Yesterday was the opening of the
Sir Norman Wisdom exhibition space in Haywards Heath organised by his son Nick. Nick, who once played county cricket for Sussex, owns a sports shop in the town and was my first client after I moved home from Cambridge to Ditchling back in 1995. My most recent commission was designing the lettering for his new shop fascia which was then fabricated in stainless steel by BEL Signs of Horsham.
For the exhibition Nick had me doing the calligraphic labelling for the framed panels and showcases. These contain memorabilia and artefacts from Sir Norman's career going back to his film and stage debuts back in the 1940s. For me it has been a wonderfully nostalgic trip to my childhood when, like the rest of the population, we were entranced by his antics in such films as
The Square Peg. Latterly of course he became very popular, indeed revered, in Albania!
Wisdom Sports, South Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex
At the opening we were hugely entertained by this marvellous impersonator/lookalike Glenn Ford
The Sir Norman Wisdom exhibition, The Orchards, Haywards Heath