Perkins 65
My generation of the family realised some time ago that, if we weren't careful, we would end up meeting only at funerals. As a consequence two things have happened: every few years we look for an excuse to get together; and there is a darned good turnout whenever we do!
Recent examples of this have been my mother's 90th birthday (in 1997) and Shakespeare 2000.
So it was no surprise to me that they would not want my translation to Old Age Pensioner status to pass without a 'bash'. This was how 'Perkins 65' came about.
As has become the pattern I had the idea and my poor brother, Tim, was left to implement it!!
For some years he has earned his living organising conferences, so he was the obvious choice - well, I thought so! Happily, he readily agreed and, within hours, we had the name for the event and its emblem: 'Perkins 65' and the childhood photo of me (from around 1941, by kind permission of Polyfoto!).
My first thoughts on the subject were that I wanted it to be more than just a family 'do'. I hoped to include friends as well. Thanks to the wonders of the Internet I had, in recent years, re-established contact with old school and Scout contemporaries, so that was a good start. I thought in terms of 50 or so guests for a dinner sometime in May 2004, near to my actual birthday on the 24th.
I started to draw up a list of all those whom I would like to invite. It soon became clear that not all might be available on the date we had selected (22nd May), so I created a 'B' list.
Meanwhile, Tim had found a suitable venue for our celebrations: The Henley Hotel in - Henley-in-Arden!
This was to be one occasion when I could not take the photos, although I had foolishly thought I might! I am indebted to my cousin John Freeman, my second cousin Bob Shakespeare and my cousin-in-law(!) Marcus Coultrup - and Tim - for making their photos available:
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My cousin Gill Fisher designed, made and gave me the cake as a most welcome birthday present. Its superbly detailed decorations reflected my interests in walking and photography. |
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Gill was 'piped in' carrying the cake by our second cousin Bob Shakespeare. She later said, had she known this would happen, she would have made a smaller one! |
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I cut the cake... ... and made a speech, which Tim described as 'mercifully brief'! |
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Then Tim got out the dreaded red book, and announced 'Jim Perkins - This is Your Life'! After that I was allowed to hold the baby! |
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It wouldn't be a family gathering without a ladder photograph! |
And then there were the guests ...
The 'morning after' those of us who had stayed overnight enjoyed the warm sunshine and one another's company:
On the day itself I had a 'consolation' coffee morning for those who could not, would not (or weren't invited to!) attend the dinner the preceding Saturday. Mind you some who had turned up as well! And very welcome they were too:
Despite requests to the contrary family and friends very generously showered me with presents. These reflected my interests: a Royal Albert vase; books and book tokens; garden tokens; a year's membership of the National Trust and an electric jug. But what should I make of the 14 bottles of wine I was given!
Oh, yes ... I can't remember the name of the teddy bear!