One of the joys of my last job, which was as a print rep for a local company, was the people I had the pleasure to meet. Almost all of them were pleasant to deal with and at times it was fun. Not all the time, but then even my previous career as a cartoonist for 30 years, was not always a bundle of laughs.

I love people watching as might be obvious from some of my drawings. The only attraction of an Airport is the other people on the edge of panic. I came to study many people as a salesman, although the company insisted on calling me an account manager, and I can truthfully say that the most pleasant people were those in the transport business. Generally of good humour and patient to a fault and almost always as calm as a  cucumber. Which is something of a relief as they were people let loose on our roads behind the wheels of behemoth trucks. The least calm and collected clients: almost any female in the alternative therapy business. They worried constantly, generally had a sense of humour bypass fitted, and were not averse to shouting from time to time on the telephone. Terrifying.

As you may well know by now, as I’ve banged on about it for a number of weeks right here, I am closing in on the start of my exhibition here in Cheltenham. Apart from the subject of the British, I’m also exhibiting some drawings of people with what I call “apt names”. And here’s the connection with therapists: this drawing is based not on any particular therapist I’ve encountered, let’s call it an amalgam. Her name is Petra, I’ll let you work it out from there.

 

And just in case you need reminding here are the details about the show.