Farewell to Pam: funeral details of Wigan TV and cabaret star

Pam Shaw was a legend of the North West’s club circuit as a singer in a career that began in the 1960s.

But she was also known as an actress who secured cameo roles in countless films and TV programmes.​

Sadly she has no known surviving relatives but the priest officiating at her funeral next Tuesday hopes there will be a big turn-out nonetheless from friends, neighbours, colleagues and fans.

The 81-year-old from Ince – real named Pamela Culshaw – was recently seen in All Creatures Great and Small and only this week appeared in the new ITV comedy chiller Passenger, some of which was shot in Wigan.

Among many others, Pam also had parts in Coronation Street, Brookside, Shameless, Eric and Ernie, Scarborough and Alien Autopsy. All this brought her into contact with numerous big showbiz names, whether it be Peter Kay, Ant and Dec or Victoria Wood. As far as music was concerned, she was a veteran of the club scene but also performed alongside the likes of Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, Ken Dodd and Liberace, not just in Britain but also in Rome, Malta and Los Angeles.

She had a particular love of performing in Blackpool while one of her nicknames back in the day was The Queen of Wigan Pier. She brought out an album of songs of that name too.

Pam died in hospital last month after a short illness and news of her passing prompted a torrent of warm tributes.

Her funeral takes place at Christ Church on Ince Green Lane, Ince, at 1.45pm on April 2 followed at 3pm by burial at Westwood Cemetery.

Officiating will be Rev John Keeley, Anglican curate of the Wigan town centre and central hubs.

He said: “Very sadly, Pam died without any surviving relatives. Her parents passed away quite a long time ago and a neighbour said that both her sister and nephew had also died since.

"But it would be lovely if many family, friends and neighbours could come along. Usually most people leave after the church service but whoever wants to come to the brief burial ceremony will be very welcome there too.”