THE life of one of Colchester’s best-known characters of the 20th century has been immortalised in the town centre.

Freddy the Shrimp Man sold his shellfish at the top of Scheregate steps for six decades.

Now he features on the latest interpretation board to be installed by the Friends of Colchester Roman Wall.

The board was unveiled at the top of Scheregate steps on Saturday by the Mayor Julie Young.

It was sponsored by the Colchester Town Guides Association and a number of the guides were also present for the unveiling.

Former mayor, and chairman of the Friends of Colchester Roman Wall, Henry Spyvee, said: "This is the seventh board that the Friends of Colchester Roman Wall have installed in the town.

"As well as Freddy the Shrimp Man it marks the only surviving medieval gate in the wall."

The gate was created in medieval times to allow visitors to reach St John’s Abbey more easily.

The name Scheregate is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word scaerd, which means ‘gap’.

The current timber-framed buildings around the gate date from the 17th century. Then, as now, the steps leading down would have been lined with shops.

Freddy the Shrimp Man's real name was Freddy Chapman and he was born in Colchester in 1894.

As a young lad he began working for someone who paid him 6d (pennies) for every Saturday morning that he went out selling oysters.

He later decided to set up business for himself and used to go out with a tray of bloaters, wet fish, dry fish, winkles and whelks and later, of course, he began to specialise in selling shrimps.

He was finally forced to call it a day in the late 1960s, when his supply of fresh Tollesbury shrimps dried up.

His barrow was sold to a Tiptree family for £12 ten shillings (£12.50).

They planned to make use of it on their smallholding selling strawberries to passers-by.