Lesley Saweard | |
---|---|
Born | Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England | 13 August 1934
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1953–2019 |
Known for | The Archers (1953–2019) |
Spouse | Geoffrey Lewis (m. 1956;died 1997) |
Lesley J. Saweard (born 13 August 1934 [2] ) [3] is a British retired actress. She played Christine Barford in the long-running radio soap opera, The Archers , from 1953 until 2019. [4]
Saweard was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire to parents William and Hilda (née Kiddle). [5]
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. [6]
Saweard lives in Louth. In 1956, she married Geoffrey Lewis, who she met on The Archers two years before. They had two children before his death in 1997. [4]