Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst is the grandson of pioneering filmmaker Francis Lyndhurst, who brought filmmaking to Shoreham in the early 1900s.
Nicholas, 65, found fame in the 80s as Rodney Trotter in the beloved sitcom, but his family was already well-known in certain circles thanks to his grandfather's work. Born in 1878, Francis established a career as a scenic artist before turning to filmmaking.
A Family Legacy in Film
After shooting around four or five films in the region, the producer and director set up a glass studio by Shoreham Beach. When his production company began to fail, he returned to his original occupation as a scenery painter.
Francis, who died in 1952, never met Nicholas. In an interview with The Guardian, the sitcom star reflected on his grandfather's life with his wife, Dorothy, and their children, including Nicholas' father, Joe Lyndhurst.
Family Stories and a Seaside Upbringing
"Grandfather Lyndhurst bought a farm to make sure his four boys didn't have to fight in the Second World War," Nicholas explained. "In the late 1940s, they'd heard of holiday camps, so they took a portion of land and built chalets."
"My mother, who was a dancer, took a summer season at my father's camp. That's how they met. I was born in Emsworth, Hampshire – a seaside village," he added. "I still live within 10 miles. I can't dance – that side of the genetics didn't get to me – but I've inherited Mum's humour."
Remembering Archie Lyndhurst
Francis was also the great-grandfather of Archie Lyndhurst, who died in 2020 at the age of 19. Like his father, Archie established a successful television career, best known for appearing as Oliver 'Ollie' Coulton in 77 episodes of the BBC sitcom So Awkward.
Following his death, Archie's mother, Lucy Lyndhurst, confirmed he had died in his sleep. A second post-mortem attributed his death to Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, a "rare type of fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma that typically affects people under the age of 35," according to Macmillan Cancer Support.
In a heartbreaking Instagram post in 2021, Lucy wrote: "On the 22nd September our world blew apart, the damage caused to it totally irreparable. Archie was, and always will remain, our everything. Those of you who know us know the catastrophic effect it has had, and will have, on us for the rest of our days."
"Archie was the most extraordinary magical human being we have ever met. We are still learning each day the incredible impact he had on others' lives, the kindness and generosity he showed them. He was an old soul and incredibly advanced for his years in many ways. As his parents, we couldn't be prouder of him for all he achieved in the short time he was given, and especially for the beautiful human being he was. We are so grateful and privileged to have been chosen to be his parents."
Lucy added: "Archie had numerous bleeds on the brain, and the Dr went to great lengths to reassure us that he wouldn't have been in any pain as it happened in his sleep. The results utterly floored us to think something like this could happen. It's very rare, and around only 800 people a year die from it. Only days before, he'd been with the love of his life, Nethra, celebrating his birthday early as she was due to go away with work commitments. Life is fragile, precious and sometimes incredibly cruel."
