Every knight needs a trusty steed, and Sir Jon Trimmer now has Lucille, a gift from Ryman Healthcare.
Over a 60-year ballet career Sir Jon and his wife Lady Jacqui danced all around the world before settling back to life at home as long-term artists with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Sir Jon danced for the late Queen Elizabeth five times, and also for King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales. He also danced with Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev and performed in the Royal Danish, Sadlers Wells and Australian ballet companies.
Now 84, Sir Jon is enjoying his retirement years with Lady Jacqui in their beachside home at Paekakariki, north of Wellington.
Sir Jon has a group of long-term ballet supporters, and they realised mobility was becoming an issue for him because of arthritis and an old injury.
So his friends got in touch with long-term RNZB supporter Ryman Healthcare to see if what could be done to help.
Soon after the beautiful Lucille – a racing blue scooter – was delivered to Sir Jon with the compliments of all his friends at Ryman.
It was love at first sight for Sir Jon and Lucille.
“I love Lucy – she does everything I need and she’s great to drive,’’ Sir Jon says.
Sir Jon named the scooter after American actress and comedienne Lucille Ball. He’s also a fan of the Kenny Rogers ballad Lucille – but his Lucille won’t be leaving him anytime soon.
Sir Jon has always considered himself a fortunate man because of the length of his career and the audiences he entertained.
“I’m lucky because I danced for 60 years with no serious injuries, but all those years of lifting ballerinas have taken a toll. I had an ankle injury a long time ago which healed beautifully but is now coming back to haunt me. And there’s arthritis of course!’’
Sir Jon and Lady Jacqui have lived in their Paekakariki home for more than 40 years and they are just a short distance from the train station.
Which is lucky because Sir Jon does not drive and has never owned a car, so they’ve always relied on public transport to get to rehearsals and performances in Wellington.
But without a Lucille to help the trip to the station was becoming daunting.
Now he’s mastered Lucille’s controls he is a familiar sight in the village speeding to the shops and they’re the talk of the village.
“Don’t tell me I need a licence to drive Lucille,’’ he laughs as he scoots off to the shops.
