It has been tremendous fun drawing these cartoons. Some may be familiar to you, having appeared in various local publications, among them The West Dorset Magazine, Dorset Life and The Dorset Year Book. The cartoons, interspersed with caricatures of notable Dorset residents, past and present, offer a light-hearted view of the events and goings-on in the county since the end of 2021. Before that, the focus for all of us was on getting through the pandemic.

I am often asked if I am a whizz at computer technology. Absolutely not. The equipment is basic: mostly pens and colouring pencils bought from the children’s section of high street stationers. On one occasion a few years ago this was nearly my undoing. I was booked as caricaturist at a high-end circus-themed party, tasked with drawing all sixty-five guests, young and old, during a three-hour stint. My host thoughtfully positioned me outside the big top next to a roaring brazier, which was fine – until my pencils melted!

The Ashmore Filly Loo, an ancient Dorset celebration, takes place around the village pond on the Friday nearest Midsummer’s Day. (Upsydown, Amberley Publishing)

My art teacher at school was great, and supportive to the extent that he allowed me to sit at the back of the class and basically do my own thing. It was during this time that I gained my prized Blue Peter Badge, coming runner-up in their national painting competition (26,000 entries), and was taken on by an agent to produce hand-painted advertising signs for London department stores and greetings card illustrations.

What looked like a promising start to my art career took a sudden downward turn. My art teacher retired and I was back again under the restrictions of the curriculum. I started expressing myself more through music-making, and thanks to another inspirational teacher went on to pursue a successful career in music.

The Dorset locals can’t resist carolling on Gold Hill, Shaftesbury. (Upsydown, Amberley Publishing)

My artwork didn’t stop altogether, although it did take a back seat. Back in the 1990s I used to provide black-and-white caption cartoons for several London journals using the old Letraset shading dots. It was only when an editor refused a batch of my cartoons, saying they wouldn’t scan properly, that I decided to give that style a miss. About five years ago I got a lucky break with a newly launched Dorset magazine. This in turn led to drawing political and Dorset-themed cartoons for several more publications.

Coming runner-up in the national Ellwood Atfield Political Cartoon of the Year Awards 2022 was a surreal experience. The event was held at St John’s, Smith Square, Westminster, attended by the great and the good in cartooning and politics. I was there, I thought, simply as an interested onlooker. Only when I was being congratulated on stage by Angela Rayner and Jacob Rees-Mogg did I realise that I should have been preparing a speech rather than sketching the old pipe organ at the back.

Upsydown
An American professor praises the quality of the sand on Weymouth Beach. (Upsydown, Amberley Publishing)

Which brings me to the advice I received many years ago from no less a personage than the political cartoonist of the Daily Mail: persevere – a good tip for us all.

I hope you enjoy the cartoons in Upsydown, a reminder of just how much goes on in our beautiful and not-so-sleepy county of Dorset.

Upsydown: Cartoons of Dorset Life is available for purchase now.