After being demobbed from the army having completed his national service he went to Canada where he got a job in advertising writing jingles for television commercials. At the same time he was the leader of a group of young musicians and singers called Lord Lance and his Calypsons doing night spots in Montreal and with him playing the guitar. He collects Sinatra records and likes Ella Fizgerald,
After national service with the Seaforth Highlanders in Egypt, he moved to Montreal, where he wrote advertising jingles for radio. He formed a calypso group and, as Lord Lance, toured Canada and the US.
When he replaced Charles Hawtrey in Carry on Cruising (1962), he was paid £600. This was quite a saving for the producers, as Hawtrey's wage would've been around £4,000.
A fan of English football club Chelsea FC, based in London.