Jeremy, I have just snapped my last paintbox.
It was given to me by a friend of the family as an encouragement in, I think, 1953.
By that time, the early seeds of photography had already been sown, and when I found Vogue etc. there was no turning back. Then, in '59, along came a copy of Popular Photography Annual, and my introduction to one Saul Leiter. I guess that definitely confirmed the earlier point of no return. I don't know if it's a case of ;-) or of ;-( but either way, that's what went down.