FORMER RADIO STAR MOURNED
TRIBUTES have been paid following the death of former BBC Radio Bristol presenter John Turner.
John, who was 71, retired in July 2007 after 29 years at the station.
The popular presenter was known to his listeners as JT and also had a longrunning column in the Western Daily Press called ‘Turner’s View’.
The cause of his death has not been confirmed.
Shortly after he announced his retirement from daily radio in 2007 he told Daily Press readers of his career highlights.
He said: “The spellbinding 40 minutes I spent in the company of Peter Ustinov springs to mind, as do my onair arguments with Geoffrey Boycott, Robert Kilroy Silk and “Lord” Archer.
“Meeting the legendary bluesman, Dr John, gets top marks and I’ll never forget kissing the hand of the great ballerina, Dame Margot Fonteyn, or sitting in a studio with Salman Rushdie – and his armed police guard.”
BBC Radio Bristol editor Jess Rudkin said he had “inspired, nurtured and supported many of our team”.
Ms Rudkin said he was a “true legend of local broadcasting”.
“Over nearly 30 years with us, he built an immense following on his regular shows, and for thousands of Bristolians he will always be remembered for his proud and evocative live reporting of the moment that Concorde came home, landing for the final time at Filton.
“He was an incredibly gifted, versatile broadcaster who truly understood the craft of radio, and he was a muchloved and respected friend and col- league to everyone here,” she said.
At the time of his retirement Radio Bristol’s then managing editor, Tim Pemberton, said: “It’s hard to imagine BBC Radio Bristol without the voice of John Turner and he is going to be greatly missed by both the listeners and us, his colleagues.
“Whether he was presenting a marathon 12 hours of live radio for the climax of the Babe Appeal, covering an election or Concorde’s last flight home to Bristol he always managed to strike the right tone, switching from humour to serious discussion with consummate ease.”
Perhaps best known for his phone-in show Talking Back and consumer programme Sounding Off, Bristol-born John was also a musician and guitar teacher as well as, in his own words, a “part-time rake and bon viveur”.
But he reckoned he found his true role in life when he joined Radio Bristol in 1978.
John enjoyed music ranging from Mozart to Bob Dylan and James Taylor.
He also enjoyed fine wines and reading non-fiction - although his favourite book was a novel, Robert Tressell’s The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists.
He was a fan of travelling in France and Italy, whose food he adored.
John, who is survived by his wife Pat, also enjoyed reading classic literature.
He was a big fan of Samuel Pepys’ diaries, but could also be found with a grin on his face and a copy of the writings of those two other great social commentators, Jeffrey Bernard and Auberon Waugh.