ACTRESS Flora Robson was famed for her portrayal of a diverse range of characters including Queen Elizabeth I.

She was born in South Shields on March 28, 1902, but later lived in Brighton.

Dame Flora became a star of the stage and screen after her father realised when she was young that she had a natural talent for recitations.

She made her debut on the stage in 1921 and began featuring in films in Hollywood and Britain by the 1930s.

She played Queen Elizabeth I twice during her earlier career, first in the 1937 film Fire Over England and once again in The Sea Hawk three years later.

The talented actress, pictured here over the years, played a number of roles including a murderess and an adulteress, during which she showed her ability to bring her characters to life in a dramatic and emotive fashion.

Dame Flora was the first celebrity to become president of the Brighton Little Theatre and can be seen here at her home in Marine Gardens, Brighton, in 1966.

She is also pictured outside the Theatre Royal Brighton in 1976 and with Donald McCulloch at an Argus Appeal carol service at the Brighton Dome. With close ties to entertainment circles in the city, she lived here until she died on July 7, 1984.

Another famous English actor, Arthur Lowe is pictured twice.

He appears to have been attending a ceremony in 1981, with military personnel and a police officer present.

Fans remember him best for his portrayal of Captain Mainwaring in the iconic British sitcom Dad’s Army.

Before this he played another popular character, Leonard Swindley in Coronation Street, staying in the role until 1966.