Written with the same careful attention to detail and meticulous research as his previous publications, Jonathan Pulleyn’s latest book, Banner, recalls rallies, people, cars, farming, triumphs and some disasters taken from the remarkable 50-year career of evergreen Yorkshire rallyist, Steve Bannister, considered by some of his peers as “Arguably one of the finest independent rally drivers the UK has ever seen.”
Comprehensively assembled in 25 easy reading chapters, several sub-indexed, Banner provides uncut stories as told by the subject himself, the author plus many factual recalls from those closely involved in preparing, servicing, co-driving or just friends of Steve. Perhaps celebrity Forewords provided by Malcolm Wilson and Steve Perez plus a friendly Afterword from 1981 WRC champion Ari Vatanen more than proves this point!
Born in the rolling Yorkshire Wolds with Dalby Forest almost within sight of his home, Steve cut his motoring teeth in a friend’s Morris 8 Special around his parents’ farm and after boarding at Scarborough College for a while during adolescence Steve, who was never a happy student, left to pursue a farming career with the approval of his family.
Like many of us during this era, Steve watched motorsport events before joining a local motor club and gravitating into the sport via 12-car rallies, first with a fast but fragile 998cc Sunbeam Stilleto, followed by a Ford Escort 1300 which provided his first roll! A Mk1 Escort RS 2000 followed which, with a roll cage added, provided Steve’s first real rally steed and precursor to the marque which would become synonymous with his name. The Mk2 Ford Escort BDA.
Just one of Steve’s stellar performances – possibly the 1987 Quip Stages rally (Page 143), second overall with Dave Oldfield against a quality entry list which included seven FWD Gp B MG Metro’s, a modern Gp A Sierra RS Cosworth and Audi Quattro. Although Ken Wood/Peter Brown triumphed in the Golden Wonder 6R4 by a slender 29 second margin, the first two left quality drivers like Barton, Gillanders, Williams, Shand and Roger Clark, trailing in their wake!
Steve carved a successful trajectory as one of the UK’s most talented amateur rally drivers, whilst also juggling sporting passions with life as a busy farmer, another Bannister fervor. Undoubtedly the fabled inventiveness and creativity of the farming profession helped in many sticky situations as did the camaraderie pervading among the close Yorkshire rally fraternity, which provides a strong thread running through this well-written and enthralling book.
This author’s first book in 2014 was Yuks Fast Book, followed by Chris Sclater – Memories of a Rally Champion, published 2017. In 2024 Jonatham published The Yorkshire Rally Mafia, profiling twenty-four well-known Yorkshire stage and road rally stars of the golden 1960s/70s, including Fall, Bean, Jackson, Millington, Short, Beecroft, Tordoff, Drummond, Thompson, Hodgson and Bannister! Profits from these books were donated to several worthy charities.
I commend this thoroughly absorbing book, penned in the same no-nonsense style as the author’s previous volumes. His latest 330-page hardback is generously illustrated with 336 colour and B&W images, many taken professionally, all helping to provide compelling reading for motorsport enthusiasts.
Released early December – with dispatch promised prior to Christmas – the 250 X 250 mm tome comes as either a slip cased edition for £55 with bookplate signed by Steve and Jonathan, plus numbered certificate of authenticity. Standard nonslip cased copies are available at £45 all from www.bhp-publishing.co.uk Ref: SBN: 978-1-0669233-0-4
© Ken Davies
