Little Tich

HARRY RELF (LITTLE TICH) d1928. English music hall comedian known on the stage as "Little Tich". He was noted for the characters of The Spanish Señora, The Gendarme and The Tax Collector. However his most popular routine was his "Big Boot" dance which involved a pair of 28-inch boots, commonly called "slapshoes" during the days of vaudeville. One of 15 children, he made his first stage appearance at the age of twelve. He was only four feet six inches (1.37 m) in height, so took the stage name "Little Tich".He was a polydactyl (having five fingers and a thumb on each hand and six toes on both feet). He performed internationally and at the age of 42 was made an officer of the French Academy for his performances at the Folies Bergere. His final performance was at the London Alhambra Theatre in 1927 with Jack Hylton's Band. He died in Hendon after a long illness in 1928. Mementos of his life are still preserved today at the Blacksmiths Arms Cudham, the public house in which he was born