Des and Mavis TurnerDes’s initial task was to introduce grades of membership to the PJF constitution - Full and Associate - because the standards of performance of members was causing controversy.
He was elected to represent the PJF on the 325 Committee and was responsible for obtaining the Pepys wig and costume for George Speaight and suggesting the idea of the Crocodile Conga. He was also elected as the PJF representative on the committee that created Puppeteers UK - proposing the name as an equivalent of Puppeteers of America. Des also represented the PJF on the board of the Puppet Centre.
Des organised an exhibition as the PJF contribution to a puppet festival at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham (organised by Glyn Edwards and Clive Chandler) which included a children's try-out booth and a photographic display paid for by a legacy from a PJF member.
He and Mavis supported festivals at Covent Garden Birmingham, Margate, Southend, Minehead, Cliftonville and Broadstairs and, because of his love of photography, recorded the events and donated some of his best shots to the production of the PJF book. He also helped to arrange the festival in Rhyl and provided the same photo exhibition plus additional vintage prints from old seaside postcards.
