"I got a scholarship to school. So they [the Royal Marines] paid for my fees for two years...[and] I had to join after but I didn't want to join by then. My Dad said 'look, you've got to do it because otherwise I have to pay the money back.' So I did do it, but really didn't want to stay in, and was up in front of the Colonel because I said I wanted to resign. He said 'Well, alright, so what are you going to do?' I hadn't given any thought to what. I was only 17, 18. I said 'I don't know, I just want to get out of here.' He said 'Well that's not good enough. Were you good at anything at school?' And I thought God, my life depends on this. 'I was quite good at art, sir,' and he said 'Art? Have you ever thought of going to art school?' I said, yeah, okay. That's a good idea. So he signed my ticket out, and I went [off] to art school. It was an enormous leap. Pointed out by the least likely person. And I've been eternally grateful for that colonel. That was a kind of epiphany."