He left the stage just as I was arriving...

Today marks the day in 1965 that Stan Laurel exited stage left (he died). I cannot hide my admiration for the brains behind the greatest comedy duo of all time. Whilst his partner, Oliver Hardy (or 'Babe' as he was widely known to his friends) was off playing golf, Stan was working hard creating the routines that made them famous.

He was english - born in Cumbria but brought up in Bishop Auckland (I once had a Bishop Auckland postal address myself). After a career in silent films, he was teamed up with Oliver Hardy and the pair shot to world fame making films for the Hal Roach Studios. In tribute to him, here is one of Stan's best lines from the excellent 'Way Out West'.