Peter Longley was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on July 4th, 1944. His family, however, are not Scottish, but from Kent in England, where they have lived since the Sixteenth Century. Peter spent his childhood in Beckenham, Kent, and was educated at Tonbridge School, where history was his major subject. In 1963, he won a place at St. Catherine's College, Cambridge University, from whence he graduated with a Masters degree in theology. In between, he had time to study fine art at Tunbridge Wells School of Art, and join the family of an American artist as a tutor. This latter appointment took him to Ireland.
Peter had intended a career as a priest in the Church of England, but found himself drawn to Ireland where he accepted a position as a licensed Lay Reader and Preacher in the Anglican Church. Professionally, he became the Estate Manager of Tullamaine Castle in County Tipperary, from 1967 to 1977. Here, he was responsible for the management of the household plus a considerable enterprise consisting of 265 acres in mixed farming, and the design and maintenance of nearly 25 acres of gardens and grounds. He continued his voluntary work with the Church of Ireland, where he was a member of the General Synod, became in 1974, Acting Dean of Cashel Cathedral, and received training in Television and Radio communications for religious broadcasting. In Ireland, Peter had the opportunity to exhibit his paintings and began to sell. He paints in a variety of different media.
From 1977 until 2000, Peter lived mostly in Georgia, USA. At first, he lived on Sea Island and in later years moved to St. Simons Island. In 1978, he went to sea as Ship's Artist on the Swedish America liner 'Kungsholm'. There, he was responsible for all the posters, port signs, stage sets and photographer's sets. Once at sea, he moved into the social staff area, and from 1978 to 1988 was on the cruise staff of Royal Viking Line, becoming Cruise Director of the 'Royal Viking Star' in January 1984 and the 'Royal Viking Sea' in 1986. He left RVL to take up the position of Cruise Director on Cunard's 'Queen Elizabeth 2' in 1988. With Cunard, he was Cruise Director of both the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' and the 'Vistafjord', and in 1997 and 1998 he served as World Cruise Port Lecturer, speaking on the geography, culture, art, history, philosophy, and all aspects of 'Qe2’s' ports of call. Peter made many World Cruises. He has also lectured on Holland America ships.
In 1988, Peter embarked on a major project, writing an epic novel in three volumes set in the First Century—'The Magdala Trilogy'. The first book, 'A Star’s Legacy' was published in 2009 (iUniverse), and was preceded in 1996 by 'Two Thousand Years Later' (Hovenden Press), a novel set on a World Cruise, but which has an innovative and interesting link with 'The Magdala Trilogy'. His novel 'Love is where your Rosemary Grows' was published in 2003 (iUniverse) winning their Editor’s Choice award. This latter novel is about serendipity and involves the reader in the relationship between its hero, a garden, and a cancer patient. The second book of 'The Magdala Trilogy', 'Beyond the Olive Grove' was published in 2009 and the third 'The Mist of God' was published in 2011. 'Forsythia' (iUniverse), followed in 2012. This memoir of his family from 1880 to 1960 is based on his childhood recollections and woven in to a précis of John Galsworthy’s famous 'Forsyte Saga'. In 2015, his dog’s autobiography 'Orbit, Life with my People' was published (iUniverse) and in 2017 his cruise commentary 'Twenty-Five Years Before The Mast' (Page Publishing Inc.) 'Along The Eagle’s Way' is a re-write of 'The Mist of God' in British English.
In 1993, Peter married international solo flautist Bettine Clemen. They both travelled extensively all over the world, and at first made their home in Minnetonka, Minnesota as well as in Georgia. In Minnesota, Peter teamed up with horticulturist, Steve Ruce, and worked for him while researching horticultural information for 'Love is Where Your Rosemary Grows'. After Peter retired from cruise ships, he made Missouri his home. He and Bettine, now divorced, but still very close, created a retreat centre outside Seymour, the home and gardens having been the subject of articles in Springfield’s 'News Leader' and '417 Magazine'. In 2003, he designed an English Garden at Close Memorial Park, Springfield, Missouri and was elected onto the board of Friends of the Garden. From 2010 he was professionally the Horticultural Interpreter for the 114-acre Springfield Botanical Gardens. In 2010, he attended the MU Extension course to become a Master Gardener. He has often been invited as a guest lecturer in the Department of Religious Studies at Missouri State University, and he was a lector with Christ Episcopal Church in Springfield. He is an associate member of the international theological group, the Westar Institute. In his retirement, he now resides in England with his sister in Beckenham, Kent, and visits Bettine in Bavaria. He is a regular contributor to both the 'Beckenham Historian' and 'The Kelsey Park Magazine' and a lector at St. Georges, Beckenham.
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