I’m Annie’s doppelganger, reveals Gene Kelly’s widow
Although very much looking forward to a family Christmas, actor Edward Fox says he has been deeply upset by what he describes as an ‘indecent’ act of ‘daylight robbery’ inflicted on a grieving family whom he has known for 20 years.
Noreen hannington — the 4ft 11in matriarch of a family-run garage close to the West london house where Fox lives — died this month aged 84.
Noreen memorably appeared on the tV show ‘What’s My line?’ and was known as ‘Mum’ by her customers. her sons, Fred and Bill, were told that, in addition to undertakers’ fees, they must pay well over £4,000 to have her buried in the grave of her late husband, Fred senior, who died in 1973.
‘It’s £700 to lift the stone off and £3,900 to dig the hole,’ says Bill. the immense bill arises because his mother lived latterly in Surrey, while Fred senior is buried in gunnersbury Cemetery, administered by Kensington & Chelsea.
‘Appalling,’ says Fox. ‘It’s bureaucratic twisting — gaining money under a very wrong principle, at the very worst moment.’ GENE KELLY’S widow Patricia Ward has admitted to occasionally borrowing the identity of a famous singer.
‘People often mistake me for Annie Lennox and I end up signing a lot of her autographs,’ Patricia tells me.
‘She doesn’t know that she has an imposter — or at least, I don’t think she does, because we haven’t even met yet.
‘It’s hilarious because whenever I go through an airport, people run after me thinking I’m her.’
The third wife of the Singing In The Rain star, Patricia, 57, was married to Gene from 1990 until his death in 1996 at the age of 83.
‘I went to the Academy Awards when Annie won best song [for Into The West, the soundtrack to Lord Of The Rings],’ she says.
‘And when I walked into the room, all the people there were chanting her name at me and I was going: “No, no! I’m not her! I wish!”
‘I’d actually love to meet her because I’m such a huge fan.’