I’m Gary Peckham, son of plumber Bruce (not a Gary) and for the entirety of writing this bit of scribble, I’m a Villa fan. Just to wind up everyone’s favorite Blue Nose (that’s a Birmingham City fan, for the uninitiated), simply because I can. After I finish this, I’ll go back to being a West Ham fan.
Starting from the beginning (which is apparently the best place to start), I popped out in the maternity center of Calverley Park Gardens back in October of 1973. That makes me the ripe old age of 50 as I type this, half a century. 50 is the atomic number of tin, the fifth magic number in nuclear physics, and in milimeters, it’s the focal length of a normal lens in 35mm photography.
The first three decades
I lived in Tunbridge Wells all my life in the UK, and after a decent childhood for a Gary, and something that resembled an education, I started off as a sparky (electrician), then moved into electrical engineering, then up to chief electrical engineer, and eventually project management. Most of my work was on commercial and industrial projects in London and the south of the UK.
It wasn’t a bad life; in many ways, it was quite good. But being a bit adventurous, it quickly became too routine. Boredom set in, and I wanted to escape the envelope of Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Everything changed when I decided to sell the roof over my head and pretty much all that I owned, even my nice Ducati, and took a random one-way ticket to China.
From Blighty to Yangers: An Adventurous Gary’s Tale
I had no clue what I’d do on my adventures. My first stop was Nanning for a quick visit to see some pals, then I settled for about year in Yangshuo, Guangxi. Amongst magical misty mountains and winding rivers, it was a cracking spot for an adventurous chap like me to explore and make loads of friends!
Along my travels, I met my business partner, and we shared a lot of experiences and opinions on building a successful business, so that’s what we decided to to. We picked Shenzhen in Guangdong and we started a factory to make tools and equipment for the diamond and jewellery industry. We traveled around promoting the business and patenting our tools. After a lot of graft, our brand became well-known for its innovation and quality, which still runs successfully today!
I’ve since expanded to create another business because China has motivated me to work hard and aim at becoming half successful. So I also work on handling projects for overseas companies in Asia. Some of this involves manufacturing and exporting POP illuminated signage for alcohol brands, display lighting for luxury cosmetics, and many other projects. From construction project management to rapid prototyping, CNC milling, injection molding, and 3D printing—pretty much anything that makes that folding stuff and keeps a Gary out of trouble!
18 years in
Living in China for over 18 years has been an enriching and incredible journey, filled with unforgettable experiences and countless reasons to cherish this vibrant country. From the warm hospitality of the people to the dynamic and driven work environment, China has offered me a sense of belonging and purpose.
Beyond its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, China holds a special place in my heart for the opportunity it provided me to meet my wife – the only lady mad enough to marry a Gary. I am immensely grateful for the chance to build a life with her and to call this beautiful country our home. The diversity of the culture, and traditions has broadened my perspective and taught me valuable lessons about adaptability and open-mindedness. Through both challenges and triumphs, I have grown personally and professionally, forging lifelong connections and memories that I will forever hold dear.
Nine Rivers Distillery
I think my story is probably a bit unique in terms of how I got involved in the project. I wasn’t “part of the crowd” and I live too far outside of the city of Shenzhen to get involved in any of the Whisky Networking events.
I actually heard about the project because two of my friends, Dan and Ben, had invested as they also shared another business with one of the board members. I smelt an opportunity to sell some illuminated signage, got the contact for the CEO, and hit him up on the phone to sell him some signs.
I’d jumped the proverbial gun as Nine Rivers Distillery was still a big patch of mud and a couple of years away from producing spirit, let alone having mature whisky to sell.
But I had a really good chat with the CEO, we stayed in touch, chatted occasionally, and as I saw the social media updates of that patch of mud turning into something serious, I just wanted to be a part of it. I’ll definitely be there on site this year (I’ve been trying to make the time literally every weekend for the last year, but something always comes up at the last minute) if not before, then definitely in November when we can all finally start filling casks.
Right, back to being a Gary and a West Ham fan.
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