Geriatric1927 still sharing his story on YouTube!

originally posted February 1, 2007
May 2021: reformatted; one link deleted, one link updated; revised text is noted

Since the middle of last year, a widower named Peter has been sharing the story of his life on the video blogging site YouTube.com. His life story is fascinating, and, if you know of anyone who still does not understand the value of sharing personal histories, Peter’s stories will serve as an introduction and a justification. From laughter to tears, Peter tells us all about his life in England. Watch a few of his videos (most range in length from three to five minutes; very few stretch to eight) and enjoy him.

I’ve always believed that everyone has a story to tell, and Peter’s words of history, reflection, and comment reinforce that belief. While you’re at the site, be sure to watch the video of the sketch artist who drew Peter’s portrait—it is amazing. And, take a look around YouTube, too. Sure, you’ll find lots and lots of junk, but somewhere amongst it all, you might just stumble upon another jewel or two.

UPDATE: “Peter” was eventually identified as Peter Oakley, who was born on August 20, 1927, and served in World War II as a radar mechanic for the British army; he also gained fame as a member of the British rock band known as the Zimmers (see a performance of their hit single and read some background at this link, also on YouTube). He holds the record for being the first “YouTuber” to reach the milestone of 25,000 subscribers and uploaded 434 videos between 2006 and 2014. Peter succumbed to cancer on March 23, 2014, about five weeks after his final video. Read biographical tributes to him here or here.

image information: Featured image, via YouTube.com.