JIM Tanner, who has died aged 91, worked in the Cowley car industry for more than 40 years and served as a soldier in the Second World War.

He also worked at Oxford Stadium in its early days of greyhound racing, was an Aunt Sally enthusiast, pigeon fancier and a regular contributor to the Oxford Mail’s Memory Lane pages.

He lived in the same house in Littlemore Road, Cowley for most of his life.

Mr Tanner was born on August 22, 1923 and brought up by parents Mona and Frederick. He went to Littlemore and Temple Cowley Schools.

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While at Temple Cowley he developed an interest in greyhound racing and got a part-time job helping trainer Bill Davies. He worked at evening meetings for three shillings a week, putting the dogs in the traps and collecting them after the races.

At that time, before the opening of Oxford Stadium in 1939, the site operated as a flapping track, a non-regulated arena where owners raced their greyhounds on selected days.

After leaving school he was taken on as a kennel boy. His pay rose to £1 a week, then to £1 10s (£1.50). A further increase to £2 10s a week (£2.50) followed when he replaced the head lad, who decided to escape the war and return to his native Ireland.

Mr Tanner once recalled: “I worked seven days a week, including Christmas Day when my mates were having a party, but I liked the work.”

He found a good way to supplement his income: “Punters would ask me for tips and if their dog came in, they would often give me a few shillings from their winnings.”

He started work at Pressed Steel at Cowley in 1942 and spent nine months making ammunition boxes for the war effort before being called up. He joined the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and arrived in North Africa on Christmas Day 1943.

He also served in Italy where, by accident, he and his fellow soldiers found themselves recruited as extras on the David Niven war movie, The Way Ahead. On another occasion, he found himself in the same tent as comedian Spike Milligan.

After the war he rejoined Pressed Steel which, by then, had reverted to making car bodies, and where he spent the rest of his working life. He retired in 1985.

He played Aunt Sally for 50 years, appearing in teams for the Prince of Wales at Iffley, the Nuffield Arms in Cowley and Cowley Workers’ Social Club.

Other hobbies included horse racing and pigeon racing. He owned 50 birds at one time and won certificates for racing.

He contributed pictures from Pressed Steel, Oxford Stadium and Littlemore School to the Oxford Mail’s Memory Lane pages and his name appeared regularly in print as other readers responded.

Mr Tanner was married to the late Frances, and leaves daughters Linda and Sylvia, grandchildren Paul, Susan, David and Steven, and seven great-grandchildren, Madeline, Darcey, Jordan, Harriet, Reece, Gemma and Evan.

A funeral service will be held at St James Church, Beauchamp Lane, Cowley, on Friday, January 23 at noon, followed by a private burial at Rose Hill cemetery.


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