Drawn to the river

On the eve of his 90th birthday (7 May 2023), Greenwich-based Peter Kent is holding a final exhibition for his family and friends of his life’s work as a sketch artist – with the river to the fore, as usual.

Essex boy

“As a lad, I loved to explore my hometown of Colchester and its port at the Hythe, where Thames sailing barges and Everard’s colliers used to trade.

“We had a family retreat, a beach hut at West Mersea, overlooking war-damaged vessels anchored in the River Blackwater.

“During the war, it had served as a warden post for Colchester Grammar School.

“A keen cyclist, I often went exploring the River Colne.

“While at school in Stowmarket, I also got to know, Ipswich Dock, Harwich and Felixstowe town, which evolved into a massive container port.

“When I enrolled at Colchester Art School, I began to sketch local maritime and riverine subjects that caught my eye – local water mills, the Thames sailing barges and other vessels.”

Coronation memories

“By the time of The Queen’s coronation in 1953, I had advanced to Regent Street Poly in London.

“We celebrated by throwing a party in Sunlight Wharf, near Cannon Street Rail Bridge, which had suffered from bomb damage in the war.

“A generous waterman, who was refurbishing it, helped us create a temporary dance floor and roof.

“All was fine, till the tide dropped, leaving the dancers even more disorientated by the sloping deck.

“Earlier, we had retrieved some man-sized, rose-shaped lights that had been suspended above Regent Street for the Coronation.

“We transported them to the party venue by a handcart from the poly’s works department.

“En route we banged into a black cabbie.

“Luckily, the damaged wing popped back into shape, before the irate owner could vent his wrath.

“The waterman had also advised we needed a safety boat moored nearby.

“A few of us navigated it down river from the poly rowing club at Chiswick.

“It was probably my first rowing trip on the river.

“I remember it vividly to this day.”

PLA permit

“While at the poly, myself and a fellow student obtained a PLA pass to sketch in the Royal Docks, where my brother was a cadet aboard a Royal Mail ship trading with South America and the States.

“We both enjoyed the hospitality and camaraderie of the dockers, who seemed intrigued by two long-haired, young artists arriving at their workplace.

“On a summer student day out, we sailed on a paddle steamer to Southend and back, taking in famous landmarks, including Greenwich, where I now live, and the giant power stations of the era.

“The amount of shipping we saw was extraordinary.”

Foreign attractions

“It inspired me to cross the channel to sketch canal and riverside landscapes in Holland and France.

“National service led to my ultimate sea voyage – to Singapore and Hong Kong.

“I worked photographing canals for intelligence purposes.

“It opened up for me a new world of overseas ports.

“The images lodged in my head later became a became series of cartographic images of 20 world ports, which form part of my 90th birthday exhibition.”

Contracts and contacts

“When I turned professional, getting commissions from London-based firms was a challenge initially, so I extended my search further afield and found jobs in Norway and Sweden, mainly for advertising agencies.

“I end up staying in Scandinavia for two years.

“Early on, I also managed to earn a living servicing real estate interests, in the UK and across Europe.

“The development of London Docklands - an area I overlook daily from our house - provided many fascinating commissions, including a lot of aerial images.

“Later in life, as a friend of the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, I received a wide range of interesting commissions.

“From the late 1980s, I also wrote and illustrated RiverWatch, for The Guide magazine, which sustained my interest in maritime matters and grew into a blog.

“Throughout my career, I have kept a close eye on the tidal Thames.”

Capital calling

“On my return to dear old London from Scandinavia, I rented a shop in Bloomsbury for a group of fellow artists.

“Then I met my wife-to-be, Judy, and together we hired a studio in Regent Square.

“We both worked hard, enabling us to move to Greenwich, buying the property where we still live today.

“With commanding views of the river to the east and to the west, it’s our pride and joy.

“We never tire of watching the constantly changing river landscape, as well as the wildlife.

“It’s also great observing from the comfort of our front room, all the rowers enjoying the river.

“It’s a privilege to have such a wonderful bird’s eye view of spectacles on the water, such as The Great River Race each September, as well as other events, such as The London Marathon.”

A life-long fascination

“I have greatly enjoyed looking back through my life’s work in preparation for a last exhibition, coinciding with the start of my tenth decade.

“I have kept it all filed away and take great pride in it.

“It will be fabulous to reminisce with all the family and friends I have invited to come along.

“I feel very much alive and well!”

Quick fire

• The Thames in just three words? Can I have four? “More exciting each tide.”
• Favourite Thames-side restaurant or pub? From our top floor window, of course.
• Favourite building on the river? Again, it has to be the Royal Naval College, round the corner in Greenwich.

Video: Hear from Peter about his love for the Thames (2015)