The Author frequently refers to Argent Brierley, alluding to him as a Champion golfer, winner of the Open Championship at some point. He may said to be hopefully autobiographical, although the Author did not ever achieve the necessary minus 4 handicap to progress to the professional ranks.
In fact, Argent Brierley was a painter, his bio. being recorded in the book glossary as follows:
Described in the book as relating to Rod Argent, leader of the rock band ‘The Zombies’. In reality, Brierley was an artist, first seen by the author as the signatory to a painting of Cramond dated 1911. His biography states ‘Landscape painter and teacher in Worcester, William Argent Brierley (1893 – 1960), who after attending George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh gained his diploma at Edinburgh College of Art’.
Three examples of his work appear on the last page of the book, with descriptions, and are reproduced here.
They are from left to right, ‘Bank Holiday, 1940’, Cramond (dated 1914), and ‘Figures in the Park’ (dated 1914).
The slide show presenter shown below contains a variety of Brierley’s work, held in a variety of collections
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