John Perkins

When one thinks of the 'Tower of London' the images that spring to mind are usually of the crown jewels, the ravens, the executioners block and of cause, the Yeoman Warders commonly known as Beefeaters. There are however, many other aspects to the Tower, including some of its personnel that often seem to get overlooked. For your further interest, this section will now also feature an insight on some of the other important characters that make up the workings of this great historical attraction.

THE CROWN JEWELS (The Jewelhouse Supervisor)

Military Service & Rank: None

Yeoman at the Tower Since: 1977

Interests & Hobbies: History of stately homes & castles / Sophisticated food tasting

For several hundred years the Tower of London has been home to the royal collection of priceless treasures. These, of cause include the crowns and sceptres of England's sovereign rulers past and present. For that reason the Jewelhouse within the tower is one the most secure and impregnable buildings in the world.

I'm sure, many of you have often wondered as I have, what type of person would take on a job that caries with it titles such as 'Keeper of the Jewelhouse' or 'Keeper of the Crown Jewels'. I decided to find out for myself, what exactly it takes to be part of the team that is responsible for looking after one of the most valuable collection of jewels in the world.

Who better to ask than one of the Tower of London's longest standing members of staff, jewel house supervisor, former zookeeper, professional gastronomist and staunch south Londoner, John Perkins. On one of England's rare warm summer's nights, after consuming several drinks in the Yeoman Warders club I asked him about his life in and away from the Tower of London. This is what he told me.

'Well, before I came here I had done various jobs including one as Zookeeper at London zoo which was quite enjoyable but not enough to make me want to stay long term. Believe it or not, when I applied for a position in the Tower of London I just thought of it as an ordinary job. It wasn't until I had actually been here for a short while that I began to realise that this was far from being your average run of the mill nine to fiver. I suppose it was peoples, friends and relatives reaction to what I do that brought things home to me. Now, of cause after all these years I'm used to the situation but I do get fascinated by the reaction I often get when I tell people what I do'.

What does it take to have the responsibility of looking after England's crown jewels and could anyone become part of the small but elite group in charge of the jewel house.

'First and foremost is a decent haircut, so that puts the likes of you right out of the picture' came John's immediate joking reply while taking a pint of lager I had just bought him. 'In actual fact hair does play an important part as the jewelhouse uniform actually involves wearing a tophat during the Towers long opening hours'.

Joking aside, if someone with the right appearance i.e. haircut came along what else would be required of them.

'Obviously, a person can't just walk in without the right references and credentials because of the nature of the work involved. Honesty is at the forefront with no criminal record or dubious past, an interest in history and a pleasant manner at dealing with people are all high on the list. Fortunately, I had all these attributes when I came for the job and my knowledge and interest in history has grown since I've been here'.

So, when John Perkins came to the Tower of London he had what it takes to be offered a position in one of the most prestigious houses in the world, the Jewelhouse. Over the years he has proved himself worthy of several promotions and is now the 'Jewelhouse Supervisor' with, as he is quick to point out a great team working underneath him. These include senior wardens who help run the jewelhouse and make sure everything runs smoothly, especially during the Towers high season.

'I love my work here' says John 'and I especially enjoy working alongside the Yeoman Warders, the behind the scenes staff, the security and all those who contribute so much to making the Tower of London what it is. I honestly do believe that there are very few places in the word that can match it'.

Among the things John finds most interesting when he is on duty is taking VIP's, such as foreign heads of state on after hour tours of the Jewelhouse. On his days off he enjoys visiting the many stately homes and castles around England to learn their history. Last but certainly not least he likes relaxing over a wholesome meal and a drink with some of his good south London friends. As you have probably noticed by the above photo's John has the appearance of a man who enjoys a good bite to eat and is someone, to coin a phrase 'not to be trifled with'.

On the subject of food, I'm sure he won't mind me telling you this little anecdote on something he did recently.

A short while ago while enjoying a social evening with some friends John noticed a sign mentioning that there were huge three-pounder beefsteaks on the menu as the weeks special. The sign also said that anyone who can devour one completely plus all the trimmings will not have to pay for it or the meal of one other person at their table. Well, being a man who likes a good challenge John took the bull by the horns, so to speak and ordered. To the accompaniment of prompting from everyone in the restaurant plus a constant supply of alcohol kindly supplied by his friends he managed, after a struggle to finish his gargantuan meal.

The restaurant erupted with cheers and applause from customers and staff alike but John says he felt as though he was going to erupt and explode. Apparently to wash the meal down his consumption of alcohol was no less than thirteen pints of ale. He told me that originally he was seriously contemplating whether to drink mineral water to accompany the steak. He quickly erased that thought by figuring that if he stayed sober he would realise what he was doing and give up the challenge. His rethink paid off at the expense of how he felt afterwards as he told me.

'I like a good night eating out and make no apologies for being a red meat eater. Nice juicy steaks are definitely high on my list of favourite foods. I have to say though that this was without doubt a one off situation and I will be reluctant to do it again. I felt ill for about a week and even now when I think about it sometimes I start to heave. On the other hand, it was a damn good steak'.

So, if there are any owners of restaurants reading this who are thinking of offering similar challenges and bets as the above think twice. Make sure that a Mister John Perkins from the Tower of London hasn't made a reservation as you may just end up with egg on your face and running at a financial loss for the evening.