Anxious to Serve his Country

I grew up mostly during the Second World War and radio was the big thing. And I can remember the family, it’s like an old movie I suppose. And I can remember the family were all sitting around the radio in the front room with dim lights. And the program would be perfect because we could only listen to it and conjure up in our mind and, of course, each one of us conjured the image that suited us. So the programs were perfect. And the one program that was so outstanding, I remember I can still feel a degree of emotion. I think it was on Friday nights but that’s not important. It was a Second World War story of a Canadian Lancaster Bomber crew and the heading of the program was, “L for Lanky, Come in L for Lanky!” And, of course, the sounds effects of the engines, the engines of the Lancaster Bomber and the fellows speaking on the intercoms with each other, it was magnificent. I didn’t like school very much. I don’t think I was a very good student. Mathematics was my weakest. And, of course, as an artist if I get creative with the numbers, the answer is wrong, so what did I have, you know? I learned to read very quickly.