Lynn Dalby

Lynn Dalby, remembered with great affection by generations of television viewers, was best known to fans of 1970s television as Hazel Fletcher — Adam Faith’s long-suffering girlfriend in the ITV series Budgie (1971–72). Alongside Faith and Iain Cuthbertson, Lynn was the programme’s only other regular cast member. Stella Tanner appeared semi-regularly as Hazel’s formidable mother, Mrs Fletcher, while Georgina Hale memorably played Budgie’s wife, Jean. Hazel herself — warm-hearted, vulnerable and perpetually hopeful — became one of the most relatable characters of the era, and remains Lynn’s most enduring screen legacy.

Born on 17 February 1947 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Lynn’s childhood was shaped by travel and adventure. Her father, David, served in the Medical Corps and was stationed at various times in Germany and Cyprus, meaning Lynn spent much of her early life abroad. One of her most enduring memories of that period, she later recalled, was “lots of amazing different food and smells.” When her father was due to be posted to Singapore, Lynn made a decisive request that would shape her life: she wanted to go to acting school. At just 12 years old, she was allowed to travel alone to London to pursue her dream.

Many years later, she told her daughter, Amy Straker-Lonnen, that there had been a wager between David and her uncle that Lynn would become a bigger stage success than her twin cousins, who were already working as actors. As Amy recalled with amusement, “She absolutely loved it. She went to the Corona Academy of Theatre and stayed with family in Acton. They did standard lessons for half the day and acting lessons for the other half. She was up on wires and learning to fence — she said it was great fun, and they all got along so well.”

By the age of 15 or 16, Lynn was touring with the Wimbledon Touring Company alongside other students, travelling the length and breadth of the country in musical reviews and pantomime. “She was blissfully happy,” said Amy. (The twins, incidentally, later gave up acting and emigrated to South Africa — so David won his bet.)

Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Lynn built a formidable stage career, touring extensively across the UK and appearing in numerous West End productions. These included Fiddler on the Roof (1967) at Her Majesty’s Theatre, where she played Chava; The Jewel (1968) at the Duke of York’s Theatre; Lie Down, I Think I Love You (1970) at the Strand, starring Tim Curry; and Romance (1971), opposite matinee idol Jess Conrad, again at the Duke of York’s.

“She just loved being on stage,” Amy remembered. “She said when she was doing Fiddler on the Roof she would have slept in the theatre if they’d let her, as she never wanted to leave — she was so, so happy.”

Lynn’s screen career began early. Her first television appearance came in 1964 when she played Rita Hughes in Crossroads, a role she later revisited in 1980. She went on to appear in Doctor in the House (1969); The Gnomes of Dulwich (1969), where she played one of the two female gnomes alongside Hugh Lloyd and Terry Scott (the other was played by Anne de Vigier); Husbands and Lovers (1970); On the Buses (1970); Emmerdale Farm (1972), as Ruth Merrick Sugden; Crown Court (1972); Special Branch (1974); Cottage to Let (1976) with Timothy West; Return of the Saint (1979) with Ian Ogilvy; and Chalk and Cheese (1979), alongside Michael Crawford, Richard Wilson and Miriam Margolyes.

Her film work included The Pure Hell of St Trinian’s (1960), Spare the Rod (1961) with Max Bygraves, and The Legend of the Werewolf (1975), in which she appeared alongside Peter Cushing and Ron Moody.

It was Budgie, however, that cemented her place in television history. Hazel Fletcher was a woman constantly trying to survive on little money and big hopes while enduring the schemes and disappointments of her boyfriend, Ronald ‘Budgie’ Bird — a petty criminal forever chasing a “big killing” that never came off. Lynn once summed up Hazel’s loyalty with characteristic empathy: “I think she just wants security and stays with Budgie because he’s all she has. I can imagine doing the same thing in her position.”

In a 1977 interview with TV Times, Lynn spoke candidly about the challenges she faced after the series ended. She admitted that television work had become harder to come by. “Before (Budgie) I hardly ever stopped. In those days I was always doing comedy series, but now I’m stuck with this downtrodden cockney image, and I don’t get offered comedy parts anymore.” At the time, she was living in a flat in North West London with her boyfriend, actor Ray Lonnen (Det. Insp. Moffat in Z Cars).

That same year, Lynn and Ray married. The marriage ended in divorce in 1983, and in 1984 Lynn emigrated to Sydney, Australia. The move was motivated above all by her devotion to her daughter. “When my parents split,” Amy explained, “Mum didn’t want me to be pushed and pulled between them, so she sacrificed her career, her friends and her life in the UK to move me to Australia with her family for a fresh start. It was the best thing she could have done, and I’ll forever be grateful for the life she gave me.”

Despite the instability often associated with an actor’s life, Amy recalls a childhood filled with warmth and security. Initially, the family lived in Perth with Lynn’s mother and grandfather, in a household that at one point included four generations: Lynn’s grandmother, grandfather, great-grandfather, her sisters Gillian and Lesley, and extended family members. Later, Lynn, her mother, her grandfather and Amy moved to Sydney, where there were more acting opportunities. “She was in a TV movie in Australia when I was very young, and my Nan looked after me while she was away filming. She was very proud of her career and the work she had done. I loved hearing her stories. As both my parents were actors and quite well known, the business was always just a part of our lives.”

After her great-grandfather passed away when Amy was eight, and her grandmother later returned to Perth, it became just mother and daughter.

“My childhood growing up in Sydney was blissful,” Amy said. “I loved school, went to the beach — it was always warm and sunny. Our house was always a warm and welcoming open house. Everyone loved Mum. She was open, warm and happy. It was a safe space, always full of people, barbecues and parties.” Lynn did everything she could to ensure her daughter had a happy life — and succeeded.

Lynn continued to act in Australia, appearing in television series such as Sons and Daughters (1984), the mini-series Tusitala (1986), Water Rats (1996), All Saints (2001) and Always Greener (2001), as well as the feature film Pirates Island (1991), with Les Hill and Cornelia Frances. However, the volume of opportunities available to actresses was not the same as in the UK.

In 2001, Lynn stepped back from acting. “She never retired,” Amy explained. “She just stopped hustling.” Lynn retrained in computer proficiency and launched two successful small businesses: Ozshade, producing colourful shade cloths for Hills Hoists (Australian washing lines), and Duffy Moon, creating beautiful bespoke children’s clothing. She later worked in a fabric shop, which she loved, helping customers choose materials and sew — a role that suited her creativity and her love of people.

Having moved back to the UK in 2010 with her husband, Amy moved Lynn back to the UK so they could be together. “She lived just around the corner from us, in a lovely little flat near us in South London.”

Lynn Dalby passed away peacefully on Wednesday, 22 October 2025. Fans flooded the Television Heaven Facebook page with fond memories when the sad news was announced, which brought great comfort to Amy. “The outpouring of love and happy memories for her has been overwhelming.

“My mum was silly, fun, funny, open and warm. People loved her. Her favourite quote was an Oscar Wilde quote: ‘Life is too important to be taken seriously.’ She lived her life by that mantra — and now I do too. She always said she would never grow up because it was too boring. She loved music, singing and dancing, and was always the life and soul of the party. People gravitated towards her; she just oozed fun and sunshine. She was one of a kind, and a very special human being.”

Lynn Dalby leaves behind a body of work that continues to entertain, and a legacy of warmth, courage and joy that is remembered most vividly by those who loved her — and by audiences who still recognise themselves in Hazel Fletcher’s hopeful heart.