Born in 1914 in Eastbourne, 'Cheerful Charlie' Chester won 82 talent competitions before turning professional as a teenager. His sixty year career was spent primarily as a comedy radio star.

That started with his long-running show Stand Easy, a half-hour comedy sketch show which included the Crazy Gang. It ran from 1945 to 1951, when the title was changed to Keep Smiling. All the scripts were written by Chester.

vIn 1972 he started his long-running 2 hour radio programme Sunday Soapbox broadcasting from Birmingham although resided at Chestfield in Kent.

"With a box full of records and a bag full of post, it's radio soapbox and Charlie your host!"

The show, broadcast regularly on Sunday afternoons until 1996, reflected his concern for less fortunate members of society. The show received over 1,000 letters a week with 4 million listening in.

He was also heard presenting brass band music in a programme he launched in 1984.

Charlie suffered a stroke and died in Twickenham, Middlesex in June 1997.