Author Archives: Jacssisters

Our account of Jac’s illness — part four

After Jac’s ‘Welsh’ sister arrived at the ‘Countess of Chester’ hospital early on that Wednesday morning she was taken aside and it was explained to her how very serious Jac’s condition had become: she had fallen into a deep coma from which the nurses said there was virtually no chance she would awaken and she could die at any moment. Terribly shocked by the unexpected news she went to Jac’s room, and found her, as she had been warned, in stillness and silence. Speaking quietly to her she told her that she would try to contact the family. The nurses had explained that Jac possibly might yet hear what was said to her, as it is known that this aspect of consciousness is often still receptive near the end of life, so she begged Jac to wait for her daughter. She told her that she was trying her utmost to reach her, asking her to wait and telling her that she would soon be there — that she was coming. ‘Oh please Jac do wait for her, she will need to be with you.’

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Attempts to contact Jim Perrin had failed. The house phone was not answered; his mobile was switched off and no message could be left.  Time was dwindling and Jac’s daughter, who was an art student in a nearby town but who had no phone of her own, had to be found if it was at all possible. More phone calls — it took several to locate her. Our sister telephoned Jac’s ‘first love’, in Cumbria, telling him how grave things were and asking him if he would try to contact Jim Perrin, as she had  been unable to do so, and also Jac’s youngest son, who was in Argentina.  He managed to achieve both, although Jim Perrin said, rather strangely, ‘he would be along later — as soon as he could’. Sadly Jac’s eldest son who was supply teaching in Yorkshire also had his mobile switched off and we had no idea which school he was in. Continue reading →

Jac’s last long relationship

When Jac first decided to link her life with that of her last long term partner — a relationship which lasted for some sixteen years — it was apparent that they really were soul-mates.

He had trained as a carpenter and using his wide experience of traditional timber-framing he designs and builds imaginative ‘constructions’ for children’s playgrounds.

In 1988 he met a fellow craftsman whose interests lay in the use of musical elements and they joined forces for a time and began to create outdoor ‘musical’ play areas.  After another period of collaboration with a second craftsman he began to work alone and what evolved during this time became the series of ‘sensory installations’ from which he derives particular satisfaction and for which he is increasingly well known.

Children of all ages and abilities enjoy their interaction with the xylo bars and gongs, the touch-chimes and marimba and all the other percussive inventions which he builds into the strong and green-oak frame-work. Those children with very special needs, and those that have disabilities, respond marvellously to the sensations of physical contact with the tactile oak and to the resonance of the ‘instruments’. Continue reading →

Our answer to some reviews

Some reviews of Jim Perrin’s book West have appeared on the Amazon site, which are extremely flattering and it may be said, positively sycophantic. (Some, we are certain, are posted by the author himself…)

‘The author of this book’, one says, ‘tells us as it is’. ‘This’ says another, ‘is simply the most honest, loving and personal book I have ever encountered’! — really? — do they not read many books?

Did these people know our sister whose death as told by the author is the third part of the ‘triad of tragedy’ and who, according to Sir Andrew Motion in whose — measured — review (Guardian 27/7/10) is the main subject of the book?  We think not.

The main premise upon which this book is based, the loving and losing of our sister, their relationship and Jim Perrin’s final loss of her is in fact a farrago of false information. We have set up our own site to put the record straight. If he had not so frequently abused the trust which our sister had at first placed in him we would not now be so determined to do this; we very much regret the overwhelming necessity to show the readers of this author’s work that there lies beneath, in this book at least, a ‘heart of darkness’. Continue reading →