Sally Ann Howes – 91, London

Since English-American actress Sally Ann Howes comes from a family of performers and actors, it came as no surprise when she dipped her toes in showbiz in 1943. Her acting debut came after a chance encounter with a family friend, who, impressed with her acting talents, offered her the lead in Thursday’s Child.

After climbing the first rung of the Hollywood ladder, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang actress enjoyed an almost five-decade-long career in entertainment. Following the success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Howes went on to perform in several theater productions in the west end before retiring from acting in the wake of her 1992 mini-series Secrets.