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He came to Bristol from Bedfordshire in 1923 at the age of thirty one to take up the post of Art Teacher at East Bristol Central School. In 1933 he was elected an Artist Member and later served for 25 years as Secretary of the Tribe. He was a painter in water colours and loved the countryside which he so often portrayed, but it was Cornwall which appealed to him most. In fact he developed a style of depicting Cornish scenes that became instantly recognised. He also worked in pastels and pen and ink and some of his drawings, such as the Oak Room Porch and the Fireplace, are magnificent for the accurate details produced. He was very adept in the Art of jewellery making and was a great admirer of Ernest Fabian and the Presidential Chain which he made, always referring to it as the Fabian Chain. Possibly as a tribute to that Savage, he designed a chain for the President`s Lady. Appropriately the design was Indian of the Navaho Tribe and he wrote a long article in Grouse concerning this culture. Inspection of this Chain will reveal the immense amount of patience and skill required to produce such a jewel. In addition to his love of art he was also a keen music lover and for many years was member of the Bristol Philharmonic Society. For a quiet man it was remarkable too, how he stood up to the fusillade of interruptions from such experts as B/S Charlie Thomas, Donald Hughes and Charles McInnes, when reading the Minutes. Soon after retirement he came to live at the Red Lodge in and around the Wigwam with all the treasures he loved so much. He was made a Life Member. He contributed frequently to `Grouse` and there are 36 of his evening sketches in our collection. In 1970 he was obliged to move to Worcester Court. In 1976 he died aged 84. A portrait of him by John Codner is behind the President`s Chair. (Cecil Broome)
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