AS an artist he used the landscape to inspire his work but a celebrated painter from Worcester has now provided the inspiration to make more of the city’s talented past.

Two blue plaques have been installed and unveiled at the Diglis House Hotel to mark the achievements of Benjamin Williams Leader.

The hotel was chosen as that is where Mr Leader once lived with his family and on the day the plaques were unveiled four of his original paintings were unexpectedly on show for all to see.

Phil Douce, vice chairman of Worcester Civic Society which commissioned the plaques situated on the riverside and at the main entrance, said: “That just made the day. We had about 50 people there.”

Born in 1831, Mr Leader was the son of Edward Leader Williams – a civil engineer and a friend of painter John Constable.

Educated at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, Mr Leader studied art at Worcester School of Design in 1854 before he was admitted to the Royal Academy Schools in London.

In 1914 he was made a freeman of the city and some of his paintings are kept in the art gallery and museum in Foregate Street. Mr Leader died in 1923, aged 92.

Bowen James, an authority on Mr Leader who has been trying for many years to get recognition for him in Worcester, made the short trip from his home in Spetchley Road to unveil the plaques.

Mr Douce said this project for Mr Leader has inspired the civic society to draw up a list of other key figures they would like to create blue plaques for.

With the Olympics fast approaching members are keen to mark the achievements of cyclist Ernie Payne who won gold in the team pursuit at the London games in 1908 and runner Godfrey Brown, who later became headmaster at the Royal Grammar School, who won gold in the 4 x 400 metre relay and silver in the 400m in Berlin, 1936.

“We hope to put up about three or four plaques a year,” said Mr Douce.

“The long-term plan is to have some trails so visitors can pick up a pamphlet from the information centre or hotels and do a culture trail or a sports one.”

We reported last Monday how a blue plaque for engineer John James Cam, who pioneered key motoring components including the carburettor, the radiator and handlebar controls, was unveiled at his former workshop in Charles Street.

That was commissioned by Worcester Tourism Association but both they and the civic society insist they are not competing with one another and have held discussions to make sure they do not duplicate.