My mother, Mouse met Robert at St Martins College of art in London.
Art School: St Martins, 1960s
Mouse went to St Martins School of Art in September 1960. In her interview she submitted a portfolio of 'passionate' work, influenced by Modigliani (all now lost) and the principle liked it. The class was made up of strong colourful students. Monica Peiser her best friend wore strings of homemade necklaces around her neck. Mouse remembers them, dyed pinks and purples, acorn cups and melon seeds all beautifully strung together and displayed on tables of velvet. Monica had a striking Polish beauty and her sister Hazel was a film star.
There was Philip Ward Jackson- who's brother Michael wanted to fight Robert in a duel for Mouse. Philip became a well known figure in the Courtauld Institute. There was Peter Sylvere whose mother Irene, Mouse loved dearly.
Winkle - later table tennis champion of Britain. They all played table tennis in the common room. Lessons were wonderful - casual, cigarettes again, Peter Blake, Frederick Gore, The Temperance Seven, (Jazz group).
At this early point just before things really started taking off, Life hadn't yet been disturbed by the later 60s counter culture. Life was still very 'romantic'. The last stages of the so called moral 50s culture was still partially clinging on, the aim and focus for Robert and Mouse was mainly art and love and not sex drugs and rock n roll.
Initially Mouse was very lonely in London. Although she went back home every weekend to Bourne End with her parents ,the weekday evenings with her Grandma in London were lonely. She wasn't used to lonliness. She used to sit in an Italian cafe near the British Museum and just think about her life in general.Grandma used to tell her her fortune with cards each night in front of the gas fire and she would retire to bed early. They lived in a basement , (number 7 Bury Place, Russell Chambers) which before her grandfather died was a museum of rare and spectacular books, Japanese suits of armour and shoes studded with rubies and emeralds. The whole place was amazing- rare paintings and columns of books. Mouse used to weave her way into the middle of the room where her Grandfather would be cooking beans on toast. When he died her grandfather cleared what would have possibly been assets of a million pounds even in those days and sold it all down Berwick market. The buyers couldn't have believed their luck. Her own father was so angry. He was a friend and contemporary of Oscar Wilde and met him in the Cafe Royal every day. Apparently, he was an extraordinary man. Her grandmother was according to her father part Romany gypsy. Her eyes were black and she 'knew' things -had second sight, was an amazing woman.
