Lynda Lee-Potter | |
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| Born | Lynda Higginson (1935-05-02)2 May 1935 Leigh,Lancashire, England |
| Died | 20 October 2004(2004-10-20) (aged 69) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Lynda Lee-PotterOBE (née Higginson; 2 May 1935 – 20 October 2004) was a British journalist. She was best known as a columnist for theDaily Mail.[1]
Lynda Higginson was born into a working-class family in the mining town ofLeigh,Lancashire.[2] Her father, Norman, was aminer who would later turn to painting and decorating, while her mother, Margaret (née Berry) worked in a shoe shop; Lynda won a place at Leigh Girls' Grammar School, which she described as "the escape route for ordinary children and the pathway to a new life".[3] Her first ambition was to become an actress and, aged 18, she went toLondon to attend theGuildhall School of Music and Drama, later telling friends that she lost herLancashire accent on the train down.[4] After leaving the Guildhall School, and using the stage nameLynda Berrison, she won a part in one ofBrian Rix's farces at theWhitehall Theatre.[1]
Higginson's life changed when she met Jeremy Lee-Potter, the son ofAir Marshal Sir Patrick Lee-Potter,[3] who was then a medical student atGuy's Hospital. They married in December 1957, after which he was posted toAden, as anRAF doctor.[1] While living there, she began her career as a journalist, writing articles for theAden Chronicle about life as anexpatriate.[5] Her husband became an eminent consultanthaematologist, based atPoole Hospital, chairman of the Council of theBritish Medical Association from 1990 to 1993 and the deputy chairman of the professional conduct committee of theGeneral Medical Council.[6]
She joined theDaily Mail as a feature writer in 1967, but her big break came five years later, whenJean Rook left theDaily Mail for theDaily Express. Lee-Potter recalled: "I remember I had the day off, and our features editor phoned up and said: 'the editor (David English) wants you to come in and do a column,' and I said 'Oh, right'. I went in and did it. Every week I thought somebody else would probably take over. But it's just carried on."[3]
One journalist who was given the job of interviewing her reported:
It is difficult when approaching Lee-Potter to know if you will be getting thecolumnist or the affableinterviewer. Questions about her views are deftly parried, and turned into questions about yours. Within 10 minutes of our meeting, she had determined my marital status, number of children, place of residence, so on and so forth.[3]
In 2000, she wrote a book calledClass Act: How to Beat the British Class System. In the book, she declared that "people may well sneer at me for writing a book about class", she declared. "Others will say that nobody called Lynda from a working-class background has any right to pontificate on the subject. Actually, I can't think of anybody better equipped, having probably trawled my way through more classes than most".[3]
The book offeredaperçus such as "upper middle-class mummies have little trouble with au pairs because they are naturally authoritative" and "the lower middle-classes desperately want to be dainty", and dispensed advice, such as what to take your hostess at country house weekends: "Under no circumstances take apoinsettia, which is the plant equivalent of a bottle ofBlue Nun."[3]
She made no apology for her interest in the subject: "The only people who hanker after a classless society are those who want what other people have without working for it".[2] Snobbery, she said, "will always be with us", adding: "It has certainly motivated me all my life. I may be ridiculous, but I don't care."[3]
Lee-Potter was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire in the1998 New Year Honours for services tojournalism and for charitable services.[7] She was named Columnist of the Year in 1984 and 2001, Feature Writer of the Year in 1987 and 1993, and Woman Writer of the Year in 1989.[2]
On 20 October 2004, Lee-Potter died after abrain tumour. She was survived by her husband and three children, all of whom followed their mother into journalism.[5]
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