Sir Norman Wisdom was an actor, comedian, and musician who appeared in many films and TV programmes from the 1950s through to the 1980s.
He was born in 1915, in Marylebone, London, and had a challenging childhood, growing up in poverty after his mother left the family when he was nine.
Wisdom and his brother were often left to fend for themselves, which shaped his later comedic persona as the underdog.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 for his services to the entertainment industry and despite running away to find fame when he was 14, still regularly returned to visit his brother Fred’s family who remained in Deal.
“He was just like his stage persona, always looking for a laugh,” said Peter Wisdom.
“I remember one time when he was having dinner at our grandma Maud’s home on Station Road and he put his elbow down on the table. It flipped his plate over and he had a fried egg stuck to his face!
“When my father was ill in hospital and Uncle Norman visited, the doctors had to tell him to stop messing about as people were bursting their stitches laughing!”