Actors, a sports star and even a Victorian scientist who coined the word ‘dinosaur’ have their roots in the city of Lancaster.
Here is our tribute to 10 well-known names linked to the city.
1. Jon Richardson
Richardson is known for his appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and his work as co-host with Russell Howard on BBC 6 Music. He is presenter of Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier, and also featured with his wife in the TV show Meet the Richardsons. The comedian was born and raised in Lancaster and attended Ryelands Primary School and Lancaster Royal Grammar School. Photo: Tony Johnson
2. Andy Serkis
Serkis is the recipient of numerous accolades and is one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He achieved fame after he played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film franchise. He studied visual arts and theatre as part of his degree at Lancaster University from where he graduated in 1985. When leaving university, he applied for a job at The Dukes where he appeared in 14 plays. One of his favourite roles was Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the very first promenade show in Williamson Park. Photo: Gareth Cattermole
3. John Waite
As a solo artist, Waite has released 10 studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single 'Missing You', which reached No 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and the top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. He was also lead vocalist for successful rock bands The Babys and Bad English. He was born in Lancaster and educated at Greaves Secondary Modern and Lancaster Art College (The Storey Institute). Photo: Submit
4. Isaac Lowe
Professional boxer Lowe has held the WBC International featherweight title since 2018. Previously, he held the Commonwealth featherweight title in 2016, and challenged for the European and British featherweight titles in 2017 and 2018 respectively, drawing both contests. He was born in Lancaster and now lives in Morecambe. Lowe turned professional at the age of 18. Photo: Steve Marcus