FAMILY anecdotes feature meetings with legendary stars such as Charlie Chaplin.

And for Mike Munroe it’s a quirky family history which he hopes to continue.

As a young boy Mike recalls hearing tales of his grandparents’ lives with the stars of theatre – and many went on to make it big in Hollywood.

His grandparents were Joseph Munroe and his wife Nellie, nee Hogton.They lived at Back Spring Street in Springwood for a time and then moved to a house in Moldgreen, opposite where the Ivy Green pub is now.

To earn a bit more money, they rented a room out to those who appeared on stage at the Palace. It meant their six children would share an attic room sleeping head to toe.

Mike, the son of Nellie and Joseph’s daughter, Elizabeth, said: “Joe had Scottish heritage. He was one of the first 12 employees at Brook Motors when it opened. He worked in a former stables and he wound the motors.

“Joe also worked as a back stage manager at the Palace Theatre before it burned down and Nellie was a dresser to the stars. She’d dress Charlie Chaplin and Billy Cotton.”

Mike added: “She told me Charlie Chaplin stayed with them at the little house in Moldgreen before he went to America and became a star.”

They had six daughters and one son. Mike’s mother Elizabeth – known as Betty – was born in Huddersfield in 1928.

She married Victor Taylor at St Thomas’ Church on Manchester Road in 1948.

They met when Victor came to Huddersfield to find his long-lost brother, Alf, who was staying with the Munroe family at the time.

After marrying, they relocated to Birmingham where they had Mike and his brother, Victor.

He said of his mother: “She had a sparkly personality and lovely family. She became a teacher’s helper in Birmingham.”

Betty’s sisters including Ada and Helen remained in Huddersfield, as did Nellie and Joseph, who moved to a house on Ridgeway at Dalton.

Mike recalls visiting as a youngster with his mother and it was there Nellie recounted her life as a dresser to the stars and meeting a little known actress called Norma Jeane Baker who became better known as Marilyn Monroe

Mike added: “She had a book which had been signed by all the stars, but as they moved from Moldgreen it was misplaced which is a shame because it would be fascinating to see who had signed it.”

Mike and his family moved back to Huddersfield when Nellie was ill. She moved to a nursing home near Greenhead Park but died in the 1970s. Mike stayed in the town, working at various companies including Ben Shaws, Thomas Brown Engineering and Crosslee at Hipperholme.

It was during Margaret Thatcher’s era and Mike was only able to secure short term contracts at the companies so was unable to get a mortgage and buy a place in the town. In 1986 he met a Columbian girl called Fabiola and they married at Huddersfield Register Office.

Mike, a singer and guitarist, earned a little extra money playing the pubs and clubs around town, including at the Huddersfield Hotel, until he and Fabiola moved to Columbia in 1988.

They separated and Mike returned to the UK, living in Melton Mowbray.

Mike’s mother sold paintings but sadly died in 2002. His dad died the year later.

Mike now lives in Nottingham and works as an artist selling his paintings at Melton market.

And it was there he met the man who would help him on his next adventure – to unearth the Treasure of Lima.