After small town Brighton and the tale of Can’t Sing for You, Brighton came a jolly to the big city and time to party. My nephew and namesake, Jack, was celebrating his coming of age with his first legal drink. We helped his nearest and dearest deck out a hired hall in tinsel, balloons and streamers, transforming a working men’s club into a glitzy fairy’s grotto. As we uncovered the party platters, I asked Jack if we were to be the only gays in the village that night. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘there may be a couple of bisexuals popping along for a boogie. No big deal.’ How times have changed since I got the keys to the door. Jack was nervous (he’s a sensitive soul). Would anyone actually turn up to his 18th? He needn’t have worried; the streets of South London were empty that night.
There’s a lot of debate these days about the degenerative condition of Britain’s yoof – you could be forgiven for thinking that we’ve sired a lost generation of lazy, selfish, illiterate, shallow, celebrity obsessed mediocrities. Well there was little evidence of that poor state of affairs at Jack’s bash. Apart from a few very minor skirmishes caused by raging hormones, the trendy young things were polite, respectful, considerate and obliging. Boisterous? Certainly. Feral? Hardly. Mind you, when did eighteen year olds get to look twenty five? The hipster whiskers didn’t help. Naturally, birthday boy got horribly drunk on his first lawful binge, but the care shown by his friends was impressive and rather touching. The next morning, he rose from the dead with not so much as a twinge. Oh, to be eighteen again.
The fragrant Grace, the long term squeeze of Jack’s elder brother, is a bit of a photographer on the side and set up a photo booth for the evening. Here are some of her best shots…
Jack’s quite popular with the girls
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Liam and my sister
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/150129_313686112159989_751325329102208301_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,638" title="150129_313686112159989_751325329102208301_n" data-image-title="150129_313686112159989_751325329102208301_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/150129_313686112159989_751325329102208301_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/150129_313686112159989_751325329102208301_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Liam and my sister
Jack and his admirers
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689765_313685652160035_1652788250710271275_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,638" title="10689765_313685652160035_1652788250710271275_n" data-image-title="10689765_313685652160035_1652788250710271275_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689765_313685652160035_1652788250710271275_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689765_313685652160035_1652788250710271275_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Jack and his admirers
Brothers in arms
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Head boy, Jack and Head Girl
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Mother and eldest brother
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10418941_313685262160074_2809680761838326097_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,638" title="10418941_313685262160074_2809680761838326097_n" data-image-title="10418941_313685262160074_2809680761838326097_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10418941_313685262160074_2809680761838326097_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10418941_313685262160074_2809680761838326097_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Mother and first born
Jack and even more admirers
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10441120_313686132159987_1899176302211573532_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,638" title="10441120_313686132159987_1899176302211573532_n" data-image-title="10441120_313686132159987_1899176302211573532_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10441120_313686132159987_1899176302211573532_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10441120_313686132159987_1899176302211573532_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Jack and even more admirers
Jack’s parents
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10629788_313685945493339_6687390231279586376_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,680" title="10629788_313685945493339_6687390231279586376_n" data-image-title="10629788_313685945493339_6687390231279586376_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10629788_313685945493339_6687390231279586376_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10629788_313685945493339_6687390231279586376_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Jack’s parents
Jack and more admirers
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10649843_313686662159934_4425733125854521476_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,638" title="10649843_313686662159934_4425733125854521476_n" data-image-title="10649843_313686662159934_4425733125854521476_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10649843_313686662159934_4425733125854521476_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10649843_313686662159934_4425733125854521476_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Jack and more admirers
Me and sis
" data-lage-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689610_313686045493329_2075555501138107107_n.jpg?w=610" data-orig-size="960,714" title="10689610_313686045493329_2075555501138107107_n" data-image-title="10689610_313686045493329_2075555501138107107_n" data-orig-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689610_313686045493329_2075555501138107107_n.jpg" style="width: 199px; height: 199px;" height="199" width="199" data-medium-file="http://perkingthepansies.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/10689610_313686045493329_2075555501138107107_n.jpg?w=300" data-original-height="199" alt="" data-original-width="199" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" /> Me and sisGrace would love a few likes on her Facebook page. Would you be kind enough to oblige?
