"The Moseley School of Art Association lets me enjoy seeing the names and faces from the time I was at Moseley (1959 - 62). Thanks to Graeme for his work in making this possible.

"My parents were very happy that I passed the exam to get into MSA. I wasn't all that sure about it, but it had to be better than the school I was in at the time. At eleven I had been put in St. Michael's Catholic Secondary in Digbeth, which was then a breeding ground for toughs and fledgling criminals.

"Starting at MSA was truly a turning point for me. It was quite a change for a 13 year-old boy, who often found himself in trouble, both in and out of school. I remember my first day and standing in my assigned class line as a "fag" I was poked in the back by the boy behind me for not removing my cap (David Pankhurst?). Even the small everyday things at MSA were new to me. I grew up in Sparkbrook and Smallheath. Both pretty rough neighborhoods. The local lads gave me a difficult time when coming and going in my school uniform. This resulted in regular street fights and frequent loss of my blue and yellow scarf and cap.

"At Moseley I most remember the metal working classes with Moggy Mason, sculpting with Freddie Fox and art classes with Mr. Ashby. These classes more than offset Miss Squires English classes!

"After leaving in 1962 I went to design classes at the College of Art while working in the Jewellery trade as an apprentice for the Payton Pepper company in Vyse Street, Hockley.

"I moved to Canada with my family in 1965 and enrolled at the Hamilton Institute of Technology in Ontario while working as a draftsman for a civil engineering firm. I was able to make extra money doing jewellery repairs. I later attended classes at the University of Waterloo and worked as a design draftsman and engineer in training (EIT) for the Babcock and Wilcox company in Cambridge, Ontario as a Draftsman, Designer and Test Engineer. I moved to the USA in 1976 to work with a manufacturing firm as an engineer manager. The business was owned by an English firm headquartered in Luton and frequently returned to England to visit with relatives. I then joined Weidmann AG a Swiss Corporation as a corporate Vice President.

"I have travelled and worked all over the world but have always returned to the New England area. For 25 years I lived in the rural Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with my wife Yvonne. Our children are all grown and living all over the USA. We have seven grandchildren. We have since 2014 lived in Southern Florida as “Snow Birds”. We moved permanently to Florida in 2018.

"I am still active as Life-Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and an active Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Moseley School of Art was a very important part of my life. I consider myself to be most fortunate to have had the chance to attend such a school and to have developed many friends along the way".

David pictured with his daughter, Sarah and his parents in Florida (2006)