RMweb Premium Colin Posted March 11, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 11, 2011 Today I read in the April Railway Modeller that John Charman has passed on. His "Charford" layout (in various configurations) was one of my earliest inspirations (RM Jan '66) and was one of my first "nudges" in the direction of all things Southern. RIP John and thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Middlesea John Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Yes - Charford was the first proper Southern layout I ever saw in a magazine when I first started reading RM. It had a Q1 called Charlie as I remember. I wanted a model of a Q1 for years after that. He certainly inspired me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 John Charman was indeed one of the early authors, though it just goes to show how memory fails one as age creeps in. I thought he modelled the S&DJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted March 13, 2011 Share Posted March 13, 2011 Very sad news and my thoughts are with his family and friends. As I mentioned in another current thread, his layout Charford was an inspiration for me. A lot of good modellers seem to have gone to the great sleeping car in the sky over the past year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted March 13, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2011 John Charman was indeed one of the early authors, though it just goes to show how memory fails one as age creeps in. I thought he modelled the S&DJR. Were you thinking of Mac Pryke and his Berrow branch? Another stalwart of RM in the 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Both excellent modellers for their era and both produced inspiring layouts. ISTR the original Charford was designed to fit in a caravan; it was based on Southern practice. Pryke modelled the SDJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Bedding Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 It would seem that the obituary was premature, and I am delighted to have been advised that John is alive and well. I received an apparently reliable message in good faith which I passed onto the Modeller. I was asked in turn for any personal contribution to a possible obituary, and this too was forwarded in good faith. The rest as they say is history, but none the less embarrassing for that, and I have written a profound apology to John for a part which I played in all innocence. No wriggling, I contributed to a mistake. Peter Bedding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 It's great that he's alive and well. We should celebrate that! As a very young modeller I was delighted by his timetable articles that appeared (I think) in the Railway Modeller for February and March 1962. The two articles were my timetabling bible for a good ten years and I think the February issue eventually fell apart under the strain of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiprinter Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Yes, good news that Mr Charman is still with us. Perhaps it will allow time for a better obituary to be prepared? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted March 16, 2011 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 16, 2011 I think I'll probably let someone else post on RMWeb. Just glad to hear that John is still about (maybe one day I'll get to meet him) although I read somewhere that he is no longer involved with small scale modelling - IIRC "Charford" was dismantled some years ago but parts of the layout were given away or sold and may still survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I think Mark Twain springs to mind.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I think Mark Twain springs to mind.... Beat me to it! Can I quote it? "The rumors about my death are greatly exaggerated" - Mark Twain Far better this way than the other........ Best, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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