In our How I Make My Money series we aim to find out how people in the UK are earning their cash and making a living.
This week we speak to Peter Whiston, 74, who lives in Bromley with his wife. Peter retired at the age of 57 and makes extra cash by posing as a life model for artists.
Income: My wife and I both receive the state pension, which comes in at about £10,000 a year for the two of us. We have the money invested and take the interest from Isas, plus drawdown, to match our expenditure, and I make around £1,500 a year from life modelling work.
Outgoings: We generally spend around £50,000 a year in total as a couple. Our main monthly outgoings are groceries, at £600, gas and electric, £350, and petrol for the car, at £200 a month.
I grew up in London and my father worked as a furrier, making fur coats. We were well off as a family, but not rich. I completed a university degree in civil engineering and went on to work as a transport consultant for many years.
I retired in 2006 at the age of 57, having always maintained that I planned to retire before reaching 60! Being financially secure was the only criteria I had when it came to being ready to retire.
It is a strange feeling having the rest of your life in front of you, completely empty. One of my good friends acted as a “retirement consultant” for me. He told me not to commit to anything for six months and only do what I enjoy doing. I keep myself busy with gardening, singing with an opera company and walking my dog. I’m a keen flight simulator enthusiast and can fly an Airbus A3230 and a Spitfire.
I also do life modelling and run a naturist walking group. I’ve enjoyed being nude for most of my life and soon realised I only ever really needed clothes when it was cold. Being a nudist in summer is great because it is nice and warm, but in the winter, it is more difficult! This is why I got into life modelling.
I did my first life modelling class in 1997 after getting in touch with the life drawing tutors at my local adult education college. It did feel a bit strange, but the students saw different nude models every week. There were 15 artists in the room, and I got free tea and biscuits. The students were busy doing their drawing and painting and it was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
I was once doing an all-day life modelling session at Kensington Palace in London for what was previously known as the Princes Drawing School, now the Royal Drawing School. I received £14 an hour for the job. After lunch, the tutor, Andy Pankhurst, an eminent artist, hinted we might have some visitors. A few minutes later, a royal entourage arrived. There were a couple of royal flunkies there, together with the now King Charles, then Prince Charles, and Camilla. The class was stopped, and I quickly covered up, as per royal protocol.
Camilla went off down one side of the room and Charles came down the side of the room where I was. Charles was chatting to the students and discussing their drawings. A royal flunky turned to me and asked my name – “Peter” I replied, to which the flunky turned to Charles and said: “Charles, this is Peter”. Charles shook my hand and said that it was “so nice to meet me”. He then said: “I suppose that you are taking a tea break”, to which I replied that it was more of a Royal Highness break as we did not want to embarrass him!
In terms of the most I’ve been paid for life modelling work, a photographer got in touch with me as he wanted to put together a portfolio of mature life models. He’d hired a studio at The Camera Club in Kennington and thought the job would take four hours to complete and was willing to pay me £20 an hour. He took loads of great photos, but thought I wasn’t wrinkly enough! So, the session was over in just over an hour, but he still paid me £80.
From what I understand, the lowest going rate at the moment for life modelling is about £14 an hour, while the going rate is about £25. Depending on what an artist wants, some life models might be able to command even higher fees.
I make about £1,500 a year from my life modelling work, so it’s not a huge sum, but it’s great to have the extra money to put away for holidays to Greece. To get £40 in your pocket for standing naked in front of a bunch of strangers for a couple of hours suits me just fine.
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