We have just been told that in March last year — late! but well worth recording — there was an exchange on a thread of UKC which is certainly of interest, and shows that Jim Perrin does not always have it all his own way…

Two of the contributors posted a link to our site — and we are grateful to them for their thoughtfulness — and a third wrote the following:

‘In reply to UKC articles: Wonderful how he [JP] trips out references to classics to impress and seems to be so well read while he slags off contemporary writers∗ — (anything he might be afraid of?) — like levels of true achievement and literary regard? Remarkable the degree to which he overwrites and over obsesses about himself.

For a true reading about this man — reading/writing/literature/just the stuff of getting through with other people — read jacssisters.org — no amount of obfuscation can conceal the truth, esp. towards the women he has been involved with.’

And they go on to say, in response to a preceding remark:

‘You are so right. if only others would read their site they might recognise the blinding truth.’

We neither know ‘Roe’, nor of them, but we thank them for their clear-sighted comments regarding Jim Perrin, and for their sincere endorsement. We too wish that the scales would fall from his colleagues’ eyes — how they continue their support in view of all that has been revealed about him seems, rather than ‘loyalty’, almost to collude.

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∗  This is a reference to Jim Perrin’s outstandingly wicked reply — with the idea he slanderously produced (like a maggot in fruit) — to a question posed in the interview leading to this comments thread, about Dr Robert Macfarlane; an author of absolute integrity, sensitivity and genuine erudition.∗∗  Here is the discreditable sentence:

 ‘If Robber Macpurloin said that, he must have borrowed it from somewhere.’

The actual significance of Jim Perrin’s words may not be realised if read quickly but to reread them brings his intention into focus…  Twice, to our knowledge, he has used this phrase (once, we were told by a ‘well-wisher’, on facebook) with the clearly false and unfounded accusation of plagiarism. 

How the soaring success and popularity of Robert Macfarlane’s books, both amongst the public and in academic circles, must irk him! And does it not show how utterly mean-spirited and manipulative the man is — how low he is willing to stoop? To know his initial slander in the interview would become libel when published in the following edition of the magazine (and, under the auspices of UKC was thus twice condoned) must have gratified him greatly: it may be remembered here that Jim Perrin used another periodical similarly some years ago, when he libelled the climber and author Jim Curran…

And, as well, it is surely a judgement on those editors who allowed this phrase to stand — his Friends in High Places? In this case one ‘friend’ was Natalie Berry of UKC, who interviewed him: she might have missed the intended insult with its sly and Machiavellian play on words (was there an insinuating and confiding glance when he spoke them?). If she did spot it perhaps she thought he was merely being humorous — which would have been naïve. Did he set out his stall to charm her? (Intellectual flattery is one of his strengths.) Was its inclusion simply negligence on her part; or worse, partisan lenience? It was certainly disgraceful that no-one at UKC picked it up and threw it out, prior to its publication… One thing we have come to realise, as we have learned more about Jim Perrin, is that generally people involved with him seem trusting, and unable to see through his various stratagems — he is very ‘convincing’; plausible, we believe,

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A gesture of reparation might be made by UKC (given that the comment was certainly entirely malicious; possibly even actionable) were they to delete it from the record: it could be done with no detriment to the interview overall — and could be as discretely edited out as originally it had been subtly incorporated by Jim Perrin — which would show not only fair play but a real awareness of their magazine’s ethical standard. Otherwise, should they ‘turn a blind eye’, his deliberately malignant words remain, to damage the reputation (as of course he intended) of the one of whom he wrote. Regardless of any individual’s opinion of the work of another, the use of disparagement to ‘libel’ them is quite beyond the pale.

We think it may have slipped in, under the radar as it were, yet surely the ‘masters’ at UKC would not wish to be thought associated in the public mind with such an attack by Jim Perrin? — who blatantly used their pages as he did. (A representative of The Observer who once wrote to us said: ‘He should not be allowed to get away with it.’)

Jac’s sisters.

N.B.  Food for thought (from Wikipedia) concerning the regular comments and posts by Jim Perrin:

∗∗  ‘A scholar is erudite when instruction and reading followed by digestion and contemplation have effaced all rudeness, have smoothed away all raw, untrained incivility.’

We were told at the weekend — Sunday, November the 4th — that Jim Perrin may recently have moved; and in several earlier posts we have described how, over the years, when this elusive author has felt the CSA or the CMS (as it has been renamed) were closing in on him he hastily packed his belongings and left the address they had discovered. For one example, when our sister Jac was involved with him in 2003 he moved to her house from his own in Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant: he organised this without Jac having the least notion as to his real motive for leaving his property, and she never knew of his connection with the CSA.

We know that later, after she died — and he was thwarted in his deceitful attempt to take over the tenancy of her house from her children (by telling them, within hours of her death: ‘it had been their mother’s last wish that he should’) — he had other relationships and subsequent ‘disappearances’ and two of these we can substantiate at first hand. This was before he moved in with his current partner. He, and she, left the addresses where they lived in a) Harlech, and b) Drefach Felindre for the same reason (that is, the CMS had been in touch with him): perhaps though, as in our sister’s case, she does not know of this aspect of his life — we cannot believe he has told her… or that she would be complicit if she did know of his deliberate deception of the Child Maintenance Service.

Continue reading →

In a recent post, ‘Jim Perrin comes out’, we quoted from an article we read on the site ‘To Hatch a Crow’ which we think showed how Jim Perrin’s spite, and jealousy of Joe Simpson and his phenomenal success* seemed to have tipped him over the edge of rational behaviour.

For him to have accused Joe Simpson of lying — who had written in Touching the Void of the desperate circumstances in which he and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, found themselves — was truly foolish. And (to add to the malevolent mix) to ‘recall’ the opinion of an orthopaedic friend, anonymous and in our view almost certainly imaginary, as well as claiming that many mountaineers also thought Joe Simpson’s story questionable — was all part of Jim Perrin’s risible attempt to belittle his reputation. Continue reading →