AV News 184 - May 2011
“Why do you think I asked you?” said Colin.
Peter had, by now, given up proper work and moved back to his roots in the
North to concentrate on his writing and photography, so a couple of days later,
a tape of words and music called 'Motorway' popped through Colin’s Chorley
letterbox and, shortly after this, Colin rang Peter to say he liked the script;
maybe he would change the order of a couple of stanzas if that seemed OK,
but he didn’t want to use the music although he realised the significance of
the song at the beginning. Peter never did intend any significance whatsoever
in the accompanying music; it was just there as an introduction before the
Genesis instrumental which he used as background!
So 'Motorway' was born, produced and sent off as an entry for the RPS
International. It failed to get through Pre-selection, although Sir George
Pollock was furious about that and forecast that it would do well somewhere,
sometime. It did. Within 12 months it had won Le Coupe de l’Europe in Epinal
and several other International Awards. It is indeed, currently, the most
Awarded International AV Sequence in the world! Colin has always been
generous in his comments about the part Peter played in its success. When
about a decade ago, Colin retired from Chairman of the RPS Distinctions
Panel, he had no hesitation in recommending Peter as his successor.
In 2005 Peter retired from this distinguished position after eight years
service as Chair and many previous years as an active member of the Panel.
He tells us that the most difficult part of his job was being with applicants
whose submissions were not recommended to Council for the Distinction for
which they had applied. Others tell us how appreciative they were for the
helpful comments made by Peter and the Panel, whether or not they were
successful.
Peter’s own ventures into many International Competitions have been
remarkably successful. A brief glance into the FIAP book of Authors’
Sequences will show you that 57 of his analogue Sequences have achieved
a total 87 International Awards, including seven Grand Prix and that, since the
first all-digital International Competition (The IAC Geoffrey Round
Competition, which he actually established and helped organise, in
Aldbourne, in 2003), he has already achieved over 50 International Awards
including 4 Grand Prix. This FIAP book also indicates that Peter has more
Awards (and more Internationally recorded Sequences) than any other author
in the world. He has won our own National AV Championships twice, firstly
with 'Jill Is Still' in 1990 and more recently in 2003 with 'Sarah' (made with
Sheilah Peel). This was the first time a digital Sequence was given our top
National Award. He was honoured with a Fellowship of the Irish Photographic
Federation in 1989 and in 1992 he was awarded his AFIAP and his EFIAP in
1995. In April 2007 he received the honour of FACI from the IAC and on 20th
October 2007 he was Awarded FACI(M) – (Master of AV).
He regards the Dobson Henry Medal presented to him (by the RPS AV
Group) in 1998 for Services to AV as his proudest AV possession.
For many years Peter was an active member of two AV Groups: Leeds AV
Group and Wilmslow Guild AV group.
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