Mike Turnock
The last riddle maker in Britain
There was a time when riddles were an essential garden accessory for every gardener and northern England was riddled with riddle makers. But now riddle makers are an endangered species. The only survivor is Mike Turnock!
Mike’s Dad, Fred Turnock, bought the business (Hill & Sons) in 1948. In those days he employed a staff of 12 and British Rail was the biggest customer, using sieves to sift ballast between tracks.
Nowadays Mike works on his own, sawing, steaming and rolling the beech rims into perfect circles in his workshop in Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire. Once in shape the circles take a few days to dry before being wired. For the larger meshes, Mike unravels the coil of wire along the workshop floor then threads it through the rim by hand, using a special tool that pushes the wire up and the next down.
Beech is the preferred timber for the frames. "We used to use elm”, says Mike, “but after Dutch elm disease the price and availability made it out of the question. Beech has a good tight grain so it works well too".
Some of Mike Turnock's products
Garden riddles, Handmade beech riddles.£26.00
