A BLUE plaque has been unveiled to commemorate artist Sir Stanley Spencer, who lived in Leonard Stanley between 1939 and 1941.

The plaque, which cost nearly £1,000, is mounted on the White Hart Inn underneath the window of the bedroom where Sir Stanley stayed between these dates.

Jeremy Warner, 63, who lives in nearby Middleyard, was the driving force behind an appeal to raise funds for the plaque, the bulk of which came from private donations.

"Sir Stanley spent two years of his life drawing inspiration from village life in Leonard Stanley so it is fitting that a plaque was put up in his memory," he said.

According to Mr Warner, the artist came to Leonard Stanley to escape an unhappy love life, having divorced his wife, Hilda Carline, but later come to regret the separation.

Sir William Rothenstein, principal of the Royal College of Art, who lived in Far Oakridge, was Sir Stanley's mentor and recommended that the young artist spend some time in Leonard Stanley to take his mind off things.

Once there, he was inspired to paint Village Gossips, an oil painting depicting whispering residents pointing and staring at a couple.

The characters include Sir Stanley himself and a married woman called Daphne Charlton, with whom he had an amorous relationship with while living in Leonard Stanley.

Around 70 visitors watched actor Craig Rogers as Sir Stanley Spencer and Carolyn Leader, curator of the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, Berkshire, unveil the plaque on Saturday, October 15.

Actors from Cheltenham's Everyman Theatre also brought the characters in Village Gossips to life by re-enacting the scene.

Two paintings by Sir Stanley fetched more than £10 million at Sotheby's in London this year.

Two portraits - Workmen in the House and Sunflower and Dog Worship - sold for £4.7 million and £5.4 million respectively at the auction house on June 15.