A national hero

He started out like many other children born in Reading, but mention Justin Fletcher to any kid in the land these days and their eyes will light up

- Bernard Bale

Justin Fletcher – also known as Mr Tumble – is the children’s entertainer of the moment, although he has been filling theatres and raising TV viewing figures for a decade or more. Even he is surprised by his popularity yet he was born into a family that was already well-known in showbusiness circles.

“I was like any other kid really,” he said. “I had the fortune to be born in Reading, had three sisters and a brother, a great mum and dad, and didn’t really know what I wanted to be when I gew up.”

That sounds normal enough except that his dad is Guy Fletcher, famous throughout the music industry for writing a string of hits for people like Cliff Richard, Elvis, Ray Charles, Tom Jones and others. It was not at all unusual for Sir Cliff, and composers like Ron Goodwin and Rick Wakeman, to drop in.

“I knew these people were famous but I was only three when Cliff used to pop in to see us. My older sisters were besotted and used to hug him all the time,” said Justin. “This was normal life to us and it was also normal that I had piano lessons from a very early age. I am still trying to play – and haven’t yet really succeeded.

“Other than that, I went to Theale Green School and did all the things that other kids did. I used to watch Laurel and Hardy over and over again and laughed and laughed. I loved slapstick humour and I still do. They were the masters and as I watched and laughed I was also learning from them.