Roderic (Rod) Perkins (1 Jun 1932 - 5 Aug 2018)

In loving memory of Roderic (Rod) Perkins who sadly passed away on 5th August 2018.

Dad was born in Paulton on 1st June 1932 to John and Vida Perkins. He had two brothers Malcolm and Graham, both of whom have sadly passed away.
Dad’s family lived in the small Somerset village of Stoke St Michael (formerly Stoke Lane) on the Mendips. In fact Malcolm’s wife and one daughter still live there. His dad helped by his mum ran the village garage and undertook taxi work. Dad being the eldest was often called upon at any time he was there to serve petrol using the old hand crank petrol pumps and paraffin from the tank at the back, so had quite a hard time. However he had a number of stories to tell about the sale of bicycle parts and the old glass batteries exchanged for village folk.

His village life comprised of going to the village school, participating in the school choir and playing football for the village team, of which Malcolm was also a member. Dad had a Football medal which he couldn’t remember where from, but going through his papers the last few days there is a photo of him in a 6 aside team after winning a local inter village competition - query solved!

Again the war provided many tales. The visit by Churchill, Montgomery and Eisenhower for a top level meeting at the village pub, the day a dispatch rider riding through the village accompanying American troop lorries not making it around the corner in the village centre outside his Dad’sgarage and crashing - well they did travel about 30 without slowing down! Another was when he was with his Dad delivering stone from a Stoke quarry to the village of Imber on the Salisbury Plains to build barracks for when the villagers were evicted! However the stone got stuck in the back of the lorry so the front of it dangled in the air so he and his dad had to jump out!

His secondary education was at Wells Blue School and again many recollections were regularly recounted about the cycle ride to Cranmore in the rain and snow to catch the steam train ride to Wells and the smuts over nice clean school wear! Heaven help him when he got home!

His first job was with an Accountancy firm in Frome. Again he used to cycle until his father agreed to a motor bike but only after Graham had already paved the way in getting a non runner started. This was interrupted by National Service for 3 years based near Gloucester. It was about 1955 that he met mum at Frome Fair and their romance blossomed from then. She was happy to go on the back of his much prized Norton 500 twin and they used to go to Brighton and Bournemouth on it for the odd illicit weekend!

They married in 1956 in Shepton Mallet and Dad got a job with Regent Oil Company in the accountancy section in Bristol after being demobbed. After a few years dad got fed up with an office job and got employment as a travelling salesman driving a 3 ton van for Hales cakes for 6 weeks. This job was used as a stepping stone to get a much better one as a salesman with Crawfords (now known as United Biscuits). This suited his outgoing but quiet personality but also meant an increase in salary, a much valued company car (Morris 1000 which many of us older members have had) and free biscuits! Boxes of them for him and the wider family - one day after a delivery I remember counting in excess of 60 cases in the hallway!He enjoyed the job very much and was so driven to succeed that he ended up being top salesman in his region for about 5 years with a prize each time of a fully paid long weekend to a major capital city in Europe with winners of the other regions. A trip The Folies Bergere was one he rather enjoyed! After a few years he was promoted to Area Manager and subsequently offered a post as a Regional Manager based in Liverpool. His devotion to his family meant that he turned down this promotion- mum was happy where she lived with friends and job and I was coming up to my O levels. He retired a year after mum in 1987 so they had a long retirement together!

His retirement enabled him to go to many car rallies and also a number of trips to see mum’s sister in Australia and he made sure the 6 week holiday had stop offs in different countries there and back to expand their travel experiences. Latterly the flight length was too much outweighing the delights of Australia including the Ozzy style of driving - get out of the way or else! He was up for trying many things and even went on a choppy speedboat ride a few years ago with Graham’s family in Lyme Regis. Even 2 years ago when I took my 1930 Morris up a speed hill climb near Cheltenham he accompanied me for a new experience.

He was very giving in that he was happy to advise/mentor (in his old fashioned way) some of his nephews and grandson when asked, whom I know will and do miss him greatly. He would take constructive criticism, however if he was crossed woe betide them! (I am sure that was an inherited Perkins family trait!)

I came along in 1957! This prompted a forced move from their flat into a caravan and he borrowed some money from his Dad under a strict repayment regime which concreted his views of family needing monies in hard times. Not a skinflint but ‘careful’ which never left him. They lived there for 4 years then bought their first house in Chippenham in 1961 near work. His mortgage was expensive - 2.5% fixed from the Council! They eventually moved to Whitley in 1985 so he could build a garage to house the car, motorcycle and stationary engine collection rather pay the Council rent for garages!

His hobbies were mechanically orientated starting with his Norton motorcycle in 1952, stationary engines in the late 60‘s, numerous classic pre-war cars starting with his beloved 1934 Lanchester 18 (see front cover of Order of Service) in 1972 (which we still have and was used as my wedding car), an Austin 7 and 12 /4, and Singer 9 culminating with his Daimler V8 250. We went to many car rallies over the years and several Morris Minor rallies - not fast but great fun! During the last few months he was with us I managed to get him to a few local car meetings much to his pleasure.

He had an illness free long life and never had to stay in hospital until he was diagnosed in 2017 with Bladder cancer. This lead to ill health and he couldn’t cope looking after mum. His treatment for the cancer didn’t stop it from returning so with the complication of acute renal failure he didn’t want to continue and he sadly passed away quietly, peacefully and without pain with me at his bedside. This was his wish.

He was quite resolute in accepting his fate as he said “ I have had an illness free life which I have enjoyed with my wife Lourena which enabled us to travel and for me to enjoy my passion for old cars. It is now my time so don’t be sad for me but happy that I have had a good life’ .