TRIBUTES have been paid to the founder of The White Dove Collectors Transport Show, John Turner, who died on August 2, aged 74.

John was born in Farnham on February 9, 1944. He attended St Andrew’s C of E Infant School, West Street Boys and Badshot Lea Senior School, where he met his future wife of 56 years, Anne. John trained as a motor mechanic and worked at Kerridges in Alton and Abbotts in Wrecclesham, before spending almost 40 years with Barnett and Small in Farnham.

He joined the Farnborough and District Motor Club and gained many achievements in RAC rallies with his brother Graham or Simon Coyte as navigators. Howard Diamond and John Stevens were his support team and remained lifelong friends.

John also took part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run for many years and was a lifelong member of the London Douglas Motorcycle Club.

He married Anne in 1962, and went on to have two children, Jenny and Chris. They were grandparents to Oli, Matt, Steph, Alicia and Amelia, and welcomed their first great grandchild, Ava, in 2016.

The couple spent ten years travelling to Sri Lanka to help those in need, becoming ‘English mamma and pappa’ to many Sri Lankan children.

John’s passion for bikes and cars led him to found The White Dove Collectors Transport Show in 2002.

The annual event, which started as a one-off show in memory of his dad, raised thousands of pounds for Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.