an issue with both of them seemingly harrassing a 16yo girl and Labour supporter), Eddie Marsan and Frances Barber. The latter is especially unintentionally hilarious, particularly when she claimed some anti-Corbynite on twitter was their inspiration when she herself was a young Labour activist and how we should all listen to this person, with Oberman agreeing...but this person, it turned out, was an entirely fake account with a completely fictional backstory!
Last word on this promise but yes, it was all about the yuppies moving in in the late '80s and tragedy struck in one story arc when Colin's Filofax went missing. Although I feel as if you should be too young to remember them, I know you will.
DeleteI have a weird near photographic memory when it comes to the tele my family watched when I was little. I even remember the first omnibus edition of EE going out. But a lot of my memory was refreshed when I got really into viewing the repeats on UK Gold which started around '96 I think.
DeleteI didn't know she'd been in the Final programme. I'll have to give that another watch.
ReplyDelete