“Stand in front of the mirror and see if you can say the alphabet without moving your lips.”
That was the challenge Brian Chamberlin’s father, Eric, set him at the age of 11.
Not only did he do it, but he would continue honing his skills and eventually go on to work in a fulfilling career as a ventriloquist for the next 80 years.
Brian Peter Chamberlin was born in Norwich on December 22, 1923.
His father and mother, Olive, had been music hall entertainers, and took him to shows as a child where he “got the bug”. His father also performed Punch and Judy shows on Lowestoft pier.
Mr Chamberlin’s first foray into showbusiness was when he won the Norwich Hippodrome talent competition held at the Grand Opera House, now St Giles car park, for his bird call impersonations at the age of 14.
After serving in the Royal Navy during the Second World War he worked as an entertainer in his spare time, holding down jobs ranging from school caretaker and British Rail employee to sugar beet farmer.
He married Betty (nee Banham) in Norwich in 1953, and they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary before Mr Chamberlin’s death.
In the 1970s, Mr Chamberlin turned professional and began touring holiday parks and theatres, before entertaining people in residential homes and performing until his early 90s.
He began by making one or two puppets, which included his most famous character Humphrey the Norfolk mole – who would grace audiences by singing 'Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy?'
As well as using foreign languages as part of his act, he gradually expanded his range of animal dolls to include nose-picking Henry the gorilla and Vilhelm the Austrian mountain goat, with eyes made from a yellow Jif lemon bottle cut in half.
His son, Mark Chamberlin, said: “All of his ideas came from his own head. He thought up the ideas himself and he’d spend a good couple of weeks making his puppets, which also included Star Wars characters and E.T.
“He had this incredible talent of getting raw materials such as foam, rubber, and washed leather and creating something amazing.”
Mr Chamberlin also performed for the Queen twice at Dersingham School, near the Sandringham estate. And he appeared on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was hosted by Bob Monkhouse. As a result, he was offered a tour by Monkhouse but turned it down as he was already committed to a tour in East Anglia.
To cap off his comedy career, he had a biography written about him – The Life and Times of One Brian Chamberlin: Norfolk Comedy Ventriloquist and Entertainer – by a friend and former Hemsby entertainment manager, Del Firman.
Mark added: “Dad was so much fun and so lovely; nice to everyone. We do miss him a lot.
“He was always very, very positive and loving but deep down he also had a serious side, although he would rarely show it.
“He was generous and did not worry about anything. Every morning, come rain or shine, he would say ‘today is a lovely day’. His positivity was infectious.”
His other talents included playing the piano and accordion and watercolour painting.
Mr Chamberlin died at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on June 8. He leaves behind his wife, their children Chris, Teresa, Simon, Mark, Ann, and Johnny, and granddaughters Amy and Hannah.
His funeral took place at Our Lady and St Walstan Catholic Church in Costessey on July 7. Donations in his memory were made to the British Heart Foundation and Norfolk Renal Fund via Allcock Family Funeral Services in Norwich.
- To pay tribute to a loved one email norfolktributes@archant.co.uk
- To read more obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here