In 1989, at the invitation of Mrs Elizabeth Tweddell, Patricia Routledge had the pleasure of performing her one woman show, ‘Come for the Ride’, at the Huntingdon Hall in aid of the early appeal for St Richard’s Hospice and has followed the course of its development with great interest ever since. She became a Patron in 1988.
Born in Birkenhead, Cheshire she has felt drawn to this part of the country since first visiting it as a schoolgirl with her parents and is always delighted to play at Malvern in any touring theatre production. Known to millions throughout the world as the redoubtable Hyacinth in ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ and as the elderly sleuth in ‘Hetty Wainthropp Investigates’, she is one of Britain’s most distinguished actresses, regarded for her work in theatre, film, television and radio for which she has received many awards.
In 1999 the University of Liverpool, of which she is a graduate, conferred upon her the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters, as did the University of Lancaster, in 2008.
Awarded the OBE in 1993 for Services to the Performing Arts, Patricia was created CBE in 2004 for Services to Drama. In 2017, she was awarded a Damehood for services to theatre and charity.