That's entertainment - the life of a pearly King.

(From Leicester Mercury)

Ernie has written to tell me a little more about his father and himself.

He says that his father died in 1961 at the age of 72 and his mother lived to the splendid age of 97 and died in 1992.

Ernie himself is now 84. He and his wife Betty continued raising money for charity through the Pearly King and Queen tradition.

In fact, Ernie says his father started on the Working Men's Club circuit as a "coster" comedian in 1908.

The family held the title of Leicester's Pearly King and Queen from 1912.

He says: "We have always kept to the pearly tradition of no charge. All the monies given or collected …