The following is from Sandra Burke of Canaan, New Hampshire. She is a relative and collector of the work of the artist. Frank Vining Smith, we affectionately called him "Smithy", was a distant cousin of mine. Although somewhat far-removed on the family tree, we were very close. I spent the greater part of my childhood summers, from age four on, with Smithy and his family. For many years he resided with his wife Nella Lesta Bonney, her sister Florence Bonney, and their dear friend, Ednah Blanchard at their High Street home in Hingham, Massachusetts. Smithy painted murals on the dining room walls of the house in Hingham. On the west wall he created a typical New England harbor scene, a great brigantine anchored in the forefront, sails half lowered and lazily flapping in the breeze, and in the far distance, a clipper beating its way into the harbor. On the north wall he created a more distant harbor (most likely Canton), with a large Chinese junk, red sails underway. A South Sea island, with swaying palm trees and a schooner on the horizon, occupied the east wall of the dining room. During the 1940s and 1950's Smithy and his family summered at Oyster Pond in Falmouth on Cape Cod. I spent a good many happy hours aboard the houseboat he kept moored in Quissett Harbor there. Boats and water were always central to Frank Vining Smith's life. In addition to his painting, Smithy loved the sea and was himself an accomplished seafarer with almost 70 years of sailing to his credit. During his lifetime he owned and sailed sixteen different yachts. Although the majestic sailing ships, which formed the best known subject matter for his paintings, had all but vanished before his day, they were by no means unknown to Frank Vining Smith. He studied the records of the ocean frigates, the great clippers, and Western Ocean packets extensively, and never placed a ship in a picture that did not include the authentic details of a vessel which had actually been built and sailed. His paintings were renowned for their accuracy and painstaking technical detail, the culmination of many years of exhaustive research on the part of the artist. His personal marine library contained nearly 300 volumes, hundreds of old photographs and illustrations, and a number of ship blueprints. Frank Vining Smith was born on August 25, 1879 in South Abington, Massachusetts, the son of Franklin Milton and Sarah Porter Vining Smith. His parents separated and Frank spent his childhood being cared for by his mother, grandmother, and sister, Susan. South Abington eventually became Whitman, renamed after Frank's great grandfather, Jared Whitman. As a boy, Frank spent summers with his grandfather at his cottage on Monument Beach in Buzzards Bay, "where" Frank said, " I acquired my love for the water and boats. I swam at six and was sailing at ten years of age." Frank graduated from Whitman High School in 1897. He spent the next two years at the Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts where he studied under Frank W. Benson (1862-1951), Philip L. Hale (1865-1931), and Edmund C. Tarbell (1862-1938). The following year he studied painting at the Central Ontario School of Design in Toronto. He later moved to New York and attended the Art Students League in New York City, while employed as a newspaper artist and cartoonist for the McClure newspaper syndicate. During his early career he held illustrating positions at the Boston Herald and the Boston Journal, eventually becoming head of the Journal's art department. Between assignments, Frank continued to pursue his love of painting, producing covers for the National Sportsman and other magazines. He drew cartoons for the Boston Globe from 1909-1910. During World War I, he worked for the U.S. Shipping Board as a camouflage artist. Frank held the position of staff artist at the Boston Sunday Herald until 1925 when, in his mid-forties, he quit the position to dedicate himself to a full time painting career. The artist estimated that he painted over one thousand marine canvases during his lifetime. He said, "You see, my newspaper training taught me to work swiftly. I work very fastI believe I turn out a painting in about half the time the average artist takes." In 1938 he and his wife, Nella Lesta Bonney settled into their new home at 64 High Street in Hingham Massachusetts. Here Smithy devoted long hours to painting in his home studio with its large windows and northern exposure. When he wasn't at his easel, he could be found working in the flower gardens just outside the studio. He was a member of the Guild of Boston Artists and a four-time winner of the Richard Mitton Gold Medal Award in the Jordan Marsh New England Artist's Show. One-man exhibitions of his paintings have been held in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and New York. His marine paintings still hang in museums and private collections from coast to coast. He was

JIMMY Dickinson holds a unique place in Pompey history. Many famous names in soccer have served their clubs with distinction and dedication but surely the most distinguished and loyal of all was 'Gentleman Jim.' He was one of the great names in football during the game's golden age after World War Two when crowds flocked back to soccer in their millions. Born in Alton in 1925, Dickinson joined Pompey from Alton Youth Club having been discovered by his maths and sports teacher Eddie Lever, who later managed his old pupil at Fratton Park. After three years' national service in the Royal Navy, Dickinson made his league debut against Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park in 1946. Having settled quickly into the side, he established the number six shirt as his own and helped steer Pompey to successive league championships with his other resplendent colleagues. His sound, consistent and unobtrusive performances earned him England recognition too - a total of 48 appearances for his country made him Pompey's most capped player of all time. More significantly he played 764 league games for Pompey - a record for one player at a single club which was not broken until Swindon's John Trollope went six better in 1980. In addition to his remarkable playing career, Dickinson was a gentleman both on and off the pitch. He was never booked or sent off in 800 Pompey and England matches. His industrious and sure footed style at either wing-half or left-half is still happily remembered today by those who watched him in probably the best half-back line this country ever had alongside Jack Froggatt and Jimmy Scoular. Dickson was a Pompey stalwart for almost 20 years. Awarded the MBE in 1964, he played his last match for the Blues a year later, helping Pompey to a 1-1 end-of-season draw at Northampton that secured safety from relegation. And when he retired from playing, his loyalty did not cease. He served Pompey as public relations officer and then secretary before reluctantly accepting the job he never wanted - that of Pompey manager - in May 1977. Relegation from the third division was avoided, but the next year Pompey dropped into soccer's basement. The worry of managing the famous old club in the fourth division affected his health and sadly, after three heart attacks Jimmy died aged 57 in 1982. The famous Pompey Chimes rang hauntingly around St Mary's Church in Fratton at a packed memorial service for the much-loved legend. Portsmouth is a city of many famous names and one with which it is synonymous is that of Jimmy Dickinson. Gentleman Jim will be remembered in Pompey forever.