THE ARTIST - PETER WAGON Peter Wagon was born in 1926 in Orpington, Kent. His career as an artist took off at an early age when he won two competitions for schoolchildren to design posters for 'Wings for Victory' and 'Warship Week'. He also attended the Sidcup School of Art.   His first job was at a Printers illustrating cinema posters for Warner Brothers films. During the war, Peter was drafted into the Navy where he worked in the Naval Film Unit making instructional films.   From 1947 Peter worked as a freelance commercial designer for British Airways, Swiss Air, Aer Lingus, the Post Office Savings Bank and Schweppes. He exhibited at Bury St. Edmunds Cathedral for several years, obtaining many commissions and there he met Lord and Lady Tavistock, whose Suffolk house he painted. Since then he has exhibited in London, New York, Germany, Japan and many other venues including of course, Wobum Abbey.   As well as many interior and exterior watercolours of Wobum Abbey, Peter has painted Long Melford Hall, Chatsworth, Longleat, Harwood, Castle Howard, Warwick Castle and St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Another particularly interesting commission was to record all the buildings on the Halsey estates in Hertfordshire for the owner Nicholas Halsey.   Peter and his wife, Doris, moved to Hemel Hempstead in 1957 and thereafter Peter has painted many local scenes, some of which are popular as limited edition prints. He has exhibited often in Hemel Hempstead.   For many years Peter and Doris have supported their daughter, Sally, who ran Wagons Art Supplies in the High Street for 25 years, which latterly moved to the Marlowes Shopping Centre. Wagons Art Supplies closed in the spring of 2002 after 30 years of trading in Hemel Hempstead.