I first spoke to Lance when the had written  off his car in a collision with a bus.
He’d managed to drive the car down to the cafe, but the bumper was totally crumpled. I asked if I could help him, and his characteristically  brusque retort was:

‘Are you an engineer?’

I laughed and explained that I wasn’t.  And from  that moment we became friends.

He told me he’d just moved locally – to Ovingdean- and that he was new to the area.

I sensed that he had a large family – many children, in fact.  And this proved to be the case.  After he saw some of the sketches I’d made of Kit ( in the cafe), he asked if I’d like to go along with him to the Sussex Arts Club in Bond Street, Brighton that afternoon, and I decided that I would.   Thus, our mutual and shared passion for Art began.  We rapidly became artistic ‘soul-mates’.  We were both watercolourists; and loved various places, especially Alfriston.  I introduced Lance to the Church of the Good Shepherd, at Lullington, which I had recently drawn; and then lent him a my copy of a book of watercolours by John Singer Sergeant.  Lance was entranced by them; and changed his colour palette accordingly.  He had just been commissioned by Sussex Yacht Club to paint some boats at their Shoreham branch.  Together we collected the framed, finished picture from Lee, the picture framer in Rottingdean.  It was a really very fine piece of work.