Although I’ve been to Cumbria, England several times, I never got to visit the Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston. In 1976, the mayor, Bill Cubin, found evidence that proved Stan Laurel (born Arthur Jefferson) was not born in North Shields as previously believed but in his grandparents’ house on Argyll Street in Ulverston. There is a plaque on the cottage to mark this momentous occasion as well as a bronze statue of the duo located nearby. But the mayor’s interest in Laurel and Hardy continued to grow over the years. He amassed a memorabilia collection that first opened to public in 1983, got an extension in 1992, and then moved to a new building in 2009. When Cubin died, his daughter and grandson made sure his museum continued to grow and stay open. Located just a short walk from the local train station, one cannot miss the museum, with its huge sign and a mural of Laurel on the side of the building. The small exhibit space traces the life and celebrated careers of the comic duo. Visitors can order lunch and watch comic shorts inside the museum’s small theatre. And because this is 2015 and not the 1920s of course there is a Facebook page.
Laurel and Hardy Museum in Ulverston, England
