Alan Derham

It is with great regret I report the passing of Allan Derham, Area 1B representative, on Friday 5th November 2021. Allan had been ill for a while at home before being admitted to a Nursing Home, where he passed away in in his sleep on the 5th November 2021.

I had the honour of knowing Allan personally for many years and sharing Model Show display stands with him. Allen was well known on the Northern modelling circuit, always operating on the ‘public side’ of the display, full of information and patient will all those asking questions of him.

Allen’s interest in ships started with the Sea Cadets as a young lad and visiting Naval vessel on official trips. His career was with British Aerospace as an Engineer, but his love was always Naval Ships, which he researched and built to Museum standard. Examples of his work include HMS Bamburgh Castle which is displayed at the Bamburgh Castle Museum.

However, his greatest honour was when he completed the award-winning HMS Gurkha, a 1:9 scale Tribal Class Destroyer. In 2018, after 18 months work on it, he presented the finished model to the Brigade of Gurkhas. On September 5/6 he and his wife Margaret were official guests at the Gurkha Museum in Sandhurst, where after the presentation to Colonel Robinson, Allan was then given a ceremonial Gurkha Kukri. They were then ‘wined and dined’ with a traditional Nepalese lunch.

Allen’s Model prizes include the Blackpool Trophy for best model at the Blackpool Show and Best model as the Haydock Show also for a different model.

In summary, Allan was a kind person and Master Modeller who was known throughout the North as a true gentleman.

It was a privilege to display models with him and I will sadly miss him.

Our thoughts are with Margret his wife and Tina his daughter.

Adrian Clutterbuck

Area 1C Representative