Collaboration With Passion
Peter-CCAT 1968
From time to time I think back to my early schooldays and recall being at my happiest making things and drawing. I remember having to leave school urgently, as it seemed then, to go and live in Germany.
My father was in the R.A.F. and my family was posted to R.A.F. Wildenrath in West Germany in 1959.
Drawing of my mother
My Father Frank Gordon Hill was a chemist before the war
My father during WWII with his crew in the mediterranean
Peter 7 years old
I pined for the clay tortoise that was drying on the window ledge of the classroom in Houghton Village school, near St Ives, Huntingdon.
I had the most happy childhood there playing near and fishing in, the river Ouse, walking to St Ives on a Saturday to go to the cinema, and exploring on my bicycle.
Mum and Dad after the war
Judith Crowe from Homerton College
We lodged in the local Tea rooms whilst waiting for quarters to come up in R.A.F. Wyton a mile away.
Various studies around the house
Sometimes my brother and sister and I would go scrumping on the way home and enjoy some apples. Life was so much simpler in those times, but travel was exciting and more adventures lay ahead.
Peter 9 years old
School report
This was to be a pattern for the next few years, and we could not take all our family possessions with us every time we moved house! Many families serving with the forces will probably tell the same story.
Consequently all drawings and artistic endeavours went missing, can you imagine keeping three children's artworks and schoolwork!
The sort of drawing we had to do to enter Cambridge Art School
Peter 1967
We then moved to Lincolnshire, again a couple more schools, before settling in Grimsby in 1962.
I attended The Havelock Comprehensive School and at lunchtime could actually walk to the sea as I recall.
Study of a dead bird
My pottery made at Swavesey Village College
This was a very good school that had workshops, science labs etc, and we had pottery classes with a kiln.
A couple of pieces were saved from this period and are shown above.
York St students 1967
The view onto the RAF camp from my bedroom
One of my friends from our RAF camp
Now I keep all my children's art, drawings, scribbles, school text books so that when the time comes, they can keep them or dispose as they choose!
In 1964 we moved to R.A.F. Oakington and I attended Swavesey Village College. This is where my passion for drawing really took off, as we had a very good art department, with a very passionate teacher in Mrs. Cox.
Sketchpad 1967-8
Black and white studies of me drawn with my Rotring pen
I was encouraged to go to Art School in Cambridge after gaining some more O-Levels. Some of my pottery from my time at Swavesey still exists and hopefully I will include pictures here.
During this time, all future students for admission to Cambridge Art School, were asked to keep a sketch pad, and I have included many drawings from this period on the website.
Sketchpad 1967-8
More Black and white studies of me drawn with my Rotring pen
The subjects would include studies around the house, my family, local churches and the view from my window, overlooking the Oakington airfield.
Studies of Chris Scott, a friend of mine at Oakington