Outlook


The furniture man with a passion for fishing bygones


IN llnmimq'lon Sired, liiiniley, is an old stone building, on the wall of which is a sign saying “ Ilammerton I'Tiriiishiiig


Centre”. Inside, it looks like like


many other furniture shops, except there are no staff, no advertisements and the only person on the premises remains inside a small office w h ic h o v e r lo o k s th e showroom. Over recent years, the


overwhelming interest o f the proprietor. Mr (Iraham Turner, has been in a totally consuming passion in pro­ ducing the finest hook on fishing tackle for collectors. It all starteil in 11)7-1 when


Mr Turner, who lives in H u rs t ( I r o e n hut then resided in Rochdale, visited an auction and purchased a Hardy brothers split-cane rod and reel for small son Warren, who had an intense


Recently, a split-cam* rod


MURRAY WALKER meets a remarkable man with a passion for collecting fishing tackle who has now produced a book on the subject which is selling till over the world.


passion for fishing. Now, Hi years later, that


small hoy is a marine biolo­ gist with an honours degree from Liverpool University, w o rk in g with Voluntary Services Overseas and with a place on an M.Xc. course at S t ir l in g U n iv e r s i t y . Meanwhile his father Inis one o f the greatest collec­ tions of fishing tackle and has produced a hook which is considered by many as the ‘Bible' for fishing tackle enthus ias ts — ''P is h in g Tackle, a (Collector’s Guide" (Ward Lock .C25). One of the best financial


investments in recent years has been in quality fishing tackle, and Mr Turner was fortunate to acquire his collection o f reels, rods and accessories in the l!)70s, before the great surge o f collectors appeared. Now there are specialist tackle auctions at S o th e rb y 's , Christie's, Phillips’, Pruden­ tial and Bonham's, and huge sales by Richard Oliver Gal­ leries in America. There are collectors in over 21 coun­ tries in the world and the interest is becoming ever more international, with new collectors in Japan.


by Richard Walker was sold at a London sale for 112.000 and a Cascapcdia reel for £(>,<S2(). But the general feeling among collectors is that, in terms o f potential growth in values, the game has not really stalled yet. In a world in which collec­ tors have paid i'5l),000 for both a Stciff teddy bear and a g o l f c lu b and o v e r $:!(io,000 for a decoy duck in America, it would seem rea­ sonable to suggest future dramatic rises in the best of th e s e e a r l y s p o r t in g collectables. In Am e r ic a , R ich a rd


Oliver Galleries holds two specialist sales per year. A S n y d e r r e e l s o ld fo r $20,200, a rod by ll.S. Gil­ lum for $11),2.70 and a Has­ kell minnow metal lure, only 2.275 inch long, for $22,000. British tackle, particu­


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Ballerina featured, on 'G a rd en e r s W o r ld '


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Good variety of fully-fruiting Bush Apples, including 3-in-l family apple trees


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Alpines, Heathers and Tree Heathers, Conifers, Ornamental Trees, Roses and Shrubs


Chelsea. G o ld M ed a l


A iva rd Winizing B a l le r in a D i v a r f A p p le Trees as


lar ly re els , has gone up quite sharply in the last few years, f i v e years ago. a Bougie reel sold for SMS0 and a Perfect hsilli model for i'2.S0. Both re e ls tod ay would realise .111.500. Fairly all-brass winches by the L o n d o n m a k e r s w e r e usually knocked down at leading auctions for .115(1 to UNO, but now rarely go for less than .11150.* Six years ago, Mr Turner


began his research into the early tackle makers o f Brit­ ain and America, ami the earliest implements for fish­ ing used by man. He has virtually lived the subject


seven days a Week, re c ­ ording e ve rything sold at auction in that period. The result is his first book, which contains the


“O ' -—&


original story o f ove r 700 makers, and contains almost 1,000 illustrations and 100 superb colour plates o f the most important tackle in the world. l*'roni his office in Burn­


ley, he wrote to museums and universities round the world, gathering informa­ tion from Lhe Hermitage Museum in Leningrad and others in Peking, Kentucky and ( Intario. Her Royal Highness the


l ju e on M o th e r , who hi* knew was keen on fishing, directed him to the fishing tackle .of King George IV, which was purchased in 1S2S and is now on display


til Kew I ’alaee. The Lord Chamberlain's


offic e found a bill in tin* archives of Windsor Castle, which shows a complete list o f I aeklc lot ailing llHMi- III shillings, paid by the King from the most important maker there was at the time. I istonson. A me r i ca 's K n i t u r ky Museum supplied colour pic­


tures o f the finest reels by the f ir s t f ish in g tackle makers in America. The book contains the first price guide for every one sold in Britain and America in the last six years. Mr T u rn e r ’s book was


published last October anil over 2,0111) copies, which is two-thirds o f the first edi­ tion, have already been so Id . T I te a u t ho r ha s received letters o f thanks I ro in the top c ol le c t ors around the world and his book is being used by the leading and ion house to compile its annual catalogue for the largest sale in tin- count rv.


A special first edition of I I copies in antique green


leather has been produced for the author, family, Kew Palace and the Kentucky Museum.


Signed first edit ion copies


o f t he book can lie obtained from 11 a m inert o id s . 55 II a m m e r l on St r e e l , I turnley. □


The way we


VICTOR B IR TWI S T L E ’S guide to our local dialect and a lament for somethin} ’ we seem about to lose for ever.


MA N Y people are under the impression that the term Lancashire Dialect is one particular language, when in fact every district or area hits its own dialect words, spelling and pronunciation.


Proof of this can be found in the differ­


ent spelling of the same word. Take for instance tlie word Down. Without a great deal of research one conies up with many different spellings such as Daern. - I leawn. — I )airn, I lalui. Around is another example; Areaund.


-— Areawnd. - Aralmd. - Awreaund, — Ararnd. In the absence of standard Knglish.


when writing a word, one hail to resort to phonetic symbols, that of spelling a word by its sound. Lven today there are those who resort


to phonetic spelling such as Kcithlcy ( K c ighle.v ). R ite


(R ig h t ) . I .aft


( Laughed) and many o| hers. flic make-up nt some ot the local dia­ le d words come from a variot v o f


sources. Some have survived from Anglo- Saxon days, or arc adaptations of Icelan­


dic. Swedish. Dutch, l-'rencli to name but a few. or words that have survived in their entirety.


Three words that have survived and


orrnsionallv used bv old people lornllv are R I VI*’, L- S i l l VK - ('Ol.LOP. A farmer who had been to a meeting


when the subject was Agricultural Km- nomics. was discussing the mailer with a s u p p o s e d ly le s s k n o w le d g e a b le neighbour.


l ie asked, “ Do you know the definition


o f an KcoiiomistV". "N o " , replied the neighbour in all sincerity. "Well, it is a lellow who takes longer strides to save shoe leather anil R IVKS (tears) his trou­ sers in the priiress." SHI VI*: — COLI.OP An old man in a butchers shop asked


lo r a couple o f collops o f ham. The butcher's lad stared in amazement mak­ ing a gesture of helpless innocence as Ill- appealed to his apprentice colleague. Tin- mates response evoked a repeat of the requirement from the now agitated customer. Standing at the back of the shop, a cus­


tomer who was familiar with local dia­ lect stepped forward and in what was nothing more than a whisper said, "lb-


-7,1)^.___i :


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