Blue plaque on his old office

Stars including Michael Palin and June Whitfield helped unveil a blue plaque to Eric Sykes at his former West London office yesterday.

The Heritage Foundation erected the tribute at 9 Orme Court in Bayswater, where the comic began working in 1960.

At the time he was part of the comedy writers’ co-operative Associated London Scripts, alongside Spike Milligan, Franke Howerd and Hancock writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. But as the others found other offices over the years, Sykes remained.

The new plaque sits alongside another to Milligan, which was unveiled by Sykes in 2003.

Dad's Army co-writer Jimmy Perry, comic Les Dennis and musician Les Reed were also among the celebrities at yesterday’s event.

Sykes died a year ago at the age of 89.

• Plans are pushing ahead for a 7.5ft bronze statue to Richard Pryor in his home town of Peoria, Illinois – even though organisers have generated just 10 per cent of their $150,000 goal in seven years of fundraising. Sculptor Preston Jackson is steadily working on a casting of the work, entitled More Than Just a Comedian, and insisted he had ‘a lot of interest’ in revitalising efforts to find the money.

Published: 8 Jul 2013