Ken Robinson (c. 1922 – 15 February 2008)

Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society Secretary & Official Look-a-Like

Ken Robinson was one of the founding pillars of the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society.

He joined the Society at its inauguration in June 1994 and remained an active member until his death in 2008. From December 1998 he served as Secretary of the Society.

He was also the Society’s official Charlie Cairoli look-a-like, appearing in Charlie make-up at meetings, events, and public functions.

🎭 His relationship with Charlie Cairoli

Ken was not just a fan — he was personally known to Charlie.

In 1971, Ken was invited by Charlie to meet him in the dressing rooms at Blackpool Tower Circus. Ken arrived already made up as Charlie, and Charlie welcomed him warmly, even letting Ken use his own make-up table.

Charlie personally gave Ken permission to perform as him, saying:

“Of course you can — bring a little happiness to others.”

Charlie also autographed a photograph for Ken with a warm personal dedication.

This blessing from Charlie himself gave Ken’s “look-a-like” role a legitimacy no one else ever had.

🪄 Blackpool Magicians Club

Ken was a long-standing member of the Blackpool Magicians Club. He performed children’s magic in Charlie make-up for:

Churches

Charities

Disabled children’s groups

Local community events

He used Charlie’s style not for impersonation, but for bringing joy — exactly as Charlie had intended.

📰 Writer & historian

Ken was one of the earliest contributors to Write Charlie, the Society’s newsletter. His 1971 meeting with Charlie was published in September 1994 in the very first issue.

His writings are now regarded as primary source material on Charlie’s working life behind the scenes.

🕯️ Death & funeral

Ken died on 15 February 2008, aged 85, after a short illness.

His funeral was held at:

St Mark’s Church, Layton, Blackpool,

followed by burial at Carleton Cemetery.

The funeral music included:

There’s No Business Like Show Business

That’s Entertainment

Send in the Clowns

Count Your Blessings



Members of:

the Blackpool Magicians Club, and

the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society

The Newsletter

of the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society
March 2008 — Issue 55

Ken Robinson

Ken, our Secretary and Charlie ‘look-a-like’ died on 15th February 2008, after a short illness. He was 85. An appreciation can be found inside this issue. May he Rest in Peace. Ken’s wife died some years ago, but our sympathy now goes out to his family and friends. I understand that there is a nephew who is interested in magic and maybe he could also be interested in ‘Charlie’?

From the first issue

‘WRITE CHARLIE’

published in September 1994

This is one of the first articles published in our newsletter, and reprinted in memory of Ken Robinson our ‘Charlie’ look-a-like who died recently.

A Treasured Memory

I have no doubt that every member of the Charlie Cairoli Appreciation Society will have their own favourite memory of Charlie and Company. My personal treasured memory goes back 23 years to 1971, when I received an invitation to meet the great clown Auguste in his dressing room at the Blackpool Tower Circus. Perhaps at this stage I should explain that from the late fifties I used to do a make-up impression of Charlie for the children at my church and for other small local charities. When I look back I realise that my make-up was pretty Spartan, but, being on the portly side I managed to get away with it! I had joined the Blackpool Magicians Club and now performed children’s magic in the guise of Charlie, and enjoyed helping many local charity organisations. One such organisation, the Queendeans, invited me, along with other colleagues, to entertain a large party of handicapped children, and I was last on the bill. To cut a long story short, the children were not impressed by the magic of my friends and I decided that when I went on for my spot the magic was out and I would have to rely on slapstick.

The answer to the problem was all the untouched plastic cartons of jelly and trifle which the kids had left. As the compere introduced me, I picked up a jelly and in Cairoli fashion looked at the compere, then at the kids, and said (as if you didn’t know) SHALL I? The kids said YES!, and that was it. Everybody joined in the mayhem, and the children were most happy, but not my wife when I returned home with my suit covered in gunge of various colours. But when I explained, the wife relented — and the Queendeans paid for my suit being cleaned. Later I mentioned to the Queendean’s chairman that I was a little concerned about using Charlie’s make-up without official permission, and was there any chance of meeting the great clown. A week later I received my invitation and was instructed to attend the circus dressing rooms complete with make-up, as a photographer from the local paper would attend to record the meeting. I was a little tense on reaching the dressing room confines, but Norman Barrett (who I didn’t know then) gave me a nod, a smile of welcome, and that relaxed me completely. Suddenly the star’s dressing room door opened and Charlie stood there in make-up, without a hat, and said, “Ken”, I nodded and he said in that delightful Lancashire French accent, “Cum in!”

The first thing I noticed on entering his room were the lines of garments hanging to dry, next to the large sofa on which there was a bowler hat and a clarinet. My gaze then wandered to the other side of the room which contained a superb make-up table, large ornate mirror, with lighted bulbs round the edge. Charlie then said, “I’m going for a cup of coffee, you get made-up and use my table”, and with that he was gone. I sat at the table and noticed small bits of what seemed like theatrical putty — that’s from his nose I thought — I wonder how he does it. My unofficial information, through the grapevine, was that Charlie built up his nose with putty, and had a wax tip on the end, the whole structure being stuck with Copydex. I felt rather disappointed that my conk was the large red plastic variety that can be purchased in any joke shop. I finished making-up, put on my bowler hat, suddenly there was a knock on the door, a face appeared and said, “Photographer’s here Mr Cairoli”. I was gobsmacked for the minute, but realised from a distance, for a couple of seconds, it was easy to make a mistake — I knew that my make-up was nowhere near as perfect as Charlie’s. The great man returned after his coffee and gave me a quick inspection. “Not bad”, he said “not bad”. I said to him “My nose isn’t quite right”, to which he retorted, “Never mind the nose, let’s pose for the pictures”. Peter Emmett the photographer (who still works for the local paper) said, “I see that you have a change of dressing room this year Charlie”. Charlie replied, “Yes, they’ve put me next to the elephants!”

Two photographs were taken, one a front view of us both, the other a side view with Charlie raising his finger at me as if to say, “How dare you use my make-up”. I then asked him if I could use his make-up — Charlie looked at me and said, “Of course you can — bring a little happiness to others”. I could have jumped over the moon, so elated was I at the great clown’s prompt reply. Afterwards, he gave me some articulate tips on entertaining children and also mentioned his enjoyable appearance at the Tivoli Gardens. I then bade farewell promising to return as soon as the paper had sent the photographs. Within three days I was back at the circus dressing room area, where I saw Charlie Junior supervising an array of wooden buckets all containing water — cold water. He was most kind and took me to his father’s dressing room, where I was greeted with a booming “Hello Ken”. Charlie Snr asked me which picture I would like — I said the one with the frontal pose. He said, “OK, I’ll keep the side view one”. I asked Charlie if he would autograph the picture for me — he smiled and said “Of course”. He then wrote the following inscription;

“To Ken, Many Thanks for Everything, and I Sincerely Wish You All the Joy and Happiness in the World.
Charlie Cairoli, Tower Circus, 1971”



— Ken Robinson.

Mrs Cairoli, Myself and Ken at the Official Unveiling of one of the 3 Statues of Charlie, this was November 1995

One of Ken's publicity pictures as a children's entertainer

Taken on 17 June 1994 at the Village Hotel, Blackpool (Stanley Park), now known as the De Vere.

Left to right:
Charlie Cairoli Junior, Jimmy Buchanon, Arthur Pedler (white-face clown), Mrs Cairoli, Norman Barrett, Ken Robinson, Regina Cairoli, and Sandy Davison.