The end of an era

[kevincallahan]

Mike McEvoy is reporting that Alan Hall passed away on the morning of 11-6 in Malta. If so, it truly is the end of a modelling era. When I was still running The Supply Depot, we were one of the first to import the then-new Warpaint book series into the US. And we sold a ton of them. Here's a tip of the glass to a very influential figure in modelling history.

[Nigel Bunker]

I first met Alan Hall at the Berkshire IPMS meetings in 1970. He normally attended along with the late Bryan Philpott, Tony Woolett and the still extant Mike McEvoy. He could be prickly but had a wealth of knowledge.

Like most modellers of my generation, we learned the art of converting aircraft from his articles in Airfix Magazine each month. No resin, photoetch or vacforms then - you did it all with balsa wood and plastic card.

Then he paved the way for aircraft modelling magazines with Scale Aircraft Modelling, which led to all the other titles we have to choose from.

To be frank, we will never see another who has as much influence on our hobby as he has done.

Thanks for everything, Alan.

[Jennings]

Alan Hall was truly a legend in the industry.  I can't say I knew him at all well, but I have met him and chatted a number of times.  Saw him at Telford last year as a matter of fact.

One funny, if rather deprecating story about Alan that still makes me giggle... At the IPMS/USA nationals in 1987 (in Washington), I showed Chris Gannon (Pegasus Models) and Nigel Hannant around DC for an afternoon.  In the course of our discussions about their trip, one of the two of them, I believe it may have been Chris, commented on Alan's arrangements for their trip (which apparently he'd made for the three of them).

"Alan Hall couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery!"



J

[Martin H]

Ive heard sevral simler stories about uncle Alan, from people who have worked with him in the past.

The Uk nationals wont feel the same with out his brooding presance on the warpaint stand.

Gone but certainly not Forgotten.