During a Christmas holiday in the early 1960s, mum and dad took my two brothers and me to see Sleeping Beauty at the Grand, featuring Morecambe and Wise.

We had a box which was a big thrill with its amazing view of the stage and auditorium. Why we had a box I don’t know - maybe it worked out cheaper - we certainly weren’t well off.

The show entranced us and in no time at all it came to the big scene where Sleeping Beauty is woken from her 100 year sleep. Eric and Ernie were woken at the same time and the first words Eric came out with were:

“Oh no! I forgot to put the cat out - it’ll be this big by now!” and he stretched his arms out as wide as he could.

The audience laughed and my young brother most of all. He was so helpless with laughter he was still carrying on after everyone else had stopped. On stage Eric heard him and quick as a flash pointed up at our box and said to Ernie,

“There’s someone up there enjoying themselves!”, before carrying on with the show.

That story remains a family favourite to this day.