Sparty's Background

A little background

Born in Florence, Italy, to an Italian mother and jolly fine English through and through father, the renowned Mr Harrison-Smythe.

No doubt owing in part to his beloved mothers ethnic roots, named Sparticus Horatio Harrison-Smythe - known as Sparty to his friends.

Family moved back to England when Sparty was aged eight, when he was immediately sent to boarding school, Hilton College, London, where he was brought up in a very posh manner with all the appropriate airs and graces of a privileged one.

Oxford University followed, where he studied the Classics, and it was during his time at university that he first set eyes on his beloved Erotica in the University bar. That said, he was a slow starter, and they didn't actually get together until they met again some eight years later whilst on an elephant shoot in the The Gambia.

With an immense interest in shooting, following University Sparty took up photography and used his newly acquired skills to great advantage. Following his notorious pornography years, he found his way and settled into wildlife photography, for which he remains renowned and respected today. Probably his most famous photograph, "an elephant scratching", still hangs at the National Gallery to this day.

Erotica and Sparty met, fell in love, and within the space of six months were married. Their first child arrived three months later.

Both have now settled down in the Cotswolds in the family home, where they now have four children, two dogs, five horses, two four by four's and a cat called Juliet.

They have adopted a caring and concerned approach to the world around them, and when they are not taking photographs of the world spend their time worrying about others and the Health and Safety issues that effect their lives.

Her Royal Majesty approached Sparty and Erotica late 2008 suggesting that they would be the ideal couple to undertake her requested Health and Safety review, and with their sights firmly set on knighthoods and the like, they readily agreed.