Randolph Turpin

[bennie]

Even as a young child, Turpin was very violent towards girls. He was a notorious bully as a teen and abusive to women as an adult. All in all, a very disturbed person.

Never heard this. I chatted to a woman a few years ago who worked for Randy at the hotel he owned in Llandudno. She said he was the nicest bloke you could ever wish to know. Everyone says the same of the man. In fact, Randy was too nice and found himself used by others.

[margaret thatcher]

what a piece of sh!t turpin was, hope he rots in piss

[Controversial]

I met Randy's daughter back in the 1980s. Randy had attempted to kill her because he thought she was another man's child. I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She is the absolute spitting image of her father.

I’m confused Bennie, on the other thread on him you said you spoke to someone who said he was the nicest bloke you could wish to meet?

[bennie]

I met Randy's daughter back in the 1980s. Randy had attempted to kill her because he thought she was another man's child. I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She is the absolute spitting image of her father.

I’m confused Bennie, on the other thread on him you said you spoke to someone who said he was the nicest bloke you could wish to meet?

Yes, I spoke to a woman at the Great Orme in Llandudno where there is a pub dedicated to Randy (along with a cafe and a gift shop). The whole thing used to be a hotel which Randy bought when he was fighting. He used to train up there. I got chatting to an elderly lady in the pub when I visited it a few years ago and she told me she worked in the hotel for Randy and that he was a smashing fella. Going further back, I met Carmen Turpin (Randy's daughter) in London in the early 1980s. She was with her mum and her sisters. All of Randy's daughters look like him but Carmen is the absolute spitting image of her dad. It's testimony to Randy's tortured soul that he tried to kill her.

[Controversial]

I met Randy's daughter back in the 1980s. Randy had attempted to kill her because he thought she was another man's child. I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She is the absolute spitting image of her father.

I’m confused Bennie, on the other thread on him you said you spoke to someone who said he was the nicest bloke you could wish to meet?

Yes, I spoke to a woman at the Great Orme in Llandudno where there is a pub dedicated to Randy (along with a cafe and a gift shop). The whole thing used to be a hotel which Randy bought when he was fighting. He used to train up there. I got chatting to an elderly lady in the pub when I visited it a few years ago and she told me she worked in the hotel for Randy and that he was a smashing fella. Going further back, I met Carmen Turpin (Randy's daughter) in London in the early 1980s. She was with her mum and her sisters. All of Randy's daughters look like him but Carmen is the absolute spitting image of her dad. It's testimony to Randy's tortured soul that he tried to kill her.

I wonder if he had CTE, violent outbursts are not uncommon with that, that's what some people think happened to Freddie Mills

[bennie]

I’m confused Bennie, on the other thread on him you said you spoke to someone who said he was the nicest bloke you could wish to meet?

Yes, I spoke to a woman at the Great Orme in Llandudno where there is a pub dedicated to Randy (along with a cafe and a gift shop). The whole thing used to be a hotel which Randy bought when he was fighting. He used to train up there. I got chatting to an elderly lady in the pub when I visited it a few years ago and she told me she worked in the hotel for Randy and that he was a smashing fella. Going further back, I met Carmen Turpin (Randy's daughter) in London in the early 1980s. She was with her mum and her sisters. All of Randy's daughters look like him but Carmen is the absolute spitting image of her dad. It's testimony to Randy's tortured soul that he tried to kill her.

I wonder if he had CTE, violent outbursts are not uncommon with that, that's what some people think happened to Freddie Mills

Randy was only 37 when he killed himself and I'm not sure he was particularly damaged, certainly not in comparison to Freddie Mills, who had over 100 fights and once fought Gus Lesnevich and Bruce Woodcock in the space of three weeks.
Turpin took a bad beating from Yolande Pompey near the end of his career but was usually the one dishing it out and turned to wrestling when his boxing career ended, which meant he wasn't getting hit in the head at least. Randy had to be severely depressed at the compulsory order served on his cafe by the council. He did all the cooking in the cafe and lived in the flat above so they were taking away his livelihood and his home (to turn the area into a car park.) Take away the cafe and Randy was potless. He had nothing else, nothing to show for boxing. Randy hated boxing after he quit, hated talking about boxing, hated the fans who came to the cafe, hated his whole life.

[Controversial]

Yes, I spoke to a woman at the Great Orme in Llandudno where there is a pub dedicated to Randy (along with a cafe and a gift shop). The whole thing used to be a hotel which Randy bought when he was fighting. He used to train up there. I got chatting to an elderly lady in the pub when I visited it a few years ago and she told me she worked in the hotel for Randy and that he was a smashing fella. Going further back, I met Carmen Turpin (Randy's daughter) in London in the early 1980s. She was with her mum and her sisters. All of Randy's daughters look like him but Carmen is the absolute spitting image of her dad. It's testimony to Randy's tortured soul that he tried to kill her.

I wonder if he had CTE, violent outbursts are not uncommon with that, that's what some people think happened to Freddie Mills

Randy was only 37 when he killed himself and I'm not sure he was particularly damaged, certainly not in comparison to Freddie Mills, who had over 100 fights and once fought Gus Lesnevich and Bruce Woodcock in the space of three weeks.
Turpin took a bad beating from Yolande Pompey near the end of his career but was usually the one dishing it out and turned to wrestling when his boxing career ended, which meant he wasn't getting hit in the head at least. Randy had to be severely depressed at the compulsory order served on his cafe by the council. He did all the cooking in the cafe and lived in the flat above so they were taking away his livelihood and his home (to turn the area into a car park.) Take away the cafe and Randy was potless. He had nothing else, nothing to show for boxing. Randy hated boxing after he quit, hated talking about boxing, hated the fans who came to the cafe, hated his whole life.

He fought a lot though, around 100 amateur fights, plus booth fights and then 75 pro fights, plenty enough to be suffering from the effects of brain trauma. Depression and anger are common traits of CTE

[Caractacus]

Did you have the chance to visit Nelson's gym there in Leamington ?
is it still there?

[Bodyshot3]

Thanks everyone and indavertently we've kick started a previous Turpin thread as well.

To a certain degree, I am interested in trying to look at how the Turpin family started out and why so little information really exists. The brothers fought prolifically (especially Dick) but their early careers don't have much of a trace.

They were a rarity in terms of being a mixed raced family who were not from Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol or London......but a Midlands Spa town. Leam was not quite as genteel as Bath or Cheltenham but not Toxteth or Tiger Bay either.

Dick Turpin had an incredible career in his own right - it is well worth checking out - and was the first 'coloured' British champion of the modern era. He fought world class guys like Tiberio Mitri, Dave Sands and Cerdan!

I think Dick broke the ground for Randy in terms of getting big fights and being allowed to do so. He was a bit of a pioneer in that respect and was possibly booked as the 'B' side but found a way to win and get to the top.

I read somewhere that Dick and Randy were as much from nearby Warwick as Leamington and the family seem to have drifted between the towns, which may explain quite a bit.

But in terms of changing the face of British boxing they were undoubtedly vital, the promoters of the day began to realise that a good fighter was a good fighter and that the colour bar had to go.

[Bodyshot3]

Thanks for the feedback guys.....we have two Turpin threads underway it seems.

Birtley's book seems to have been published in 1976 but it is difficult to understandwho Birtley was.....apart from the fact that he wrote about Mills and Turpin and their deaths. So maybe more of a crime writer?

[prewarboxing]

Randy Turpin seems to have died around the same time as Freddie Mills in 1965.( which was also a "questionable" demise)
did either one of any associateion with the Kray Bros. ?

I saw an interesting documentary on Mills, I think the whole storyline about him has been exaggerated. Some bloke also wrote a book claiming Mills was a serial killer. Mills was displaying signs of odd behaviour, depression and anger after being involved in 101 pro fights and hundreds of booth fights. From what I remember the documentary basically suggested he had brain trauma (CTE) and committed suicide. Miles Templeton was interviewed on the documentary and posts on here so could probably add more.

I would say that Mills was either in the early stages of CTE or would have developed symptoms later in life. You only have to watch his contests to see how much punishment he took in his most important bouts, usually against bigger men. I know nothing at all about his death, other than that he was mixing with some dangerous people and had money troubles. As for the last half an hour of that documentary that I appeared on, absolute garbage I am afraid. Did you know that Mills was bisexual? Another cause for concern back at that time. Open to blackmail etc.

Miles Templeton

[prewarboxing]

Thanks everyone and indavertently we've kick started a previous Turpin thread as well.

To a certain degree, I am interested in trying to look at how the Turpin family started out and why so little information really exists. The brothers fought prolifically (especially Dick) but their early careers don't have much of a trace.

They were a rarity in terms of being a mixed raced family who were not from Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol or London......but a Midlands Spa town. Leam was not quite as genteel as Bath or Cheltenham but not Toxteth or Tiger Bay either.

Dick Turpin had an incredible career in his own right - it is well worth checking out - and was the first 'coloured' British champion of the modern era. He fought world class guys like Tiberio Mitri, Dave Sands and Cerdan!

I think Dick broke the ground for Randy in terms of getting big fights and being allowed to do so. He was a bit of a pioneer in that respect and was possibly booked as the 'B' side but found a way to win and get to the top.

I read somewhere that Dick and Randy were as much from nearby Warwick as Leamington and the family seem to have drifted between the towns, which may explain quite a bit.

But in terms of changing the face of British boxing they were undoubtedly vital, the promoters of the day began to realise that a good fighter was a good fighter and that the colour bar had to go.

Get in touch via email and I will provide some contemporary source material on all three brothers. Will be a pleasure to help

Miles Templeton
[email protected]
07872 578596

[Controversial]

Randy Turpin seems to have died around the same time as Freddie Mills in 1965.( which was also a "questionable" demise)
did either one of any associateion with the Kray Bros. ?

I saw an interesting documentary on Mills, I think the whole storyline about him has been exaggerated. Some bloke also wrote a book claiming Mills was a serial killer. Mills was displaying signs of odd behaviour, depression and anger after being involved in 101 pro fights and hundreds of booth fights. From what I remember the documentary basically suggested he had brain trauma (CTE) and committed suicide. Miles Templeton was interviewed on the documentary and posts on here so could probably add more.

I would say that Mills was either in the early stages of CTE or would have developed symptoms later in life. You only have to watch his contests to see how much punishment he took in his most important bouts, usually against bigger men. I know nothing at all about his death, other than that he was mixing with some dangerous people and had money troubles. As for the last half an hour of that documentary that I appeared on, absolute garbage I am afraid. Did you know that Mills was bisexual? Another cause for concern back at that time. Open to blackmail etc.

Miles Templeton

It’s been a few years since I saw it so I can’t remember the last half an hour, what bit was garbage? Yes I’ve heard that he was bisexual. The whole CTE thing does make sense, several examples of boxers or NFL players going off the rails quite dramatically so for me that sounds likely.

[goose 5]

Turpin's own family openly discussed his violent childhood in on the record interviews after he died. He even tried to stab his sister when he was a child.

[goose 5]

As for Carmen Turpin: as a tot she was very light skinned ; her complexion darkened as she got older. She didn't look like Randy while he was alive.

[bennie]

Turpin's own family openly discussed his violent childhood in on the record interviews after he died. He even tried to stab his sister when he was a child.

Joan Turpin was harder than her brothers.

[bennie]

Did you have the chance to visit Nelson's gym there in Leamington ?
is it still there?

Nelson's gym was in nearby Warwick. It was knocked down many moons ago.

[margaret thatcher]

Turpin's own family openly discussed his violent childhood in on the record interviews after he died. He even tried to stab his sister when he was a child.

wow what a piece of trash, tried to stab his sister and kill his daughter .

[Caractacus]

Turpin's own family openly discussed his violent childhood in on the record interviews after he died. He even tried to stab his sister when he was a child.

I'm not a Psychiatrist, but it would seem obvious that he had suffered some type of abuse
back then to act out that way.
by a Neighbour or someone assosiated with the family.
people could get away with that stuff a lot more back then.

[goose 5]

Could be-but it's possible he was simply crazy.

[bennie]

Turpin was known for going hard in the gym. Ron Gray was a stablemate of his in the George Middleton camp and said that Turpin hurt everyone in sparring, including heavyweights. He could finish a man with a single jab. Outside the gym, he treated his sparring partners well, putting them up at his hotel in Llandudno and paying for everything. He gave away most of his money.

[Caractacus]

maybe there was a lot of lead(pipes, paint,etc) in the neighbourhood there in England.

[Bodyshot3]

Thank you Miles....very generous

[Fray Bentos]

Turpin was known for going hard in the gym. Ron Gray was a stablemate of his in the George Middleton camp and said that Turpin hurt everyone in sparring, including heavyweights. He could finish a man with a single jab. Outside the gym, he treated his sparring partners well, putting them up at his hotel in Llandudno and paying for everything. He gave away most of his money.

The Gray brothers are an interesting story, Billy and Ron, were they brothers or cousins? I remember reading Billy was a heavyweight prospect who ran up a decent record. I don't know that much about them but looking at their records, I would love to know their story.

[bennie]

Turpin was known for going hard in the gym. Ron Gray was a stablemate of his in the George Middleton camp and said that Turpin hurt everyone in sparring, including heavyweights. He could finish a man with a single jab. Outside the gym, he treated his sparring partners well, putting them up at his hotel in Llandudno and paying for everything. He gave away most of his money.

The Gray brothers are an interesting story, Billy and Ron, were they brothers or cousins? I remember reading Billy was a heavyweight prospect who ran up a decent record. I don't know that much about them but looking at their records, I would love to know their story.

They were brothers. I know very little, really. Billy was younger than Ron and the better fighter. He won one of those heavyweight competitions that Jack Solomons used to stage at the old world sporting club in Mayfair in 1966 but dropped out of the game at just 24 after losing three on the spin, one of them a 10-round decision to Carl Gizzi of Wales. Gizzi then moved on to a shot at the British heavyweight title. The Sixties was a really strong era for domestic heavies with the likes of Richardson, Erskine, London, Bodell, Prescott and Walker queueing up behind Henry Cooper, and Gray just couldn't break through. He ploughed his ring earnings into business.
Ron turned pro as a teenage middleweight and grew into a heavyweight but was disqualified for a low blow against Bodell in 1963 and lost a rematch on points. He also lost a couple of fights to Ray Shiel, another very strong fighter of the era. He served as a sparring partner to messrs Turpin, Richardson and Erskine until - like Billy, he decided to get out of the game at 24. The Grays were smart to get out so young. Ron ran his own haulage firm and began promoting in the Midlands after the death of Alex Griffiths left a void. He co-promoted with Billy at first and later enjoyed real success with the likes of Tony Sibson, Pat Cowdell and Paul Chance. He took Cowdell to a shot at the world featherweight title against the great Salvador Sanchez.