Teen’s spotty dress tribute to her gran

A TEENAGER surprised mourners at her grandmother’s funeral by wearing a spotty dress like the one that made her gran famous.

Eve Stewart, 19, wanted to celebrate the life of entertainer Pat Stewart who was known as The Girl in the Spotty Dress.

Pat became an overnight celebrity when she accidentally flashed her knickers to a photographer in Blackpool in 1953.

The saucy seaside snap of Pat became an iconic image on posters and greetings cards.

Pat, from St Athan, near Barry, was dressed in a spotty dress in her coffin after she died of heart failure aged 83.

Her granddaughter Eve was given a round of applause for wearing her own spotty dress at the funeral.

She said: “It was my grandmother’s trademark – I wanted to make her proud.

“I hope it gave everybody a lift on a very sad day.”

Talented musician Eve sang Emilie Sande’s Read All About It at the funeral services attended by 50 family and friends.

Eve, on a sports scholarship at Iowa University, is hoping to make the GB rowing squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In honour of Pat, Eve and her crew have sewn spotty patches onto their unitards, and wear them at races.

Pat was a 17-year-old unknown dancer when the photograph was taken by renowned photographer Bert Hardy.

The snap launched her showbiz career with the likes of Laurel and Hardy, Morecambe and Wise and Benny Hill.

After coming off stage in 1953, Oliver Hardy said to her: “You did well there Pat... We’ll all have to up our game if we want to follow you.”

Pat married comedian Johnny Stewart and brought up three children in South Wales, where she died last month.

Widowed Pat wrote her autobiography which was titled The Girl In The Spotty Dress.

Pat returned to Blackpool for the first time in 65 years last year to recreate the photograph.

She said at the time: “The tower is still there and it’s windy just like it was on the day the picture was taken.

“I’ve changed a bit since then but I still managed to fit into another spotty dress for my return.”

Pat’s funeral was held at Barry Crematorium where her coffin was carried away to Gracie Fields singing Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye.