BRIAN Tonks was more used to doing technical drawings than oranges when he taught design and technology.

But this month he joined a new adults beginners' drawing class at Wantage's Vale and Downland Museum, and was surprised how much he enjoyed it.

The six-week class led by local artist Vicky Vergou started on January 11 and the students had their third session on Monday – drawing oranges.

Mr Tonks, 67, who now lives with his wife in Stanford in the Vale, said: "I hadn't done much drawing in a long period so it's nice to be working on technique.

"I'm retired and I fancied a change and my wife spotted this in the paper."

The father-of-two and grandfather-of-five did not know anyone else on the course when he started but he said they were a friendly group.

He added: "I prefer to draw buildings and solid forms than flowers but we did trees the other week and that was quite good."

Mr Tonks may be better known to people in Wantage for his work creating tiny bits of furniture for a dolls' house display which will soon be on show at the museum.