I do a regular drawing for a magazine called the Best of British, and this is one of the series.The articles generally reflect on past English institutions and the changes we see today.We were never very good at cooking over here, but now we are better at it than the French!They seem to be unlearning everything they have had for centuries and we seem to be taking in what they are discarding.
That aside those programmes on the telly featuring people trying to be master chefs is part of the inspiration for this drawing.
They appear to spend three hours or so refining their cooking into something that looks like it’s the latest hat creation from Ladies Day at Royal Ascot and then serve up just a few precious ounces on a huge plate.Daft.
Then who does the washing up?

Meanwhile back at the drawing board…
I’ve been asked to re-do a drawing of the Professor and here he is.
They say one always draws oneself, or elements of oneself.In this particular case this chap looks more like my Dad ( 93 next birthday, so not quite so energetic as this chap! But still with all marbles functioning)
So here’s hoping for a reaction!

There are days when it seems everything goes right, the weather set fair and the plan for a walk with a chum comes to fruition.Lack of such a thing as a map to find the start point for the ‘chum walk’ does cause some initial ripples but nothing that cannot be sorted out by asking a delivery driver in a not-so-nearby village.”Your miles away” is the initial reaction but after that his directions set me on the right track.
After that we set off in the Mendips for a super day out, with picnic of sandwiches at the highest point.There is nothing that beats the English countryside on a day like today, and today was unbeatable.
Thanks Richard!

( I normally post just my drawings and the odd photo on this site but today was just so good, I’m putting these two up there for a change. I think the flowers may be harebells, not sure, and the other one is Richard with the Bristol Channel and Wales in the distance.)

Here’s a little drawing done for that company that helps people to find out the source of their food.It means little without really seeing it all in context of the promotion, but it’s one of those that hopefully speaks for itself. Has the look of a lot of washing up.

I’m also trying a new theme for this blog and would be interested to know if you like the new look.Apart from a pretty severe haircut I’m unable to change my own personal ‘theme’ much.

Many moons ago I and some of my friends at college in Manchester in the late 60’s had occasion to visit the local constabulary offices after we were visited by some ‘heavies’. Not a pleasant experience, the visit from the ‘heavies’ that is, rather than the visit to the boys in blue.
As we sat there in front of two enormous detectives, my colleague Bryan mused aloud: “great spacial qualities in here…” We were after all at Art College and knew about these things.
The look on the detectives face was somewhat similar to the guy on the right in this drawing.

This cartoon was for an article about recruitment.
Spacial qualities rule.

I recently had the good fortune to meet the a retired prison governor, a very nice chap who also had the one of those wonderful Lancashire accents that pinpointed him to the Preston area, originally my part of the world.To illustrate they would pronounce the name Paul as Porl.
I asked him why he chose to go for the prison service and his reply was that in those days the Prison service supplied the entire uniform for free, everything but the socks. Apart from that and he expanded, one met all sorts of interesting and pleasant people.
What better reason to embark on a lifetime career than a free uniform and working with people,one can ‘wear’ the lack of paid-for socks.
On my return I have been busy working on a drawing about working, this is just part of it, more later.

Recently found a fascinating meat fact, that the Argentinian Women’s Hockey team is sponsored by beef producers.I’ve been in a project about meat sources, that’s sources not sauces, and this is one of the drawings I did for it.
I remember a butchers shop which I used to drive past in Oxfordshire that had the motto outside:”Pleased to meet you, meat to please you”

My last post of the sleeping cow seems to have encouraged one person to expand the joke a little.John Blair Moore is a fine American cartoonist and I was delighted to get the enclosed after my post.
Let sleeping cows…