Bantock House in the heart of the city of Wolverhampton was the venue for our second UK Turner gathering this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jack Turners first production sports cars and once again glorious sunshine came out to greet us. A hidden treasure in the heart of 'Turner Country' the wonderful Edwardian Bantock House provided an ideal setting, deep within Bantock Park and surrounded by beautiful formal gardens for people to come along and see a fine selection of Wolverhampton built Turner cars assembled in the grounds on Sunday 21st August.

Thanks to a historical promotional article by Brian Shaw publicising the event in a local Wolverhampton newspaper a week prior to our gathering we attracted many local people , both curious members of the public with an interest in cars and others who fondly recall Turner cars from the time when they were actively producing vehicles in the city. As a direct result of the newspaper article two former employees of the company namely Maslen Thomas and Lawrence Davies both who worked for Jack Turner during the years of production came along to join us.

Maslen and Lawrence were also joined by club member Ken Robbins who served as an apprentice at Turner and all three provided 'Works Support' in Jack Turners absence spending considerable time sharing their recollections of the production years at the company with owners enthusiasts and the general public. I was also delighted to learn that former works foreman Dennis Pardoe is also living locally and that he wished to pass on his very best regards to all in his absence on the day.

The event attracted an impressive 12 cars on the day including an early Turner racing car , 2 A30 Sports , 4 MKI , 3 MKII and 2 MKIII including a variety of Climax BMC and Ford engine versions - Both road and race prepared.

John Kenyon was delighted to meet with Barry Knight who owned his early Turner racing car (004) some 50 years ago and who provided much information to John filling in a large gap on this cars racing history. Barry made contact with the register through a friend just prior to the Bantock event in the hope of finding his old car and just over a week later was reunited with it and sitting back behind the wheel of MAB 121.

Bill and Kate Sherras drove down from Derbyshire in their early A30 sports, (30/040) a car which recent research has confirmed was once owned and raced with success by three famous female drivers Betty Haig , Isobel Robinson and Sue Taylor during the late 50's and early 60's.

I think it would be fair to say however the one car that really stole the show, and looking far from what it's famous nick-name suggests was the Immaculately prepared 'Tatty Turner' which arrived much to many peoples surprise and delight in front of the house under it's own power and looking absolutely stunning in its period racing livery. Tatty has been completely renovated by DWR (Dave Whitehurst Racing) for the new owner and fitted out with a state of the art rebuilt 120 + bhp Coventry Climax engine and sitting now on attractive minilite style wheels. Tatty Turner will very soon be taking the back on the historic racing scene and will I am sure be setting the pace again just as it did back it its heyday with Pat Ferguson and Warwick Banks at the wheel.

Other guests I should mention were Julian Gerrard, Son of the late Bob Gerrard (who had so much success in everything he ever drove including a Turners) and Chris Smith (CEO Westfield Sports Cars) who started out racing Turners during the 60's

My thanks to Paul and Charmaine Tilley  from Australia who joined us at the event during their UK stay, with Paul accepting the role of official photographer for the day and organising various individual shots as well as a nice group photo shot of cars and owners on the lawns in front of the house. Paul is no stranger to the marque as he has a Turner of his own a back home in Australia.

Finally the day was rounded off by a number of cars and owners taking in a road run around the various sites of the former Turner works, accompanied by Ken Robbins and Lawrence Davies we headed in procession to Seisdon for a photo shoot outside the Old Smithy which still looks very much as it would have during those early days, then on to the former Merridale Street location (Now a fire station) and on then to Pendeford business park which is built on the site of the former Pendeford Airport works for a final photo opportunity.

The day was certainly a terrific success and no doubt gathered together the largest number of Turner cars in Wolverhampton since the Pendeford works closed for the last time back in 1966.

I would like to personally thank Brian Shaw and Ken Robbins for all their help in both arranging the event and suggesting such a fitting location for the gathering And on behalf of us all thank you to all who came along with or without cars, Both at Crickhowell and Bantock House for helping to put on such a good show for all our visitors during the 50th anniversary year

Here's to the next 50 years Turnering! Cars in attendance at Bantock House August 21st 2005

John Kenyon (004) MAB 121 Bill Sherras (30/040) TSV 483 Brian Shaw (30/095) 959 CMB James Bilderbeck (60/289) KJE 460 Nigel Taylor (60/291) 700 AVO DWR - Tatty Turner (60/369) 678 ERC Derek Bentley (60/375) 2 RTD Ray Jones (61/475) PBF 570 Pip Greasley (61/494) 838 BWB Russell Filby (62/563) BTU 737B David Valsler (65/631) YRD 518 Brian Shaw (66/656) GOK 444D

Russell Filby

Click Here for more pictures of the Bantock House event courtesy of Bev Parker