About Bob
Born back in the Good Old Days, Jan 1955, nine months before the start of ITV.
Grew up in the great comic era, when boys were boys and girls were girls, unlike todays youth, who can be both or neither or other. I'm confused????
I loved my school years. I might of been a bit of a devil, not sure.
The sex, drugs and bullying were fantastic. Proper bullying back then, none of this sissy cyber bullying stuff. Getting caned by nuns, for FREE!, you have to pay for that sort of stuff nowadays.
Proudest moment, being voted, "Boy most likely to go to Borstal "by my piers.
Won school painting competition 1965 Sponsored by Brook Bond Tea
November 13th 1978 Blind Date leads to Marriage
I married Sian on her 26th birthday at St Nickolas's Church. Shepperton. Sian's a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend. (Nice tits too) I'm a lucky devil to have her in my life.
The Garlands 2015. Celia, Sian, Bob, Poppy and Bertie.
As a child I wasn’t allowed to stick anything on the bedroom walls. My brother had the only hanging space, the inside of the wardrobe. There behind his silky, large collared shirts, hung his shrine to Tottenham Hotspurs FC and the group The Troggs, in their silky large collared shirts.
As an adult and my own house I’ve run wild! The once music room now a kitchen diner, has a homage to music. An undercoat of my dad’s sheet music with a sprinkle of concert tickets from over the years. Bringing back memories of venues, performers and the prices. Front row of the circle at the London Palladium, Gladys Knight and the Pips £1, Earls Court Rolling Stones £4, Brighton Eric Clapton £3.
My working career and other interest
After leaving school in 1971 I started an apprenticeship with the GPO (now British Telecom) and became a telephone engineer.
I loved my time as a customer facing engineer calling at palaces, prison and everywhere in-between. Every day was different, new faces and new places.
I stayed with BT for 29 years, ending my career in 2000 as their web designer, developer and administrator for BT Retail.
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Being a Creative person, I enjoy doing hobbies.
The garden and veggie patch are my gym and yoga work out.
The ponds and aviary, my sunny wellbeing areas.
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Meanwhile back indoors.
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I've dabbled with Poster paints
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I drew a comic strip called "Willie" for "Smut" an alternative adult comic 1989 to 2001.
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I also enjoyed pottery night school
Year 2000 Took redundancy and relocated from
Egham, Surrey to Stroud, Gloucestershire
My studio, sofa, cat and kitchen door / drawing board.
A nice end to my working career
Finished my working career at Snow Business a Winter Special Effect Business. You'll have seen their products many times in films, on telly and in ads. An easy commute on my electric bike, just 3 miles, downhill and along the canal towpath, to a lovely 300 year old mill. My workshop overlooking the mill pond, with regular visit from swans, duckings, kingfishers, otters and other wildlife.
Always very busy with the run up to Christmas, I was looking forward to a long break. A nice start to January 2020 a holiday cottage booked for a week in Wales, to celebrate my 65th birthday.
I was disappointed to find out retirement age was now 66 and I had to work for another year.
On our return home from Wales, our daughters treated us to a meal on riverboat restaurant and a show at the Bristol Hippodrome.
I returned to work the next day and was made redundant with a pay off. Hallelujah ! I've retired at 65. Looks like it's going to be a great year.
Then along came Covid and Lockdown 2020
Earlier in December 2019 I decided to stop cutting up my much loved comic collections for Decoupage and went digital.
Designing each furniture panel to the exact dimensions of the piece of furniture I was working on.
February 2020 Lockdown. No longer working and with time on my idle hands, I created the first standalone digital collage “The Joker”.
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Each collage is made up of many layers, 100 plus sometimes. When complete, it’s merged in to one layer, the master copy. I then copy the master, then tweak each version adjusting; colours, intensity, eyes, shadows, lighting, backgrounds etc. making each version unique.
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Since retiring I've produce on average one new collage per week
Also since retiring
I grew up with aviaries, Budgies as a kid in Bedfont and foreign finches and canaries in Egham. I'm now giving Lovebirds and Parrotlets ago in the new aviary.
I've several types of Lovebirds; Masked, Fischer, Opaline and Peach Faced.
Also got a few male Budgies (my favourites) and some Japanese Quail.