First attempt at trying to play the harp at the age of 17 at Oundle school.

Chamber music at Oundle school with a little more assurance

The harp I bought for 50 shillings and restored. Rehearsal with the National Youth Orchestra at the age of 19

The National Youth Orchestra c.19 years old.

My wonderful first teacher Frances Callow who had studied in Paris with Henriette Renié

The student orchestra of Great Britain with Sir Malcolm Sargent conducting - Britten's young Person's Guide to the Orchestra at the Royal Festival hall c.1957

David with his teacher Solange Renié - niece of Henriette Renié.

Israel Competition 1962, playing in the second round - Fauré Impromptu.

Pierre Jamet and Jacqueline Borot at the 1962 Israel competition.

Uncle Harry, (Harry Brown) who paid for much of my studies in Paris and introduced me to the visual arts as well. I have an enormous feeling of gratitude for what he did.

Playing duets with Uncle Harry, (Harry Brown)

Uncle Harry, (Harry Brown)

Uncle Harry with the composer and painter Peter Mieg at Lenzburg in Switzerland.

Turning pages for the harpsichordist of the ensemble ArsRediviva at the Brown House in Baden.

30 years later giving a recital in the same gallery.

Notice photos in the cabinet: Dinu Lipatti, Clara Haskill, Fernand Caratgé, Harry Brown & myself !! Notice the magnificent Monet on the right.

In front of my favourite Cezanne landscape.

In the entrance hall waiting to play.

With the composer Elizabeth Poston outside Rook's Nest House (Howards End).

Rehearsal for Elizabeth Poston's "English Day Book" written for the Farnham Girls choir and David Watkins.

Discussing a musical point with (Sir) Colin Davis during a recording of the "Trojans" by Berlioz and with the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden.

Photo from Music Herald Magazine of six harps. Members of the orchestra said "David's at stud again".

Had a great friendship with Zoltan Kodaly and his young wife Sarolta. He introduced me to George Solti and the R.O.H. Orchestra.

Forty years later after my recital in Budapest with Sarolta Kodaly.

What a moving experience that was.

Teaching publicity for Boosey and Hawkes and the Aoyama lever harp.

A line up of well known judges for the harp competition in the Isle of Man. Rodney Slatford and David Dunn in the background. Natalia Shameyeva, Karl Patras, Evelyn Barbarolli, Susanna Mildonian, Francis Pierre, Emmy Hürlimann, Mario Falcao, David Watkins

The London Early Music Group Alan Lumsden, Oliver Brookes, David Watkins, Paul Elliot, James Tyler

Stokowski conducting when I was a soloist in Paufnik's Universal Prayer.

With Sidonie and Marie Goossens.

Waiting to play in the Royal Chapel at Versailles

Taking a bow

Maria Korchinska and Phia Berghout.

Walter Susskind and David Watkins studying the score of the Concertino Pastorale (by David Watkins) before the performance by the L.P.O. at the Royal Festival Hall.

David Watkins rehearsing his own Concertino Pastorale with the L.P.O. for a concert at the Royal Festival Hall Walter Susskind conducting.

Rehearsing Debussy's Danses with the Belgian Chamber Orchestra at the Elizabeth Hall.

Jana Bouskova, Susanna Mildonian, David Watkins, Marielle Nordmann in Budapest.

Another line up which also includes Andrea Vigh.

Marielle Nordmann sight reading!

David Watkins with Helga Storck.

With the distinguished Italian guitarist Claudio Piastra

With Isabelle Moretti and Catherine Michel.

Jakez François and Isabelle Moretti.

Germaine Lorenzini.

Marielle Nordmann and Mairie-Claire Jamet.

With Jana Bouskova.

With Autonella Valenti Cardiff 1991.

With Osian and Renee Ellis.

With Helga Storck.

Recital at Burghley House, Stamford with Charlotte Rothschild for Norma and John Major.

With Maxim Shostakovitch after concert at the Royal Festival hall. We were both born on the same day.

With Vera Dulova and Varvara Ivanova when she played my Petite Suite in Moscow.

With Varvara Ivanova.

With Vera Dulova.

With Nathalia Shameyeva and an interview for the radio Moscow.

With Josef Molnar in Moscow.

Writing up my papers for the competition in Moscow.

With Olga Erdeli in Moscow.

With Percy Edwards (Evening Standard) and John Lill in Moscow.

With Dame Ruth Railton 35 years after she chose me to play with the National Youth Orchestra.

With Emmy Hürlimann the leading Swiss Harpist who was a friend for 40 years.

Cardiff 7/7/1991 together with Phia Berghout.

With Mary O' Hara

With Bryn Lewis, Karen Vaughan, Skaila Kanga and Elizabeth Frayling Cork in Dublin.

With Dame Joan Sutherland.

With Valery Gergiev at the rehearsal with the Orchestra for World Peace at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000.

Publicising the new Rover 75!

Publicising the new Rover 75!

With HRH Prince Charles at Gwydir Castle in North Wales.

With Ann Griffiths at a Harp Festival in Switzerland.

With Rostropovitch when we were made fellows of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. With my sisters Sue and Helen and Rostropovitch's wife Galina Vishnevskaya.

With Marielle Nordmann and Isabelle Moretti. Recently Marielle gave the celebratory Recital at Teignmouth to remember the bicentenary of Parish Alvars birth. It was the finest recital of Romantic Music for the harp that I have ever heard. Isabelle's recording of Rodrigo's "Concerto Serenata" and her recent performance of the Ginstera Concerto are quite wonderful and as close to the composers text as any harpist could achieve.

The great Italian harpist Clelia Gatti Aldrovandi who was the dedicatee of Hindemith's Harp Sonata

Waiting to "go on" - before a recital in Italy

David Watkins with an Erard single action harp

David Watkins with an Erard single action harp