Bert Mitchell of Winton sent in a picture of the former world light-heavyweight boxing champion Freddie Mills opening Talbot Manor Boys Home fete in 1956. Bert is the tall boy on the right wearing a stripey tie and light coloured waistcoat.

Born in 1919 at Terrace Road, Freddie went to St Michael's School in the town. He trained in his converted garden shed and started boxing professionally in 1936. He defeated Gus Lesnevich to win the world title in June 1948 and received a scroll of honour from the Mayor of Bournemouth.

By the 1950s Freddie had become a popular TV personality and lived in London with his wife and young daughters but would occasionally return to Bournemouth to see his mother at her Elwyn Road home. In 1952 he had a skating lesson with world skating champion Graham Sharpe at Westover Ice Rink and later in the year attended a broadcast recording of BBC West Region feature 'Sporting Fanfare' at Boscombe Temperance Hall.

At the start of 1956 he was at Dean Court to present a Bournemouth Sportsman of the Year trophy to athlete Mick Wheeler.

Nearly 5,000 people attended the fete at Talbot Manor Boys Home in Talbot Avenue, organised by the Church of England Children's Society in the July. Freddie delighted the crowd by giving autographs at 6d each to swell the funds for the home and more than £500 in total was raised.

About the same time Bert bought a copy of Freddie's autobiography which he signed at W H Smiths in the centre of Bournemouth.

Bert's father, who was also called Bert Mitchell, worked with Freddie's brother Charlie at Diamonds decorators on Alma Road, Winton.