Colin Wheeler Remembers…….The Early Days

For many years, a rumour passed around the town that Charlie Chaplin appeared at the Palace Theatre in the early days and stayed at a lodging house in St. Georges Road. There is no truth in this, for I have seen the original ships’s log which shows that Charlie sailed to America in the year 1912, he was described as an actor and his total assets were £60. The confusion might have arisen because for many years Charlie was part of Fred Karno’s acrobatic troupe and they may well have visited here after he left.