We see that on Jim (James) Perrin’s Facebook he has chosen to post a photograph of himself almost saint-like, and appropriately encircled with stars… (which he has borrowed from the EU flag). The gentle, benevolent smile belies the truth. We noted how in an earlier Country Diary entry: ref. Jim Perrin sends his blessings, he sent ‘his blessings’ to his readers at Christmas.

In our opinion Jim Perrin is heartless, manipulative and a narcissistic personality and in posts on our site we have presented dozens of evidences of the real character of this man.

It is also apparent that he continues to lie. His details (‘education’) of having attended the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre — in Birmingham — are utterly false: and how he so blatantly still claims this to be the case when there is no record of his attendance at that establishment at all: ref. Jim Perrin has lied about his connection with the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, goes only to show his cool determination to deceive whenever he considers he can do so with impunity. Surely this is gross misrepresentation? We wonder how the Quakers feel about this appropriation of their name? Particularly as so opposite is the way Jim Perrin conducts himself to their beliefs and way of life…  Jim Perrin’s aptitude to present as truth what so patently is a lie is positively Trumpian in its scope.

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It is interesting to read in the Times of July 8th, 2020, a piece by Henry Zeffman:

‘A new book by Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, alleges that he paid a stand in to sit university exams on his behalf. As a high school student in Queens, New York, the future president found someone to pose as him while taking the SAT, according to a copy of the book seen by the New York Times. His high score enabled Mr Trump to get into Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. The president has often boasted about attending Wharton which he described as ‘The best school in the world’ and ‘Super genius stuff.’ (Of course, by implication, he is himself a genius, and ‘bigly’…)

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Well, it seems, there is a remarkable reverse similarity between these two men, both believed by many to be charlatans. For an example, according to one of our well-wishers:

‘It was, in the 1970s, common knowledge amongst Jim Perrin’s climbing friends that he bragged that he sat ‘O’ level examinations in English for friends and acquaintances at Friars School in Bangor, in North Wales, in return for a fee of fifty pounds. These were people who had enrolled as external students to sit the exam but who need not necessarily have attended lessons at the school. It was of course before photo ID or similar security was introduced, and posing as an external student Jim Perrin would not have been recognised or identified by school staff. In those days English ‘O’ level was always amongst the minimum qualifications needed to get into almost any job so there was was always probably a consistent demand for his services. Obviously it is hardly likely that any of those he assisted in that way would ever now admit to their own cheating.’  But, as our well-wisher clearly remembers, ‘it was common knowledge at the time’ and ‘he openly bragged about it.’

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As far back as the 1970s then, and to the present day, Jim Perrin has consistently lied and cheated — his constant modus operandi.

He is living in France now, with his current partner — except the corona virus seems to have found him in Wales much of the time. We would be very pleased to supply his French address to anyone who would like it. (And his address in Wales, in Talsarnau.)

Even if the Guardian are aware that usually he is now based in France perhaps they are willing to accommodate him — ‘Friends in High Places’? — as they did when previously he posted no less than thirteen entries from Ariège. But as we said when we wrote about this in the past, surely there are nature lovers in Wales, (even genuine Welsh men and women!) very well able to produce quality work about the flora and fauna of their country — and perhaps without resorting to the sly political emphases with which Jim Perrin frequently chooses to barb his contributions; standing on his soap box so to speak…

We had not thought the country diaries were designed to be an outlet for individual bias, political or otherwise, nor, by unkind words and implications, the denigration of fellow diarists. One has only to read the comments threads to pick out the pontifical offerings of Drudwy Branwen and  Melangell* (two of the author’s aliases, though now  he usually writes as Drudwy Branwen as he discontinued the latter when we wrote several posts exposing him) to be aware of the insinuating and deceitful trains of thought with which he indulges himself, while on the other hand he frequently uses the Guardian pages to flatter his friends and cronies. We think Jim Perrin thinks he is invincible…

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Jim Perrin’s misogynistic traits appear to have spread to traducing the editor in chief of the Guardian Katharine Viner. His Facebook comments on that newspaper (the paper that pays him!) are extraordinary; are worse than despicable… some are particularly scabrous.** We do wonder if Jim Perrin is ‘losing it’ having lorded it so long at the Guardian — even stating at one point that diarists are only replaced if one dies (never sacked!) thus staking his claim to be employed by them in perpetuity. And to be paid by them. Not one penny of what he has earned has been given to the mothers of the children who are legally entitled to his financial support. We do know that the paper has been contacted,*** by others as well as ourselves.

Jac’s sisters.

*        This thread can be found following Sir Andrew Motion’s review of West. To read it is to see clearly how Jim Perrin used Melangell as we have described.

**      He perhaps thought better to remove these, but: we have copies…      

***    ‘He who helps the guilty, shares the crime.’  (Publilius Syrus, Sententiae.)