Boy aged 14 on the beach at Cleethorpes, (2011) oil on linen, 90 x 120 cm

This self-portrait derives from a school group photo - I am wearing a school tie but by then I had discarded the school blazer. The fishing port of Grimsby and the seaside resort of Cleethorpes merge into one another and since the beach and amusement arcades of the latter were only a short bicycle ride from my home I often visited Cleethorpes either with my parents, my friends or alone. On hot days the cool salty sea breezes were refreshing. Out of season, the resort had a desolate, melancholy air. During my youth it gradually declined in popularity as more and more people preferred and were able to go abroad for their vacations. One of the things that appeals to me about the background are the modernistic facades above the arcades. During one school summer holiday I worked in one of the bingo arcades collecting money from customers. It was quite a pleasant, undemanding job.