ONE of the most famous voices on TV is returning to Colchester for the first time since he was married.

Canadian actor Shane Rimmer is most famous for providing the voice of Scott Tracy in Thunderbirds in the sixties.

What most people do not know about him, is that he used to live in West Mersea with wife Sheila, and was married in Tiptree.

Now living on the outskirts of London, he has not been back to Colchester since his wedding reception in Colchester High Street.

He will be back on September 1, visiting the Collectors Cave store in Sir Isaac's Walk.

He and Sheila have visited family in Fordham, but this will be their first big trip back to the town.

Shane said: "I moved from Canada in 1954, getting married was really the first time we were here.

"It's a great place, like a lot of towns it was very friendly and we are excited to come back.

"It's a very enjoyable town."

Shane, 89, met wife Sheila in Italy. Sheila was a dancer and Shane was flown in as the singer to entertain American troops.

Gazette:

Shane and Sheila at The George Hotel

The couple married in 1953 and spent about four years living in West Mersea before moving back to London when Shane's TV career took off.

Sheila grew up in Tiptree, where her dad had lived and worked.

In the earlier years of his career, he appeared in Bond films such as You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever, as well as Star Wars and Superman II.

He also appeared once in Doctor Who in the 1966 serial The Gunfighters.

In 2010, he returned to the world of Thunderbirds with a 15-minute fan movie entitled Thunderbirds 2010.

The couple still go to conventions to speak to fans all over the country.

Speaking about his experience in Thunderbirds, Shane said: "I had run a vocal trio in Canada called the Three Deuces, at times it was great but we just wanted to go somewhere where there was theatre and possibilities.

"We had never been to England but we decided to take a chance on it. It took us seven days to get there and we found an agent within a week.

"We started touring and making records, and being on the radio."

Gerry Anderson, producer of Thunderbirds, heard Shane's voice when he was starring in the old TV soap, Compact.

Shane said: "He reckoned the voice would be suitable for Scott Tracy, and I got a call asking me to go to his huge house and make some tapes.

"Luckily they chose me, I was very fortunate."