Rex Hawkesworth RIBA

The author joined Southampton-based W H Saunders & Son, in 1956, at their Portsmouth office as an office boy, since full-time at the Portsmouth School of Architecture was not possible.

He stayed there for nearly nine years and left nearly qualified, just waiting for his Professional Practice year to finish.

R W Leggett, his boss, was extremely helpful to him for which he is extremely grateful; he experienced the war and was aware of the circumstance at the time.

After five jobs in seven years, which produced a variety in architectural terms, with three years at Hedley Greentree’s and three with Leslie Chandler’s office, he started his own practice at home in 1972, where he has been ever since.

This book was started in 1976 and completed in 2016 when his last job finished. He stopped practising, but has maintained his architectural qualification, however.