First Day, Royal College of Art, 1972

greenhouse rough
Rough for my Greenhouse Mural, an elaborate identification chart for tropical birds that my tutor John Norris Wood kept in the college greenhouse. Yes, that is the Royal Albert Hall in the background, the Greenhouse straddled two floors at the top of the College’s Kensington Gore building.

Saturday 30 September 1972

We set off at 8.30 or so and whisked down the M.1. to Linnie & Dave’s

house in Southall
My sister Linda and David’s first home in Southall

Where we had lunch before going and putting my things in my room at Evelyn Gardens.

Student accommodation
My room on the first floor at 14 Evelyn Gardens, London SW7

Then Shopping – Mother bought a bright Red Trouser Suit.

I bought some paint – Dulux Brilliant White (£2.56) and a brush. In fact I could have bought other paint a quarter that price. Still, it’s made a lovely job of the room.

Sunday 1 October 1972

Shreddies for breakfast.

first night in bunk

A night in which I changed positions periodically. But found I was happiest lying diagonally, across the bed. Between turning over I had some very vivid dreams, which I’ve forgotten now.

The sun looks straight into the room in the morning, which is nice.

Receipt for room 226, 14 Evelyn Gardens

Mum & father, Linnie and Dave came round and rang for me. I was making headway with Atlantis: the Antediluvian World.

‘Atlantis: the Antediluvian World’, Ignatius Donnelly,1882, 24th Edition

It might be a good angle from which to study ancient civilisations, world mythologies etc – to try and discover if they point to a common mid-Atlantic origin. Anyway we fed the ducks (inc. a Ruddy Shelduck, pochard, tufted) and geese and gulls and pigeons in St James Park.

pelicans

There were splendid thing in the Sunday Mirror children’s art exhibition – I’ll be interested to see what our painting dept. can do – I can’t imagine them coming up with better ideas or making a more lively job of them.

BERNI’S Gammon on Oxford Street for me – then a parting of ways at Paddington. Linnie and Dave went off to Southall, Mum & Dad off home, and I to Gloucester Road. Where I bought an A to Z.

Natural History Museum

Took a walk . . . the Nat. Hist. Mus., The Serpentine, Speakers’ Corner – Peter Pan, Round Pond, London Museum, Albert Memorial, Geological Museum – now being Graphicized ‘THE STORY OF THE EARTH’, trying to pass as an intelligent native and not a casual tourist.

molten Earth artwork
Barry Evans artwork for an audio visual sequence in the Geology Museum’s ‘The story of the Earth’ exhibition. Shown on a continuous loop as a panorama, steadily panning from left to right, in a mini-cinema in the corner on the right as you entered the show. During my time at college I watched it repeatedly as I tried to grasp the basics of geology.

Monday 2 October 1972

breakfast disaster

Making Breakfast took a little longer than I had intended this morning.

However I got to the registration in time where I saw a bloke from 3-D and Malcolm Mitton from Leeds.

Then went to the National Westminster where I arranged for an account. I made my own lunch, only cheese on toast, but enough to show that I have not been defeated by this morning’s experience.

Lord Esher, Rector RCA

An introductory talk by Students’ union people etc and Lord Esher.

None of us can tell what tomorrow’s world will bring. Except that much of change seems to be for the worse. One thing is certain though, imagination, of the sort you people have, will be vital. But imagination tempered with thought – it is too easy for an artist to ignore his responsibility”

Lord Esher, Rector of the Royal College of Art, 1972
John Norris Wood in the Greenhouse

Saw JOHN NORRIS WOOD in his Greenhouse.

Well, I’ve got a room downstairs – so if you’d like to come and work there -“

(An invitation from John that I couldn’t refuse!)

Discussed the course, London & Natural History, Mayas, Stockholm Conference etc.

John demonstrates how to draw one of the frogs in the Greenhouse pool. Reverse side of my rough (see top of post)

Tuesday 3 October 1972

How helpful everyone is! I could not wish to be doing anything else than spending 3 years on this course . . . “Lucky is he who is single, of independent means and who lives near the natural history museum.” (Of course I miss the wilderness).

Professor Bryan Robb, Head of Illustration

At 11.00 o’clock I went to a meeting of illustration students. Professor Guyatt asked me how the exhibition had gone. And Bryan Robb, who is to be my tutor thought my arrangement to work over the Kensington Gore Building was a good idea.

‘It’s a good thing to have an obsession if you’re working here.’

Bryan Robb

Went over and told John Norris Wood.

John Norris Wood
My tutor John Norris Wood. Typography is still my weakest point!

Cornish Pasty and Macaroni in the Canteen.

And then some sketches in the Greenhouse. But not for long. I went to an interesting talk at the Nat. His. Mus.

Joyce Pope
Joyce Pope gives a gallery tour of the Ichthyosaurs, some of which were supplied by Mary Anning

Wrote half an article for the Y.A.A. Broadsheet.

Read ‘GENESIS CONTAINS AN ACCOUNT OF ATLANTIS’.

What happened next . . .

diary page

That’s enough diary entries but I couldn’t resist including the following day when the diary briefly bursts into colour.

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