Former Oldhamer Fred recalls his royal visit memories as one of many insightful short stories
Date published: 24 May 2021
Former Oldhamer Fred Ogden
Former Oldhamer Fred Ogden has finally got round to publishing his numerous short stories - to coincide with his landmark 80th birthday!
Fred, who was born and raised in the town during the 1940s and 50s, last lived in the area in the late 1980s before moving to live in Australia, where he is now retired.
As a self-proclaimed former international educationalist, some-time preacher and all-time thinker, he has now turned his hand to story-telling and has published a string of short stories online via Medium publications.
He is published under the nom-de-plume: Fred: Almost Famous.
Fred told the Chronicle: "Several of my stories have distinct Oldham connections (e.g. my writer's bio is sub-titled: 'Just a lad from Oldham').
"One of them - just published to more-or-less coincide with the 100th birthday of the Duke of Edinburgh (who, but for his death just a month or so ago, would have been celebrating his 100th on June 10 this year) has links, not only with Oldham, but with the Oldham Chronicle, and with my family.
"In 1979 when my family and I lived in Royton, the Duke of Edinburgh visited Oldham.
"It was May 2, 1979.
"The newspaper ran a full page story and pictures of the Duke's visit in its May 3 edition and I have used this in my most recently published story.
"My story is titled: 'Chaplin, The Duke, and an Imposter', and presents the event, the background, and the explanation as to who exactly 'Charlie Chaplin' (an imposter that day) was.
"'He' was in fact, my daughter Caroline, who still lives in Oldham to this day, near Delph Village.
"She was just about 14 years old on that day."
To read Fred's short stories, simply click here
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