Founding member of the Isle of Wight Festival, Ray Foulk, shared some sad news this week as he paid tribute to Islander Ron (Turner) Smith, who sadly passed away after a long illness.
Ray posted the wonderful tribute to his former mentor on the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival Veterans Facebook Group, which in turn has attracted heartfelt condolences from many other Islanders.
Ray explained,
“I first met the engineer-politician-construction supremo when I was a teenage political activist.
“He was the only Labour party activist in the West Wight, and together, we would trundle around the estates collecting Labour Party subs on Sunday mornings.
“Ron soon became a printing customer of mine for his Totland-based factory, Turner Smith (Engineering ) Ltd. When I set up my printing business ‘solent-G’ in 1967, I took over the small workshop behind his flat on Totland Broadway.”
Something of a mentor
Ray went on to say,
“Turner (as we always called him – not only the name of his firm of lathe turners but the maiden name of his wife Audrey) moved to his larger factory in Yarmouth. Before long he handed over the flat itself to me and my family, having built his own new house in Weston Road. Ron became a minority partner in solent-G.
“We became firm friends and he, being more than a generation older than me, was something of a mentor. He very generously introduced me to his engineering customers (most of whom had printing requirements). I would travel to the mainland with him regularly to accompany him on his rounds to his customers.”
Fundraiser for Isle of Wight Indoor Swimming Pool Association
Ray went on to explain how ‘Turner’ invited Ray’s brother to get involved with fundraising for a swimming pool charity
He said,
“My brother Ronnie was also involved with solent-G and it was in our office one day in the summer of ‘68 that Turner suggested to Ronnie that he might like to apply for a part-time job as a fundraiser for the Isle of Wight Indoor Swimming Pool Association (IWISPA) charity. Ron Smith was involved with the cause and he brought in his friend and committee member Steve Ross (later MP for the IOW and later still Lord Ross of Newport).
“A key festival supporter, it was Steve who found the ‘Hell Field’ site near Godshill for the 1968 festival.
“The account of how Ronnie accepted the fundraising post and came up with the idea of a “Pop” Festival is told elsewhere (see, Steeling Dylan from Woodstock, 2015). “
You can read a lot more about Ron’s involvement with the Isle of Wight Festival over on the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival Veterans Facebook Group.
A move into politics
Ron later became a County Councillor and was the election agent for Steve Ross in the famous 1974 defeat of MP Mark Woodnutt.
Among other things, Ron was also involved in the restoration of the threatened Dimbola Lodge, salvaging the historic house and restoring it to the splendid working monument it is today.
A long and fulsome and heroic life
Ray finishes by saying that he and his daughter, Caroline, were fortunate to meet up with Ron at his home in Totland in 2014 to talk about their mutual festival experiences, as we researched the history of the festivals for our books.
“I raise a toast to Ron (Turner) Smith, after a long and fulsome and heroic life. RIP, ‘Sport.’”
Our thoughts are with Ron’s family and friends. His legacy clearly lives on.
Image: © Ray Foulk
