Charlie worked in the coal mines all his life, moving around as most did in those days between collieries. He worked at Bates, Crofton, Hartford and Choppington. He took up boxing as a young boy aged only 16, and in the twilight of his fighting days, at the age of 37, was game enough to participate in booth fighting, often fighting up to an incredible six opponents a day between shifts at the coal face.

Proctor was fascinated by the stories which older pitmen than himself had related to him, but though boxing was a passion, he was grateful for the purses he received, especially during the miners general strike of 1926.

Charlie is remembered for his terrific slam with a gritty campaigner from Jarrow, Peter Cain, a fight promoted by Stoker Allan at Johnson's Hall, South Shields. It was Charlie's first top of the bill bout, and he astonished everyone by taking all Cain's heaviest blows for six rounds, when a cut eye prevented him from going any further. Proctor's ability to absorb punishment surprised Cain. He floored Charlie for a count of eight in the opening round, and for a count of nine in round two, but in an amazing fight back Charlie had the stocky Jarrovian covering up, and tossed so much leather that Cain appeared nonplussed. 

It was Cain who had to take the gruel in the fourth and fifth round, Charlie winning applause by his willingness to slug it out with Cain, and it was Cain who was first to look for a breather. A tremendous struggle ensued in round six. Cain pumped in hard blows to the body of Charlie, but the Bedlington Scrapper fought back magnificently and had Cain in dire trouble, driving him into a corner with a series of uppercuts. Cain ducked and straightened up as Charlie tore in. This resulted in a clash of heads with Charlie emerging with a gashed eyebrow, and the referee decided that the plucky pit lad could not go on.

It was a cut eye that ended a terrific Tyne Dock encounter between Charlie and Billy Graham of Gateshead. The fight looked like being a scorcher, but following a whirlwind first round, Graham had to retire in the next.

Charlie brought the house down at Ashington's Princess Ballroom, where after a lively tussle with Eddie Joyce of Wallsend, he knocked out his man in five rounds. Joyce was the essence of gameness, surviving counts of nine in rounds three and four, but finally just failing to beat the "out."

A savage clash between Charlie and Jack Scott of Newcastle was all too brief, "Terrier Charlie" as he was also known, stiffened Scott in round two after putting him down for a count of eight in the first. This fight took place at Blyth's Tudor Stadium on the night a well known Choppington boxer named Chris Rock out pointed George Giffo of Newcastle.

Charlie kayoed Newcastle's Bobby Leach in one round at the Old Tudor, later outscoring Novacastrian, Bobby Wilkinson. Sadly the Tudor, scene of many a great glove contest is no more.

No one knows for sure how many times Charlie fought the North Shields boxer Alf Paolzzi. Some compilers come up with totals varying from twelve to twenty. Anyway Charlie and Paolzzi had many a hair-raising scrap. Happily the feuding and the fighting always ended with a handshake, and the two fighters remained friends for many years.

Charlie and Paolzzi fought a ten round draw at Blyth in a punch up that would have put the proverbial Kilkenny cats in the shade. Then followed two battles at Backworth Miners Hall, which greybeards of the village reckoned brought beads of perspiration to the brows of the onlookers.

The first Backworth clash took place on August 7th, 1931, and ended in a four round win for Paolzzi. Three weeks later they met again, when Charlie won in five. Paolzzi said "It's no good Charlie, your chin is too hard for my fists." Paolzzi actually retired with a damaged hand. The vendetta between the two boxers lasted from December 3rd, 1927, (Points win for Charlie,) to December 23rd, 1932, (points win for Paolzzi, at Bedlington.) The pairing of the two fighters always attracted huge crowds wherever they fought.

The "Hebburn Brothers," Jim Dottle and Tommy Joyce, attested to Charlie's ability to bring the best out of a fighter, "There was no way of trying to box Charlie," Joyce would say. "You simply had to fight." Charlie and the brothers were closely matched. Charlie out pointed and drew with Dottle, and drew with Joyce.

The Bedlington father - cum lightweight and Jack Dibbs, the popular pitman fighter from Penshaw, put up an exceptionally good fight at the New Markets, County Durham. Charlie paced the contest for a strong finish against a rock hard opponent, whom he knew could not be knocked out. The strategy earned Charlie a points victory.

Charlie had various lively dustups with lads from the Sunderland area, notably George Hamilton, Andy Keating, Joe Woodie, Matty Hinds and Kelly Shanks.

Charles William Gillier Proctor, to give "The Terrier" his full name, was the son of Charles and Margaret Jane Proctor. "Old Charlie" was a semi invalid, while Margaret was a familiar figure in the colliery villages, with her horse and greengrocery cart.

Charlie, the fighter inherited the Christian way of living from his parents, and when he hung up his gloves, donned the uniform of the Salvation Army. There was no keener salesman of the "War Cry" than Charlie Proctor.

It was while Charlie was vending the Salvation Army publications that he was set upon by three youths who were "Mickey Takers." They got the shock of their lives as they had picked on the wrong person when Charlie retaliated. He left them grovelling in an alleyway, then dusted his hands down as if nothing had happened.

Charlie had a friendly way of greeting an acquaintance, digging his fist playfully into the other fellows tummy. The recipients did not always see the fun, however, for Charlie he did not know his own strength.

The tummy thump was used when Charlie wanted to test the eligibility of his future son in laws. If the young men took the playful pounding without flinching, Charlie would say, "You'll do son.