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Chapter Two

Art School

James Dyson sat in the back of old car
  • James Dyson painting at Byham Shaw School of Art
    Byham Shaw School of Art

    I met Deirdre at art school in the 1960s. Our first date was at London Zoo.

  • James Dyson with Jeremy Fry building a pedalo from balsa wood
    Pedalo project

    Working on the pedalo with Jeremy Fry. We glued balsa wood together using a bicycle frame to drive the paddle wheels.

  • James Dyson pushing the prototype pedalo through the water
    Pedalo project

    Testing in a stream in the Basses Alpes and used at Pampelonne Beach in 1967.

  • James Dyson standing with the prototype pedalo motoring through the water
    Pedalo project

    Testing the pedalo on the pond at Widcombe Manor, wearing trunks from 'Way In'. I had to start the motor from a boat, then take the boat back to shore and swim out to the pedalo. There were weights in the box and it had a Briggs and Stratton engine.

  • James Dyson stood next to a truck filled with lavender
    Provence

    Harvesting lavender in Le Grande Banc, Jeremy Fry's village in Haute Provence. The crop was taken to a distillery to extract it's oil.

  • James Dyson standing astride cut lavender bushes
    Provence

    Sporting a good crop of hair in a lavender field. My trousers were made in Kensington Market and the shiny plum colour mac came from Biba.