The Early Days

For many years, a rumour passed around the town that Charlie Chaplin appeared here 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 hve visited here after he left.  I have, in fact, seen the place in Hollywood where Charlie made his early films including The Gold Rush, it was simply a very large wooden shed.

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