Actress Jill Balcon, who lived in Steep, passed away on July 18 aged 84.

Miss Balcon was a renowned film, radio and theatre actress who put her career on hold when she married Daniel’s father, Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis, in 1951.

On screen, she made her debut in 1947 as Madeline Bray in Nicholas Nickleby; played Jessica in the television film of The Merchant of Venice the same year and enjoyed a dormitory scrap with Jean Kent in Good Time Girl in 1949.

She was renowned for her spoken voice and continued to work into old age, becoming a sought-after reader of audio books and poetry.

It was in a radio studio that she met her future husband while recording a BBC programme, and three years later they married in 1951.

Their two children, Tamasin born in 1953 and Daniel born in 1957, meant Jill put her family before her work and they settled in Steep, and Daniel went to Bedales School where Tamasin’s children are current pupils.

He was inspired to follow both his mother and Jill’s father – founder of Ealing Studios Sir Michael Balcon – by taking up acting.

In February 2008, she spoke of her pride at her son’s achievements after he won his second Oscar for his role in There Will Be Blood. “I couldn’t be more proud,” she said.

“He’s the most amazing actor – he’s a great actor, and I don’t use any words lightly.”

Miss Balcon was as passionate about poetry as her husband was and after his death in 1972 she regularly performed his work.

In later life, she appeared on the big screen again in Derek Jarman’s Edward II and Wittgenstein in 1991 and 1993 respectively, and as Lady Bracknell performing in the 1999 film An Ideal Husband.

The BBC broadcast a celebration of her 60 years in radio in 2003 with a specially-commissioned play starring her son.