FROM humble beginnings in Abercarn to a globetrotting life as a glamorous female impersonator, Stan Munro has more than a few tales to tell.

Currently living in Australia, the 75-year-old speaks to CHRIS BINDING about his youth, career and run-ins with the stars.

"My earliest memory of growing up in Abercarn was in 1945 hiding under our dining room table with my mother and siblings as planes were flying overhead at night.

My father was away in the war at the time serving in the Royal Marines and it could have been the Germans trying to bomb coal mines in our area.

I always knew I was different and hated school and all the bullying I got from other kids. When I was eight years old I was sexually assaulted by someone close to me.

I didn’t know what it what about and never spoke to my parents about it, I was too scared. That person took my childhood away.

I went to school at West End Primary then on to Gwyddon School, Abercarn and hated sport and did everything to get out of it.

Luckily when I was 10 years old my mum enrolled myself and younger sister in the Mitchell and Hammerton school of Tap and Ballet which was running at the Tinplater’s Hall in Abercarn.

I was in my element. But when my school pals found out I went through hell all over again.

Eventually the school moved to Newport and would put on concerts and pantomimes at the Lyceum Theatre where I would go along twice a week.

When I was 13 years old I was also given the chance to tour for six months with The Francis Langford’s Boys Choir and during those times we made a movie at Twickenham Studios.

It had the unusual title of Fun at St Fannys, the whole cast were school children and I starred alongside Ronnie Corbett. After that it was reluctantly back to school.

I always remember going on a trip with a friend from Newport to Bristol via steam train and I went straight to the toilet and changed into women’s clothing.

I thought we were going to hop off the train and run to a bus to take us to my friends flat but we ended up having to change trains before Bristol, crossing over a footbridge onto another platform.

Pantyhose didn’t exist in those days and the elastic broke leaving me fleeing to the ladies with stockings around my ankles. Not a very good look with hairy legs.

I stayed [at school] until I was 15 and then went to into Cardiff College of Music and Drama for two years before ending up in a local bakery.

That was until an Aussie guy spotted me in a local concert performing.

I joined him doing a tap and acrobatic act which took us around the UK and afar. We even went over to Germany to perform around American Army bases working with some wonderful stars along the way.

At that time, I learned a lot from friends Larry Grayson and John Inman — especially comic timing — but little did I know that I would turn to comedy when I hit 22 years old.

When my performing partner wanted to go home to Sydney, Australia in 1963 off I went with him and that was when I was asked to join a show in Sydney’s King Cross called Les Girls.

I was a male dancer in the show before moving on to comedy drag and within six months I moved onto glamorous drag and compered until late 1968.

However I did receive quite a few homophobic beatings when I first came to Australia which I would rather forget.

Oz is so behind other countries as far as same sex marriage is concerned and it’s still not allowed in this day and age. The country is very Catholic and I think politicians are influenced by that.

When I was performing I became good friends with Cilla Black who I first met in 1967 when she was touring Australia.

She loved gay people and I took her to a few gay clubs in Sydney when she was there with her soon to become husband Bobby. On a later tour she took me backstage and introduced me to Danny La Rue.

It was his first tour of Oz and we became friends and we got to know each other very well. He came to my house for dinner over the years when he toured this country.

During the Vietnam war I was invited to star in a show in Kowloon, Hong Kong and I was there for a year while also doing other shows in Beirut, Singapore and New Zealand.

I loved working in Hong Kong as I met so many people from all over the world. I was even in a Jeff Bridges Movies called the Yin and Yang of Mr Go.

For those who are not familiar with my show, it’s very bawdy and I don’t impersonate stars but a particular woman who tells quite a few naughty jokes.

In my decades performing I have never had a bad reaction. Hecklers do crop up from time to time but my Welsh wit can put them down very quickly.

I have given advice to younger female impersonators and I always say learn to sing in your act. There are so many here in Oz who lip synch to other singers and I’m not a fan at all.

Although I’m not a brilliant singer I can still put a tune over.

I returned to Abercarn this year for a brief tour of the UK but I would never move back to Wales as I have been ostracised from most of my family.

That is apart from one nephew and niece who I love dearly.

I now live in a beautiful part of Australia near Queensland in a two-storey house that friend and I bought two years ago.

Despite being in my 70s, I’m still a member of a choir and go to the gym three times a week.

We’re lucky to never see frost and live on the edge of a rainforest surrounded by wildlife.

I still do my show around the state and I’m well known from my days of Les Girls as it was the first ever drag show in Australia.

I’m also working on a book on my life with writer William Brougham and although it’s a slow process I would love it to be a TV movie.

I often wonder what would have happened to me if I hadn’t moved to their wonderful land of Australia.

It has been so good to this Welsh guy who took a chance and moved to the other side of the world.