Southend on Sea

As my Exhibition closed on Saturday evening
I was pleased that I had been able to share some of my international books, drawings, paintings and photographs with so many people who had not before seen my work, not only at the Library Gallery, sometimes on the streets and waterfront, as I started my portfolio of drawings of Southend.
In the shopping centre I talked with people from South Africa, who photographed me with my 'Starbucks', and on the wall of the long waterfront, as I sat drawing this, what could have been a really important new landmark when it was built and then adapted and extended centuries ago, I had many visitors who were curious to see what I had done.

I had launched my new, fifth book, 'A trip to Paris' on Friday in the Gallery,
and had enjoyed the interest and attention, which this had created, as many people stopped to chat, some to buy copes which I signed
most of them told me something of their lives, which makes being Artist in place so interesting during my Exhibitions
some were ones who had seen me previously who had carried on with their own business in the peace of the Library,
as I usually do.
I still had another occupation left, as on Monday morning I occupied a place at the entrance to meet visitors, and to sign more copies.
Most of the ones who stopped on Monday, had spoken to me earlier, and so I was pleased to be able to say that I had enjoyed their company at various times during this, my first long stay in Essex.

It had been an eventful three weeks, and now with a new book, I left, after a last look at the waterfront,
for my journey back to Worcestershire, not as far as many journeys which I have undertaken before,
after book launches in Kuala Lumpur and Auckland.

I would like those who met me to know that it was a most interesting time,
and after my talk on Friday night to The Southend on Sea Photographic Society
with whom I shared many of my experiences of New Zealand, the mainland, in peninsular Malaysia,
and Sabah and Sarawak, the northern part of Borneo,
the islands and jungles where I have spent so much time,
I felt that I had really been able to illustrate the beauties of these places which I have enjoyed so much,
the countries which had for a long time been the major part of my life, before I was invited to The United Nations
by the New Zealand Government.