OUR grainy main image was taken on the morning of Wednesday, January 30, 1963.

It is reproduced from an archive copy of the Adver, as the original print and negative vanished years ago.

The location is an American-style bowling alley which had opened late the previous summer and would close a few years later.

The man on the left is possibly a senior member of staff, while the man on the right is one of the greatest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Our caption said: “Mr Douglas Fairbanks jun, film director and businessman extraordinary, took time off from a long chain of appointments to pay an informal visit to Fairlanes Bowling Centre, Cheney Manor Road, Swindon, today.

“There was free bowling for more than 300 women who had been told of Mr Fairbanks’ visit. When he entered the centre the Ladies’ Wednesday Morning League was in session but he was soon besieged by autograph hunters and children.

“The picture shows Mr Fairbanks with Mr Terry Taylor.”

Although we named Mr Taylor, we gave no clue as to his role in the story, but it is more than likely that he was manager or part of the management team.

Douglas Fairbanks jnr, whose career began in the silent film era, was the son of Douglas Fairbanks, one of the greatest stars of that era.

The younger Fairbanks’ career survived the transition to films with sound, and thanks to swashbuckling classics such as Sinbad the Sailor and The Prisoner of Zenda, he became one of the world’s most famous people.

His first wife was a fellow star of the period, Joan Crawford.

Like many Hollywood stars of the time, he used some of the proceeds of his acting to branch out into business.

The previous April, in his capacity as chairman of Fairlanes Bowling Ltd, he had signed contracts for construction of the first three bowling centres of a planned chain.

The Cheney Manor Road premises opened late that summer.

According to a website called the UK Tenpin Hall of Fame - uktenpinhalloffame.co.uk - the life of the centre was relatively short, with closure coming in February of 1967.

By that time, according to the website, the business had become part of the Granada leisure empire.

We wonder whether any of our readers were there on the day of the Hollywood legend’s visit.

Douglas Fairbanks jnr died in New York in 2000, aged 90.