"Boatyards have always held a fascination for me. As a child much of my exploring was done in that kind of environment, either on the Thames or in the West Country, or on Tyneside. A boat, in a sense, is a life: alive. Its birth and growth a long and difficult process"

Robert's collection of material relating to boats, boatbuilding and all things maritime constitutes an archive in itself. As part of the A2B edition we are delighted to be able to include some of his film footage, made in Gerrard's yard in Arbroath, in the 1980s.

Below are some stills taken from the film, illustrating the craft of the boatbuilders at Gerrard's and the powerful influence that these skills had on Robert's constructions.