Llandudno entertainer to 'bow out gracefully' after 53 years

Ian Turner will walk into retirement on January 1 after a final "big party night" at the Merrion Hotel.

The 66-year-old, who is well-known in the town for his music, dancing, comedy, quizzes, radio shows, fundraising and more, has chosen the specific date to step away from the industry; Mr Turner did his first New Year's Eve 'gig' about 50 years ago at the Imperial Hotel on the prom.

Speaking to coastal chief reporter Suzanne Kendrick, wearing a brightly-colourful suit to represent a rainbow, Mr Turner said: "I have done my bit. I've been in the business for 53 years, coming up to 54. I started in 1969 in April. I know it was April because of a particular record I was playing at the time. That record, if I remember rightly, was Give Me Love by the Flirtations.

In a striking suit, Ian Turner revealed he is comfortable with his decision to retire. Pictures: Suzanne Kendrick (Image: Suzanne Kendrick)

"I'm comfortable with my decision to retire. It is a decision I have been thinking of making for a while now because the whole entertainment scene has changed. The music scene has changed. 

"I just thought with less years ahead than time before it, it is time to do something else."

Mr Turner, who has partner Anna, was just a teenager when he learnt his craft.

He recalls fondly attending Llandudno Youth Centre which was run by Dewi Parry Jones, his wife and other team members.

"They had a record player in Mr Jones's office, one of those where you stack six or seven records," Mr Turner said.

"As the arm of the turntable went, another record dropped down.

"I had one at home, a Ferguson record player, and I asked Mr Jones if I could go down to one of the rooms at the far end of the club and take my record player down there, a small case of records, and a little leather brief case with records. I would introduce the songs.

"As that action with the arm was going, lifting off the record, moving back, the next record was dropping down, I would say what that last record was and the next record that was coming on. It started from there.

"Going to the youth centre was one of the best things I've ever done.

A letter that Ian recieved from Dewi Parry Jones who was warden of Llandudno Youth Centre (Image: Suzanne Kendrick)

"I'm sitting here, 53 / 54 years later having that rounding from the youth services and I've had a living, I've had an occupation and it taught me so much.

"I am very grateful to the youth club and everyone who worked there for giving me a career."

Taking the Pioneer down memory lane, Mr Turner, who said he's never done a days work in his life - "it has always been enjoyment" - said one of his career highlights was working alongside comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd.

Mr Turner said: "1989 - I'd done a few gigs / functions with Ken Dodd and we were doing the launch of the St David's Hospice appeal, a £2million appeal, and I was compering the show. As part of Ken's show we would come on with this big red or orange coat, a fluffy coat, with big buttons on and his Union Jack hat with his tickling stick and I played his butler. I had to come on stage and when he took his coat off, he would put his coat on me and I would walk off the stage with his coat in my hand off to the wings. That is a piece of showbiz history.

"Ken is a legend and I had the honour, pleasure and privilege of wearing Ken's coat. So where it is nothing to do with DJ-ing or music, it was a wow moment."

Mr Turner also spoke about his favourite venues.

"I used to do the Speakeasy on the promenade in Llandudno and I used to do six nights a week and we had public appearances from all sorts of groups and singers who were making their way into the charts," he said. 

"We were open 7pm until 11pm and that was great for a couple of years, it was fabulous, and going back to the days of the Winter Gardens. It was just the atmosphere of the day, the sprung dance floor, the groups that used to come along, like the Love Affair, the Rubettes, the Madrigals... it was a wonderful time.

"I do miss that time because it was so very special. There was no real violence of any description. We were there for the music. We were there for dancing."

Mr Turner put down his headphones a long time ago and over the years has swapped records for cassettes and then CDs for digital. He now works with five iPads.

He said: "I always used to have three of everything - three turntables, three cds etc. However technology changed. I would be playing one, one was ready to go and if you were doing two or three rock n roll songs you would be able to change instantly to another type of music. Instead of carrying thousands of records, you have now got access to 90million songs on the cloud. It is amazing. Gone are the days when someone used to come to the turntable and say 'have you got such and such?'. If you knew it wouldn't go down and you had it with you, you would say 'I haven't got it with me tonight' but you can't say that now. Everything is there - YouTube, iTunes."

Mr Turner commented there are also "less places to work than ever before".

He explained: "Numerous clubs in Llandudno - gone. We are in the hotels now. It is great working in the hotels, nice people, nice places, no trouble and you finish at 11pm and that is how it has evolved. As I've got older, I've changed my market. 

"I have branched out a bit. I used to do a lot of stuff along the North West. I would do Frodham and Wrexham, wherever, travelled about a bit but you get the same money for travelling as you do in town so you stay in town.

"I suppose I must be doing something right to keep going all these years and I am in the smile business. I have never done a days work in my life, it has always been enjoyment, but that has waned slightly since lockdown as things have changed."

After the pandemic and lockdowns, two of Mr Turner's regular hotels never came back.

"That is showbiz, you have got to move on," Mr Turner added.

"I was doing seven nights a week in my early days.

"That is the other thing about retiring. I must have thrown thousands and thousands and thousands of tonnes of equipment around fire escapes at 3am in the morning and I can't do that anymore.

"The first New Year's I did at the Imperial I got paid £6. Three or four of the main hotels had dance bands and I would fill in for the dance band on New Year's Eve. I thought I will go out on New Year's Eve - a big party night.

"It is going to be in the Merrion Hotel and it will be for residents only. I've been entertaining there for 40 years.  

"When I walk out the hotel on New Year's Day, I am walking into retirement. I have done my bit. It has got to be done. It is a good time to bow out gracefully."