In 2004 Peter was unable to paint for a period of two years, after he unexpectedly lost his left eye, He then started work on an autobiography (due for completion in 2008 / 2009). Peter finished and bound the first working copy of 450 pages, in 2007 which was then revised and a second edition was bound and displayed at the 2007 Lincolnshire Artist’s Society Annual Exhibition in the Sam Scorer Gallery, Lincoln. In the mean time, pending a possible general publication, Peter decided to copy the first two pages of each chapter on to “turning pages” on this web site. For those viewers who wish to read the whole chapter, then just click on the box at the bottom of the second page of each chapter (PDF reader required).

An Introduction to the Autobiography:

For about ten years I considered whether or not to write this book. I hesitated, because I am just an ordinary person who has had the good fortune to be in a position to make such a decision. My father’s and mother’s generation have now all died and a wealth of social history went with them. I am also conscious that I didn’t grow up with any grandparents, uncles, aunts or cousins living in England, so many of the normal family word-of-mouth stories were never passed down to me.

As I think of our own three sons and our three grandchildren, a similar trend has developed in this modern world. Our three sons David, Michael and Stephen all went to boarding school for their secondary education and then, after leaving school, soon moved away with their newly developed independence. Similarly, our three grandchildren Benjamin, Matthew and Senara, all live in Cornwall, about three hundred and fifty miles away from us so we can’t pass on all those little background stories that close families do naturally. Therefore, I decided to record some of my significant memories.

There is also a second, wider reason for this book. In genuine humility, I wonder if it might have an appeal to a wider audience than just our family circle. By nature, I am an optimist and whenever we have come up with a new challenge in life, I have always seen the glass as being half-full, and certainly never as being half-empty. It has been comments from a wide range of friends and other acquaintances that has persuaded me to take the plunge and to consider publishing this book, in the hope that others may find it either interesting or helpful.

If you would like to know more about the autobiography, or possibly a general publication of the book, then please contact us.