Editing Stass Paraskos (section)

==Early life==
Paraskos was born in [[Anaphotia]] on 17 March 1933, the second of six sons of an impoverished peasant farmer.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haste |first=David |date=2014-03-28 |title=Stass Paraskos obituary |url=http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/28/stass-paraskos |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> He went to England in 1953, working first as a pot washer and waiter at the [[Aerated Bread Company|ABC Tearoom]] in London's [[Tottenham Court Road]], then moving to [[Leeds]] to become a cook at his brother's Greek restaurant.<ref>Panikos Panayi, ''Spicing up Britain: The Multicultural History of British Food'' (London: Reaktion Books, 2008) p. 158</ref> The restaurant became a popular haunt of local art students who encouraged Paraskos to enrol for classes at Leeds College of Art (later [[Leeds Arts University]]). Despite not having the usual entry qualifications to start a college course, he was spotted by the college's Head of Fine Art [[Harry Thubron]], who allowed Paraskos to enrol without the usual requirements.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haste |first=David |date=2014-03-28 |title=Stass Paraskos obituary |url=http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/mar/28/stass-paraskos |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> He became close friends with artists such as [[Dennis Creffield]], [[Terry Frost]], and [[Wilhelmina Barns-Graham]], with the latter two persuading him to move to [[St Ives, Cornwall|St Ives]] in 1959. He shared a studio apartment in St Ives with Barns-Graham until he returned to Leeds in 1961 to teach at Leeds Arts University.<ref>Norbert Lynton, ''Stass Paraskos'' (Mitcham: Orage Press, 2003) 7f</ref>