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It is with great sadness that I heard from David Whitehouse that Allan Chapman has passed away. He was a wonderful character loved by all. I remember he came to give a talk to NLO
With torn trousers and blood running down his leg. He had fallen over running to catch the train. We insisted that he goes to the first aid station to which he replied: “I’m not a mummy’s boy!”David
Now that is very sad. He was such a nice chap.
I will always remember him at a Sky at Night Perseids night at Patrick’s in Selsey some time in the noughties. Allan emerged around midnight from doing an interview for the programme into the garden where we were already settled watching for meteors when Allan started wrestling with a sunbed in the dark. The air turned blue and I remember him saying “Oh Lord! I’m such a troglodyte!” to much laughter.
RIP Allan.
Ian.
That is such sad news and a great loss. Over the years I was fortunate to attend several talks by Allan. He talked with authority provided by his deep knowledge of history combined with an entertaining style that captivated his audience.
AndyVery sad news indeed.
Like so many of us I enjoyed his talks on the history of astronomy, had some really nice chats with him, including when he mentioned his research into the history of medicine and surgery.
I will treasure the books that he signed for me.
One of my most enjoyable memories is of his talk on ‘Captain Cook, maritime history and navigation’ presented in the hold of the H.M. Bark Endeavour Replica at Stockton-on Tees. We arrived early and one of the local organisers asked me: “Excuse me, are you Allan Chapman?” 🙂
Allan is irreplaceable.
Alex.
Allan was such an entertaining character. The first time I heard him give a talk was at the BAA Lunar Section meeting in Morecambe in June 1984. I realised then that he was in a league of his own. One of my greatest memories is of a day I spent with Allan and Ken Goward at Oxford in August 2004. He had offered to help with our research into the Bury St Edmunds Athenaeum Observatory, at the Bodleian library, but he gave us a tour of everywhere! He arrived on his bicycle of course, photo attached. For lunch he took us to his local pub. At the bar he ordered “Your largest pot of tea my good man and three plates of your delicious Fish and Chips…” He was a fantastic character – a one-off.
Martin
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An extraordinary fellow. I had the pleasure (as did many) of hearing his incredibly detailed lectures delivered without notes or computer, the first at Salford AS in 1975 when i was a member there for a short while. Much later on I visited his display of replica navigational instruments somewhere in an attic near his Oxford office, which he said he used to test historical observations. We have lost a Giant im sorry to here.
Allan Chapman was a longstanding and much-loved friend, and at one time vice-president, of Newbury Astronomical Society, giving many erudite talks at our Christmas dinners totally without notes as was his wont, and while consuming his favourite fish and chips and drinking vast quantities of tea! He will be much missed.
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I echo Pauline’s comments about Allan’s amazing talks at the Newbury Astronomical Society’s Christmas Dinners. I often drove him and Rachel back to their home in Oxford afterwards. A second lecture on the A34 was a second highlight for me. RIP Allan.
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Such sad news Allan’s passing. I had known him for decades as he did his post grad degree at Lancaster University, my home city. His lectures were unique and never to be forgotten. I heard him give a 1 hour talk at a BAA meeting at Alston Hall in Preston, the title was ” The History of Astronomical Photography and Spectroscopy”, he never used a single slide or image in delivering that talk, it was spellbounding for all in that room. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him. Allan Chapman RIP.
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