Blue plaques unveiled in Felpham recognise celebrated painter and Olympic fencing coach who worked on Star Wars

Two blue plaques, commemorating Olympic fencing coach Bob Anderson, and artist engraver Charles George Lewis, were unveiled by Felpham Parish Council over the weekend.

The plaques are part of the Council’s ongoing effort to recognise and commemorate the village’s history. A blue plaque revealed last Summer celebrated the courage of Antarctic explorer Ernest Joyce, who took part in expeditions alongside Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton. Other plaques celebrate figures like Romantic poet William Blake – famous for writing ‘Jerusalem’ while staying in Felpham – and artist George Morland.

The first of the two plaques was unveiled outside Bob Anderson’s old home on Outram Road.

An Olympic fencing coach, Mr Anderson was a former royal marine who served during WW2 and went on to have an illustrious career in the film industry. Working with everyone from Errol Flynn to Antonio Banderas, Mr Anderson applied his knowledge of fencing to fight scenes in hundreds of films across a decades-long career. He designed duels for blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Princess Bride and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, famous doubling for Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

"Who knew that the stunt double for some of Darth Vader’s lightsaber battles lived in Felpham?” said Felpham Parish councillor Kevin Watson in a speech written for the occasion.

Mr Anderson died in a West Sussex hospital on New Year’s Day, aged 89.

The second plaque commemorates artist and engraver Charles George Lewis. Highly-commended in his time, many of his most famous plates were after the work of Sir Edwin Landseer, an English painter famous for works like The Monarch of The Glen. Examples of his engravings were published in ‘Landscapes British and Foreign, engraved by Charles G Lewis after E.W. Cooke R.A’, which was released in 1874.

Buried in Felpham churchyard, the artist died in 1880, from a sudden bout of apoplexy.

The plaques join two already-unveiled plaquess and three being researched to create Felpham’s Blue Plaque Platinum Heritage Trail. The seven entries will each represent a decade of Queen Elizabeth II’s historic reign.

The parish council is delighted to be able to highlight the heritage, history and unique nature of Felpham in this way,” Councillor Watson said.

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