{{short description|English actress}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox person |name=Alison Bettles |image= |birthname= |birth_date={{Birth date and age|1969|04|22|df=y}} |birth_place=[[Essex]], England |occupation=[[Actor]] |years_active = 1981–2001 |credits=Fay Lucas in ''[[Grange Hill]]'' }} '''Alison Bettles''' (born 22 April 1969) is a retired [[England|English]] television [[actress]]. She is known for playing Fay Lucas in BBC's ''[[Grange Hill]]'' for six series (1982–1987).
== Career == Bettles was recruited into acting at the age of eight by Sylvia Young of the [[Sylvia Young Theatre School]].<ref>"[http://www.grangehillfans.co.uk/history/alison.html THE ALISON BETTLES INTERVIEW] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626030729/http://www.grangehillfans.co.uk/history/alison.html |date=2007-06-26 }}", ''grangehillfans.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref> As a child, Bettles appeared in various television advertisements, which included a [[public information film]] for the [[Green Cross Code]] with [[Bob Carolgees]] in 1981.<ref name="star">"[http://www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk/starfile/bettles.htm Alison Beetles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007082949/http://www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk/starfile/bettles.htm |date=2007-10-07 }}", ''www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref>
She is known for her childhood role in the [[Children's BBC]] drama, ''[[Grange Hill]]''. Bettles played the prominent character Fay Lucas between 1982 and 1987, who was most notable for having an affair with one of her teachers, Mr King (David Straun). Bettles was one of various ''Grange Hill'' actors to feature in the UK's [[Just Say No]] anti-drug campaign. The cast recorded a song (also entitled "Just Say No"), which was released as a single, and reached number 5 in April 1986.<ref>{{cite web| last =Malvern| first =Jack| title =Just say no| work =The Daily Summit| publisher =British Council| date =12 December 2003| url =http://www.dailysummit.net/english/archives/2003/12/12/just_say_no.asp}}</ref> Bettles was also featured on a special music album released by the ''Grange Hill'' cast, with songs written by Steve Wright, who composed the theme tune for Channel 4's ''[[Brookside (TV series)|Brookside]]''.<ref>"[http://www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk/history/collectors3.htm GRANGE HILL: THE ALBUM] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023145424/http://www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk/history/collectors3.htm |date=2007-10-23 }}", ''www.grangehill.contactbox.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref> Bettles sang a solo track entitled "School Love", which was based on her character's doomed relationship with Mr. King.<ref name="fay">"[http://www.grangehillfans.co.uk/starfile/bettles.php Fay Lucas] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017221730/http://grangehillfans.co.uk/starfile/bettles.php |date=2007-10-17 }}", ''www.grangehillfans.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref> In 2005, Bettles was reunited with some of her former ''Grange Hill'' castmates in [[Justin Lee Collins]]'s [[Channel 4]] documentary, ''[[Bring Back...|Bring Back...Grange Hill]]'', which saw them perform their top ten hit, Just Say No, in front of an audience at the [[Hammersmith Palais]].<ref>"[http://aerialtelly.co.uk/grange-hill.php Bring Back...Grange Hill]", ''AerialTelly''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref>
Aside from her ''Grange Hill'' music projects, Bettles also sang on the charity single "[[Let It Be (Ferry Aid song)|Let It Be]]", released by [[Let It Be (Ferry Aid song)|Ferry Aid]] in 1987 to raise money for victims of the [[Zeebrugge ferry disaster]].<ref name="fay"/> In 1988 Bettles appeared in a spin-off of the popular BBC soap opera, ''[[EastEnders]]''. The spin-off, entitled ''[[List of EastEnders television spin-offs#CivvyStreet|CivvyStreet]]'', was set during the second world war, and looked back on the early life of some of ''EastEnders''' senior residents. Bettles played a young [[Ethel Skinner]].<ref>"[http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/eastend.htm EastEnders] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016133907/http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/eastend.htm |date=2007-10-16 }}", ''www.televisionheaven.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 6 October 2007.</ref> Among Bettles' other credits are: [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s police drama ''[[The Bill]]'' (1988) (credited as 'Alison Beetles'); ''[[No Strings (1989 TV series)|No Strings]]'' (1989); ''Closing Numbers'' (1993); ''Ostatni Accord'' (1994) and ''[[London's Burning (TV series)|London's Burning]]'' (2001).
Bettles gave up performing in the 1990s to marry and bring up her family. During her time away from acting Bettles qualified as a beauty therapist,<ref name="star"/> and in 2005 she set up a specialist freight forwarding company called Kenvale Recruitment.<ref name="fay"/>
== Personal life == Bettles was born in 1969 to a mother who worked as a chaperone for the ''Grange Hill'' series from its inception in 1978 to 2002. She and her two brothers grew up in [[Essex]], where Bettles attended Aveley Comprehensive.<ref name="star"/>
Bettles is married and has four children—three boys and a daughter.<ref name="fay"/> Bettles' children have also taken to performing, with her son Albert Valentine appearing in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episodes, ''[[The Empty Child]]'' and ''[[The Doctor Dances]]''. Another son, Arthur, has appeared in ''EastEnders''.<ref name="fay"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *{{IMDb name|id=0079381|name=Alison Bettles}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bettles, Alison}} [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English television actresses]] [[Category:People from Aveley]] [[Category:Actresses from Essex]] [[Category:Actors from Thurrock]]