TERRY BENN

 

JULY 24TH, 2008 WAS  A SAD DAY, BECAUSE THAT DAY WAS THE FUNERAL OF A MATE, A FORMER COLLEAGUE, AND A DAMN GOOD SALESMAN, TERRY BENN.

TERRY HAD DIED THREE WEEKS BEFORE FROM A LONG-SUFFERED ILLNESS, AT THE AGE OF 69.

SOME KNEW HIM LONGER, BUT WE HODGE-ITES KNEW TERRY FROM THE EARLY SEVENTIES WHEN HE JOINED J.B.H., AND HIS SENSE OF HUMOUR, AND HIS PROFESSIONAL APPROACH TO HIS VOCATION WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED.

WE HAVE ONE LITTLE TALE TO TELL ABOUT TERRY`S SENSE OF HUMOUR, WHICH SOME MAY REMEMBER…IT WAS AT THE J.B.H. SALES SCHOOL AT THE JOHN O`GAUNT HOTEL IN FEBRUARY 1980. THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE SEVERAL TEAMS "SELLING" A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURE OF LOADER TO THE "QUARRY COMMITTEE", CONSISTING OF FOUR  PEOPLE, OF WHICH DENNIS TIDMARSH & TONY BARKER WERE TWO, AND WE THINK THAT BRIAN BURNIP AND ALAN BROWN MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE OTHERS.

TERRY WAS LEADING THE TEREX TEAM, BUT LIKE ALL PERFORMANCES IN FRONT OF YOUR CONTEMPORIES, YOU COULD CUT THE ATMOSPHERE WITH A KNIFE, SUCH WAS THE TENSION IN THE ROOM.

ANYWAY, TERRY GETS UP, WALKS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM (WE SAT AROUND AT A SQUARE OF TABLES) AND SAID…..

"MORNING GENTLEMEN", AND THEN PULLED A RED EGYPTIAN TYPE FEZ OUT OF HIS POCKET, PUT IT ON HIS HEAD, ADOPTED THE TOMMY COOPER POSE WITH HIS HANDS HELD OUT FLAT IN FRONT, AND SAID, " I`M GOING TO SELL YOU THIS TEREX LOADER………. JUST LIKE THAT !!!"

THE ROOM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TONY BARKER, FELL ABOUT LAUGHING, AND THE TENSION WAS BROKEN…BUT WE THINK PROBABLY THAT TONY HAD NEVER HEARD OF TOMMY COOPER !!

THAT WAS TERRY, CANT THINK OF ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD HAVE PULLED THAT STROKE SO SUCCESSFULLY, SO THANKS TERRY, FOR BEING IN OUR LIVES.