Comedian Paul Harris is booking off after a lifetime of treading the boards.

The veteran comic makes his final curtain call at the Criterion Theatre, Blue Town, next month hosting his own Christmas variety show.

Paul, 76, said: “I have loved entertaining but I realised I wasn't enjoying travelling all over the country any more so I have decided to call it a day.

"I will continue with after-dinner speaking and talks but the three-day run at the Criterion will be my last stage appearance."

Instead, he is writing books at his home in Seathorpe Avenue, Minster.

He has already penned the best-selling The Pantomime Book and has now completed Beyond The Glitter and The Secrets of Brain Power, the latter under his other name of Lord David Harris. He said: "I really am a lord. I was gifted the title. I thought it would look better for a serious book."

He is also writing another called The Adventures of an Unknown Comedian. "I bet you can't guess who that is based on?" he quipped.

Paul was born in Rochester, left school at 15 and signed up as an apprentice wheelwright at Chatham Dockyard.

But he admitted: "I soon realised I wasn't cut out for that type of work. I thought I'd become a journalist and then I saw a panto advert on a bus and thought I'd apply!"

His first role was in Sinbad The Sailor at the Palace Theatre, Plymouth, in 1961.

Since then he has appeared in pantos up and down the country, as a stand-up in clubs and theatres and on the radio with the late Paul James.

He ran a theatre shop in the Medway towns before moving to Canterbury. He settled on Sheppey five years ago when he landed a residency at the Criterion Theatre to present a music hall show and became the theatre's patron along with showbiz legend Jess Conrad.

Paul has also toured his own tribute show to Frankie Howerd called Titter Ye Not.

Beyond The Glitter is a no-holds barred look behind the scenes at showbiz scams over the ages.

The Secrets of Brain Power catalogues his theory of how the mind can work its magic on its own. Both are available on Amazon and Kindle.

His final show at the Criterion stars Crackerjack comedian Don Maclean, singer Jo Goodman, pianist Carol Ann Wells and quirky duo Opera-Lele who perform opera with ukuleles.

It runs from Tuesday, December 10 to Thursday, December 12 at 2.30pm.Tickets are £25 and include Christmas tea.

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