R2-D2 has become one of the most popular characters to emerge from the Star Wars franchise and Preston has a very special connection to him.
For those who didn’t know, the lovable Star Wars droid was made famous by 3ft 8in actor Kenny Baker who lived in Ashton-on-Ribble for many years.
During his career Kenny famously appeared in a slew of iconic films including The Elephant Man, Time Bandits, Willow, Flash Gordon, Amadeus and Labyrinth, but it was his role as R2-D2 in six Star Wars films that made him a household name.
Kenny sadly died after a long illness at his home in Preston in 2016 at the age of 81.
At the time star-studded list of celebrities sent messages and gathered at the Lytham Park Crematorium to say their goodbyes, including David Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett).
10 years on, we look back at his remarkable life in pictures.
21.
Kenny taking time off from filming Return of the Jedi at Elstree Studios, to collect his new Mercedes Benz estate car in 1982