The Squat 73

 Jules the clown and Little Nell were in London, Jules had been in Paris studying mime and Nell was in rehearsals with a new musical called the Rocky Horror Show. I had their address and knew they were staying in a free squat in Kings Cross, so off I headed to beg for a bed!
 
 Little Nell, Jules and the whole household welcomed me into their home, the living room couch was my bed and I was saved from the living on the streets of London.
 
 Jules and I quickly became bosom buddies, one afternoon we sat and pondered our lack of funds, not even enough for a pack of cigarettes. Jules suggested we Basque on the Kings Road, I thought why not, a new experience and with the hope of making a few pence I eagerly dressed up as a clown. We borrowed a few pence for the underground and off we headed looking like a couple of broken down circus clowns. We had horns and bells, a broken violin and a bag full of Jules's little tricks.
 
 We worked the Kings Road for 4 hours and sadly only acquired enough money for a pack of cigarettes and to repay back the money we had borrowed. still we laughed at the folly of our escapade, we were young and had nothing really to lose and the joy of our adventure filled us and united our friendship even more.
 
 The Rocky Horror show moved from rehearsals into production, Little Nell's late arrival home  each night after the show was to awaken the whole household with loud music, singing and dance performances. She was high and had to come down and that was her way of doing so, the only difficulty was that the lounge room was my bedroom and that is where the stereo lived. It was hard being awoke every night but once I was awake I enjoyed my nightly personal performance and she needed an audience.
 
 My first Christmas in London, 1973, I was invited to another Australian's home to share the festive season with a few friends. On my return back to the squat I was to discover that most of my belongings had been stolen, I sat for a moment and thought all I had left were a few cloths and with a sigh I had no choice but to let everything go. My spirits refused depression, I was on a mission, I had unlimited goals and even if I had to start from the lowest rung on the ladder I was headed for the summit.
 
 Martin Sharp arrived for a visit one summers day, he had come to spend time with Nell and to see the Rocky Show, I had known him in Australia but really had never engaged in a conversation of any depth with him. But in London he seemed less aloof and so warm, I felt he knew the struggle we were all going through from his own experiences in London during the 60's.

My Big Break 74'

 As I dialled the phone to Barry Lategan I was feeling very frustrated, I had been banging on doors now for nearly a year, I was desperate to make an inroad into the London Fashion industry and it just hadn't happened. Barry answered the phone and yet again said that we must get together and do some pictures, his vagueness made me very angry and I told him in no uncertain words that if we were going to work together I wanted a confirmed date, otherwise lets forget the run around. I think he was surprised and said that he would call me in a couple of days. I thought I had blown my chance to work with him and fell into a depression that nothing was ever going to happen for me in this town.
 
 Well to my surprise he called me back and said that he didn't have time to test with me but was booking me for a job with English Vogue, it wasn't for Vogue itself but for their Brides Magazine, I said thank you and hung up and proceeded to jump out of my skin!
 
 A week later I was walking into Vogue House in Hanover Square, I can't tell you how nervous I was. I was introduced to the editors and then taken into the make-up room where there were about 4 models already waiting for their make-up and hair to be done.
 
 The hairdresser was John Frieda from Leonard's Salon and one of the models was Sue Purdy, she was 17 and under a pageboy haircut sat the most beautiful smiling face, there was an instant connection with her and her warmth enveloped me.
 
 We shot a cover and a number of fashion pages, Barry directed the make-up and hair design, he had very strong ideas on what he wanted, I followed his instruction but was still able to invest my own style into the pictures, we worked closely and as we finished the session I knew by his warmth and smile that my work had been appreciated, I left exhilarated.
 
 It was the beginning of my career in Europe, I didn't know it yet but I would never look back again, well almost. Within weeks I was shooting with Vogue again and this time a cover of English Vogue with David Bailey and American model Cheryl Teiggs. Vogue had taken me under their wing and in the corridors of Vogues studios I met photographers like Norman Parkinson and Toscani.
 
 Up to this point Make-up Artist Barbara Daley had the industry sown up, Pierre LaRoach had worked in London for the last 5 years or so but had recently headed to New York, there was an opening and this Aussie boy jumped in. 
 
 I had admired Barbara's work for years, she was an incredible make-up artist and her designs had inspired me to reach into new directions with my own work. But this was the beginning and I towed the line with Vogue, I did beautiful classic works but inside there was an explosion of ideas just waiting to emerge. Again a shoot with Barry Lategan, for English Vogue, another cover with Cheryl Teiggs and  fashion spreads.
 
 Also a series of beauty pictures and one with Model Sue Purdy wearing cloths from Designer Zandra Rhodes. I had become Vogue's new make-up Artist, more covers and spreads with Barry Lategan, beautiful pictures shot by Toscani with French Actress Aurora Clement, I had issue after issue of English Vogue on the stands and covers coming out of my ears, 19 Magazine, Honey, Cosmopolitan and others. It had started, the money started to come in and every day I was working, I was the hot new kid on the block, my God, would this last.