I am Ray, and 83 years young. I have lived in Faversham 33 years in February, and they have been the best years of my life. I was born in City Road, London, and am a genuine Cockney, born within the sound of Bow Bells. I lived there for most of my first 50 years, apart from when we were evacuated to Blackpool, Wales, and Leicester during the War. Growing up in post war London was really bleak, everything was drab and grey, just like an old black and white film.  Although “Going to the Pictures” is one lasting happy memory of those dreary days. I could never have imagined that in 1979 on my first trip to the USA, I would stay at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, on Hollywood Boulevard. I have had a life long love of films of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and have my own thriving Facebook Group. I had no interest in any type of physical activity when I was young, apart from Ice skating at The Silver Blades Ice Rink, Streatham. I had weekly lessons for a while, but had to give up because my Mum couldn’t afford the 5 shillings (25 pence) fee. My first job at 15 was at Battersea Public Library, from August 1952 until August 1955. I then went to Catterick Camp, Yorkshire, and spent three years in the Royal Signals. There is not much that I can say about the next 30 years. All I can say is that I have crammed more into the last 32 years than in the first chapter of my life.

My whole life changed when I moved to Faversham. Within three months of moving here I walked out of a dead-end job where I had been festering for 18 years, and without any experience got a temp job as a Receptionist with Kleinwort-Benson, the Merchant Bank. Within three months they had taken me on permanently, and for the first time in my life, I began to have some confidence in myself.  I later asked my Boss why he had taken me on without any experience. It may be hard to believe looking at me now,  but he said that it was my appearance and that I was the smartest applicant for the job. Just over a year later I found an even better job as a Receptionist at the International Accountants  Ernst & Young, not only was it a better salary but I also received a very generous clothes allowance which enabled me to purchase two suits a year from Hackett, my favourite tailor in High Holborn. That was a very happy time, and it was there that I took part in my first physical activity since leaving the army in 1958, when a group of us from the company abseiled down our 11 story building to raise money for the 1990 London Telethon. It terrified me, but gave me a taste for excitement, and over the three years I did three sponsored Tandem parachute jumps, and raised over £3000.