I was an election poster boy

In the spring of 1983 I was temporarily unemployed between junior doctor jobs. An acquaintance suggested that I meet some colleagues of her husband, who might pay me to work as a model. I was intrigued.

At the glamorous advertising agency they told me about a big public service trade union’s plan to run a campaign about the evils of cutting public spending. One poster was to highlight unemployment among professionals, and they thought it prudent to use real people as photographic models. I would need only to be unemployed on the day of the photograph. They showed me a sketch of the poster, which showed four unemployed mugs, and told me that the photographer was to be Lord Snowdon. I laughed out loud at the thought of the Queen’s brother in law working for the National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO).

Snowdon’s studio was at his home in Kensington. As requested, I took with me a white coat and a stripy tie. The art director and …