Local People

An ‘essentially normal boy’

Peter Brinsden’s numerous interests and abilities could have taken him in many directions, however he chose to study medicine, focusing on infertility treatment and working with Patrick Steptoe in the early stages in the development of IVF. Peter was born in 1940 in Peking (now Beijing). His father was English, while his mother was American – she was the third generation of a family who had worked as Presbyterian missionaries in China since 1870. A Christian church in Shanghai was built to honour the memory of her great grandfather George Field Fitch. Peter and his family spent the second world war years in California and Canada, before returning to China to live in a beautiful old palace in Peking until the Communists assumed power in 1949. At this point the family moved to Hong Kong, and a couple of years later, Peter and his brother started boarding school in the UK. After attending Rugby School, Peter went on to study at King’s College London and St George’s Hospital Medical School. Peter qualified in medicine in 1966 and joined the Royal Navy as a ship’s medical officer. He then chose to focus on gynaecology, training in military and civilian NHS hospitals and becoming a consultant gynaecologist in 1978, later specialising in infertility treatment.

While he was working at Sutton General Hospital in 1966, he met a nurse called Gillian, who was to become his future wife – in his words it was ‘love at first sight’. During his time in the Royal Navy, he and his family moved multiple times as he took up posts in London, Portsmouth, Plymouth, twice in Malta, Gibraltar and Hong Kong. Later, unwilling to commit to a desk job, he resigned from the Royal Navy in 1982 with the rank of surgeon commander. After a couple of interesting years working in Saudi Arabia, Peter joined Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge, the world’s first IVF Clinic, to work with Patrick Steptoe who had pioneered conception through IVF with Robert Edwards, leading to the birth of the world’s first ‘test-tube baby’ Louise Brown in 1978. IVF was still in its early days and it was a fascinating time to be involved in its research and development, although this also included resolving many ethical dilemmas. When Patrick Steptoe died, Peter was appointed as medical director at the clinic, later becoming group medical director of Bourn Hall International, then consultant medical director at Bourn Hall Clinic.

Peter has travelled extensively to lecture on the subject of fertility and assisted conception, in Europe, America, India, the Middle East and also China, where he holds four honorary professorships, including one from Peking Union Medical College where he was born - and where his birth notes describe him as an ‘essentially normal boy’ (he is very proud of that!) Although he has now retired from medical roles, he still lectures on the historical and ethical aspects of assisted reproduction, including a recent Zoom talk for the Royal Asiatic Society in Beijing. A few years ago, Peter and Gillian moved to Tavistock to be close to family, and also for its proximity to

Van Gogh by Peter Brinsden

Photo by Peter Brinsden

Dartmoor, which has become one of Peter’s passions - he has now visited 156 of its tors. He is also a keen wildlife photographer, delighting in studying both local birds and animals, as well as travelling widely to the see the fauna of the Arctic, Antarctic, Galapagos Islands, Kenya and Baja California. Scuba diving was another favourite pastime and he has enjoyed discovering the marine life of the seas around Australia, the Caribbean, and the Far East. Peter is a very competent woodturner and could probably have been quite an artist considering his painting of Van Gogh at the age of sixteen. He also has a deep appreciation for history, art and culture both in this country and in the many other countries he has explored. In more recent times, Peter has put his oratory skills to further use to share some of these many personal interests. His wide-ranging series of talks covers subjects such as ‘My family in China 1870-2020’, Nelson, and the art and culture of Japan – while a recent visit to Malta to attend the 80th anniversary of the island’s award of the George Cross, served as a research opportunity for another talk.

Peter has written and edited three medical textbooks, and more than 100 articles for medical journals, has frequently appeared in the media and held a string of posts with numerous societies, including president of the British Fertility Society. Although now in his eighties he is still an active member of the community, taking on the roles of Abbeyfield trustee and chair of Tavistock Probus Club and of Tavistock Woodturners. He often gives talks, and you can hear him as part of the Tavistock Heritage Trust series in September.

Rosemary Best

Peter Brinsden’s talk on ‘The fascinating art and culture of Japan’ is on 1 September in Tavistock Guildhall.

History Tour & Garden Tour Saturday 4th June Take a step back into the Jacobean and Victorian era and explore the fascinating history of the Manor with proprietor Sue Murray including an informative tour of the gardens and grounds with our gardener Martin Ashley . 10.30am: Arrival, 1pm: 2 Course Lunch £35.00 per person

Picking up the threads

Sarah Brown is a contemporary textile artist known professionally as EssJay.

Sarah moved to Tavistock when she was two years old so can consider herself a local. She lives with her family in Peter Tavy and takes inspiration for her beautiful textile artwork from the moors, the coast and especially the interesting local humans who catch her creative eye. Having read psychology at Swansea University, Sarah took a job in marketing for Screwfix in Yeovil, before moving back to Devon at the turn of the century with her husband, Richard. Until her twins, Tom and Eva were born in 2006, she worked for local company ‘Gro Group’ which produces baby’s sleeping bags. When the children went to primary school, Sarah felt the need for a change in career and a purpose outside of the family, so she spent three years studying towards accountancy qualifications, squeezing study time in between home commitments - never easy with a young family. Sarah now works part-time with Sponge Learning as part of their finance team, delivering bespoke digital learning solutions to leading global companies. Sarah traces her love of sewing back to her grandmother. As a child, she used to sit and watch her sewing at her old singer machine and was encouraged to have a go herself - fond memories. Always a maker and mender, Sarah has been producing her own clothes and homewares since she was a teenager and has enjoyed both the creative and the practical side. Recently she has discovered a new interest, a fusion of two techniques: raw edge appliqué and free-motion embroidery. With the feed-dogs disengaged, Sarah uses the sewing machine needle almost as if drawing with a fine ink

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pen. Using a neutral cotton linen as the background, she chooses small pieces of fabric to collage and curate a scene, before overstitching with fine Italian thread to embellish and enhance the image with intricate detail and texture. She carefully selects the colour palette for each artwork from a range of fabrics she has sourced over many years from various haberdasheries, vintage markets and scrap stores as well as recycled clothes. She has a precious store of old linens from her great grandmother and loves to use scraps of Liberty fabric which can really lift her designs with their elegant colour and classic designs.

Sarah’s first artworks were all snapped up by friends and family and she was encouraged by one of her oldest friends and biggest supporter, Suzie, to sell her artwork further afield. She now exhibits in the Bull Pen Gallery at Cotehele and Tavistock Picture Framing Gallery, and is excited to be exhibiting at her home during Devon Open Studios for the first time this September. She regularly takes commissions, gaining immense satisfaction in bringing to life the visions of her clients and creating a unique artwork to be enjoyed for years to come. Sometimes the materials are very personal, ribbons from wedding favours, silk from a grandfather’s wartime parachute which add an extra special dimension to her art. She has taken over one of the rooms at home for her new sewing machine and considerable fabric and thread collection, but would love to have a purpose-built studio where she can feel closer to the views and sensations which provide so much of her inspiration, and where she could perhaps hold classes or offer art therapy sessions in the future.

Dartmoor is her happy place and Sarah can often be found on the moor sketching ideas that inform and mould her artworks. She loves this creative element and is constantly churning over ideas, inspired by our beautiful environment and above all, people. All of her pieces feature people, often in a seemingly everyday setting that has been enhanced by interesting fabric choices and delicate stitchwork. Her work is original and contemporary and yet has a timeless, sensitive quality, capturing a moment we can all relate to - walking the dogs, feeding the birds, or swimming in the sea. Some of her most popular designs have been turned into cards which means her artwork can reach a wider audience. Like so many of us, when covid struck Sarah reconsidered her priorities and found solace and healing in the creative process more than ever. After years of honing her skill at the old singer machine, this new appliqué approach felt as if she had reached her destination in a lifelong journey of sewing, and the positive feedback she receives has given her the belief to share her beautiful art with the world.

Nichola Williams

For more information, visit essjaytextileart.com; Instagram: essjay_textile_art or contact Sarah at info@ essjaytextileart.com or 07887 876015.