EXETER Cathedral has survived a 120-mile journey and is looking as good as ever.
It is currently standing in the front room of Roger Turner, looking just as smart as it did 50 years ago when he built it.
This Exeter Cathedral is a perfect scale model of the real thing and was put together when Mr Turner was a 15-year-old schoolboy in Exeter.
It was a feat that was widely featured at the time and was covered by the Express & Echo.
Now Mr Turner, who put his skills to good use and enjoyed an illustrious career as a film and TV prop maker, has dusted off the old model to show how well it has survived half a century's wear and tear.
The former pupil of the old John Stocker School in St Thomas went on to complete a three-year course at Exeter College of Art.
That and his model-making skills were to stand him in good stead – the world of movies beckoned and he joined the MGM Studios in Elstree.
Mr Turner, who now lives in Thame in Oxfordshire, said he played a part in creating some of the best-known films and television programmes of recent decades.
"I started with Stanley Kubrick's film, 2001, A Space Odyssey, as a model maker and that was followed by various other films, including The Battle of Britain," he said.
"Next came nearly 30 years as prop maker and visual assistant/designer with the BBC in West London.
"I worked on the full range of drama, comedy and children's productions , including the Two Ronnies, Open All Hours, Dr Who, Grange Hill and Blackadder IV. Now I am semi-retired with my wife Sue, two daughters and three grandchildren, but I still work, albeit part time as a gardener – I have been a lifelong addict.
"As your readers can see, the cathedral model has hardly changed – if only I could say the same about myself!"
If you have any old and interesting models or toys from your childhood which have stood the test of time and are still as good as ever we want to hear from you. Contact the Echo newsdesk on 01392 442238.
