This yearís magazine journalism students enjoyed a return visit from Peter Baistow, the Associate Design Editor of the Sunday Times.

Presiding over the Culture and Books section of the Sunday Times, few other Design Editors have both his poise and command over the page.

It was with enthusiasm that he greeted the students, saying his return to Preston to talk is now becoming a rewarding annual fixture.

Peter seemingly has many different roles. “I can never decide what to be!” he said. Away from his position as Design Editor, he also works as a freelance photographer (“architecture, interiors, gardens, that sort of thing.”) and teaches at the University of the Arts, London (formerly London College of Printing).

Design and editing

It is in the arts where he developed his interest for design and editing. Having studied fine art at St. Martins, in London, he moved into visual communications as a postgraduate at Manchester, where he took up photography for the university paper.

His path into design came from his love of photography and the way some of his photographs were handled by less caring design editors. “Once you take a picture you hand it over to someone else. I wanted to regain control,” he said.

The group were treated to a slideshow with commentary. The display not only showed the curiosities of Peterís ‘Postcard wall,’ put together in associated significance of unlikely similarities and changing times, but also his expertise in fine art, photography, and architecture.

Resonance

“I think thereís a resonance that spans centuries and events,” he said, almost reassured by the familiarity in situations displayed in past and present forms on the busy, yet highly organised wall.