Lochaber Hall, London, 9 December 2017

It was one of those early mornings that make one’s extremities literally ache from the cold. The tightening in my face, hands and feet as I walked through Lewisham for half an hour to Lochaber Hall, might have been enough to give me second thoughts. The sky was clear, the frost crisp and the temperature freezing. I feared for the conditions in my cavernous destination, so it came as a huge relief to feel warmth when I arrived in good time for a 9:30am start.

Radiators were all switched on and three fan heaters were blowing thermal goodness across the pile of pillows and sheets upon which I would be working. Artists adjusted their easels and when ready to start, we got going with six 5-minute poses: variously standing, kneeling, and squatting. For the 20-minutes that followed, I sat comfortably mid-crossfire of the three hot airstreams. One long pose would occupy the remaining two hours, and it was agreed that a similar seated pose would be desirable.

I sat motionless for 45-minutes. Towards the end of this first period, organiser David disappeared to make tea and coffee, and to bring forth dark chocolate digestives for the interval. When our eight artists were sufficiently reinvigorated, we continued with no break until the session concluded. My back became a little achy, but I remained toasty throughout – that had been my main priority. After some pleasant chat at the end, I exited once more into brilliant sunshine… very well wrapped-up.