Born to a wealthy upper middle class family Mr Perkins occupation had been dictated from birth. His family for the last four generations had run Birmingham House Antiques and Auction Rooms from a large Gothic building in the centre of the city.

They specialized in the dispersals of large country house collections. This in itself and the slightly lower fees they charged made the business a success. They also had a reputation for the up-most discretion. A highly prized trait when it came to the reparations of the clientele they dealt with.

Identified as a bright boy from an early age he had won a place at the local grammer school and had been preparing to read history at Cambridge when his father died. Mr Perkins had to make a choice between going to university or running the family business. His sense of duty won out and he took over the reins. It did enable him to continue his passion for old books, not just the collecting but also the reading and study of. Over the course of his career Mr Perkins amassed the knowledge of several Phd's a fact only known to family and a few friends.

Mr Perkins had been a member of the Territorial's for many years as well as his brother. On the outbreak of the war he and his brother sign up with a London regiment as they seem to be the first called up and are sent to the western front.

During the Battle of Hill 60 Mr Perkins won the Military Medal for his support of Lieutenant Geoffrey Harold Woolley who won the Victoria Cross during the German counter attack.