A lifetime's work in pictures

[DaveF]

Alan, thank you very much for posting these photos of your work.

 

They are an inspiration and have reminded me of the your articles which I have read with great enjoyment over the years.

 

David

[allan downes]

Al, Pipers Mead please......probably the biggest influence over this once 14 year old......apart from Escort, Razzle and Fiesta magazines!

 

Thanks BR, and all who are supporting this thread. I can't believe how well it's been received. Again, thank you.

 

Sadly, I  only have a very few photos of Pipers Mead that were taken by the late legendary Brian Monahan who was a great friend of mine, a great photographer and with a great sense of humour to match. He was, in short, a genius with camera attached.

 

However, BR, I promise to dig out what I have later.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

[BlackRat]

Thanks BR, and all who are supporting this thread. I can't believe how well it's been received. Again, thank you.

 

Sadly, I  only have a very few photos of Pipers Mead that were taken by the late legendary Brian Monahan who was a great friend of mine, a great photographer and with a great sense of humour to match. He was, in short, a genius with camera attached.

 

However, BR, I promise to dig out what I have later.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

Thanks mate, I can remember the mess I made using cardboard and Peco texture scene ( an eye watering 2 weeks pocket money) trying to copy some of the buildings, and the narrative that went with the articles.

 

Can still almost remember it word for word, which seeing it was some 40 years ago says something about your good self !

 

One of those layouts I wish there was a whole lot more of.

 

Thanks again.

 

Neil

[Andy Y]

Hi Andy.

 

Sorry for the foul up, but could you please delete the thread then I'll start it again.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

I'm sorry I missed this Allan; I've been on the road most of this week.

 

If you don't mind me adding some shots of your buildings when they moved onto pastures new? Superb work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bill_J]

What a magnificent exhibition of the ART of model making... Allan, you have always been more than a mere craftsman. An eye for detail, for what to include and what to leave out for the best effect, are all the hallmarks of a true artist. An inspiration to so many of us. Thank you! 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Bill_J

[allan downes]

What magnificent photos, Andy !

 

Certainly makes my work look better than what it really is.

 

You've done me proud. Thanks, and it's given me encouragement to post more but, not tonight, I'm off to bed !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

[nick_bastable]

Allan

 

I have never met you but have read of your work and your post on here have been inspirational  the dignity you are showing is outstanding  best wishes to you and your family

I will leave with this quote with no offence intended 

 

“Do you not know that a man is not dead while his name is still spoken?” 

― Terry Pratchett,

 

I suspect you will not be forgotten

 

Nick

[Dave John]

Hmm, art is the right word. Over the years I have seen a lot of your stuff, I keep trying particularly with regard to stonework. 

 

Many thanks for the inspiration. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

Allan, I don't know how gullible you think we are, but to take photographs of real buildings and try to pass them off as your own models just isn't the done thing!

 

Mike.

[Oldddudders]

It is a measure of this remarkable craftsman that at a time when his news is not good he can be found on another RMweb thread heaping praise upon another gifted modeller of buildings, Peter Leyland.

 

Please keep punching, Allan, since, as others have said, you have been inspiring modellers for 4 decades - and there is still missionary work to be done!

[allan downes]

We interrupt this programme to bring you (at great expense of course ! ) those Rock 'n' Roll years !!

 

 

Yay !

 

 

[teaky]

Disappointed that there's no sound. 

[chris p bacon]

Disappointed that there's no sound. 

 

You'll be the only one.   

[jwealleans]

Just to be clear, Allan, which of these are the original buildings and which are your models of them?  I can't tell.

[allan downes]

Al, Pipers Mead please......probably the biggest influence over this once 14 year old......apart from Escort, Razzle and Fiesta magazines!

 

I'm so sorry to disappoint, BR, but I have searched through my files - twice- and can't find a single picture of Pipers Mead (  great sighs of relief all round !) but they must have got lost when my computer crashed some while ago and this is the best I can do - a very poor photo of the layout at Woburn Abbey with me lording it in the back ground !

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[MartynJPearson]

When you look at pictures and think "that must have been the prototype inspiration" then that says it all! Great to see the pictures of your stunning work.

 

Wishing you well,

Martyn

[allan downes]

A few  miscellaneous detail ( try spelling that without ploughing through the dictionary ! ) shots of yesteryear's work.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

 

 

 

[allan downes]

And a few more...

 

[BlackRat]

Thanks for trying!

 

I'll enjoy all the other pics instead.

[Guest CLARENCE]

An old Yorkshire expression - to be pronounced in an admiring tone ; 

 

"Bl00dy hell fire!" Absolutely fantastic work!

 

David

[allan downes]

Just found these while searching for BR's Pipers Mead pics - built for Peco back in the 70's when testing out a new product, Pecoscene, a modelling compound very similar to Pyruma fire cement.

 

It was, in effect, a very pliable material  to work with and Dave Rowe of Under Milkwood fame, produced some really amazing work with the compound.

 

Anyway, here's just a few photos of those early efforts taken not that long ago by a RMweb contributor whilst visiting the Peco Modelrama in Devon.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[allan downes]

On this fine sunny morning in East Lincolnshire - well here in Immingham anyway - I thought my personal ego buster, the cathedral, wouldn't go amiss.

 

So, the most milked model building on the web - it's that cathedral again, again, again, aga.... 

 

Cheers.

 

Allan.

 

[allan downes]

Oh. And me building it !

 

Note the wild hair where it was a toss up between becoming a rock guitarist or a model maker. Neither won.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

[Shane Downes]

Just found these while searching for BR's Pipers Mead pics - built for Peco back in the 70's when testing out a new product, Pecoscene, a modelling compound very similar to Pyruma fire cement.

 

It was, in effect, a very pliable material  to work with and Dave Rowe of Under Milkwood fame, produced some really amazing work with the compound.

 

Anyway, here's just a few photos of those early efforts taken not that long ago by a RMweb contributor whilst visiting the Peco Modelrama in Devon.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

MY PICTURES 5535.jpgMY PICTURES 5546.jpgMY PICTURES 5579.jpg

 

I'd thought I'd seen every photo's that existed of your work, Dad, but obviously not and a first visit to Modelrama is long overdue.  It's lovely to see these, they remind me of your 'pig shed era'!  They are of that style when 4mm was king and you still had your eyesight!  Inspired.

 

Cheers.

 

Shane.

[Shane Downes]

Oh. And me building it !

 

Note the wild hair where it was a toss up between becoming a rock guitarist or a model maker. Neither won.

 

Cheers.

 

Allan

 

MY PICTURES 3910.jpg

 The Cathedral.  Your finest hour but not mine!  You shipped me off to the Army, renovated the kitchen, sold the house, moved North and when I came home on leave for the first time you had all disappeared including my moped and that's what hurt me the most!  Seriously though, the kitchen in the photo was renovated in 1984 when I was away and so I'm assuming that is also when you built the Cathedral.  Top job Dad.