Garrett Centre, London, 2 September 2016

I have to stop losing umbrellas. For years I had relied on those little fold-up umbrellas available from pound shops, but when exposed to anything greater than a stiff breeze they would succumb forever. Deciding this to be a false economy I began investing in more expensive ones. The problem now is I keep leaving them at life drawing venues, as was the case after a recent long pose session at the Garrett Centre.

I was returning for the Friday night group run by Adrian Dutton. Upon arriving, I went backstage to change into my gown, leaving my umbrella beside my clothes. We were soon underway with quick poses: 5-minutes standing, another 5-minutes standing (as above), 5-minutes kneeling, and 10-minutes sitting on the floor. Then the first half-hour of the standing pose that would carry us through the evening.

Our tea-break overran but I wasn’t complaining. Upon resuming after the interval there was an hour to go. I remained on my feet throughout and was invited to take a stretch every 20-minutes – an invitation I gladly accepted. When the session ended, I quickly dressed and hurried back to the main room to take photos of the artworks. And in my haste I forgot the brolly. D’oh! It had been a good evening… but not profitable one.