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Alan Chipperfield

7/7/2019

10 Comments

 
A tribute to my friend Alan Chipperfield who has  passed away at the age of 89.
for several years now we had been getting together on Monday afternoons for the practice of painting portraits. It started when I was told of this elderly gentleman who wanted to learn to paint portraits, and I soon found was that what he really wanted to paint a surprise portrait of his son, the internationally renowned architect Sir David Chipperfield. 

We discovered that we had many things in common in our backgrounds, and Monday afternoons developed into a regular painting session along with cups of tea and coffee and discussions of everything under the sun, and which stopped for very few things... Monday afternoons were for painting!

Alan's house was a heritage house circa 1812, and he operated his antiques and restoration business from there, and as there was nowhere inside suitable for our painting we always worked outside which was not easy but that is the way he wanted it.

He was a remarkable individual, growing up in England in the 1930's, evacuated during the war as a child, becoming a successful businessman before emigrating to Australia and spent the last decades of his life working with antiques. It would take a couple of books to describe him and his possibly eccentric ways and life! successful in business he had retired several times but worked 7 days a week, had made millions but would spend nothing on himself. Fortunately there are a couple of autobiographical books that he did write. One of them is titled “A face in the Crowd' describing his life up until his move to Sydney over 25 years ago.

Here are some photos. my portrait of Alan, Alan working on portraits at the back of his house, some of his antiques and upholstery and what he did it on... never a person to spend money unnecessarily!
10 Comments
Vanessa Clayton
9/7/2019 07:59:41 pm

Alan was a very dear man and I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Thank you for sharing these pictures. Most our furniture came from him and he always enjoyed a game of chess when we visited.
RIP Alan Chipperfield.

Reply
Neil Mason
9/8/2019 08:01:22 pm

For over 20 years I have immensely enjoyed and values my short visits to see Allan as I passed his fascinating home, both as a customer of his wonderful antiques but more often to enjoy a cuppa, a nice biscuit and to enjoy a chat that drew on his wisdom, life and his pride in his family.

I dont think I ever drove past his home without the routine of a brief visit.

Always busy and always I knew when he wanted to get back to work and it was time to go. Wise, motivated, proud, tough and considered in the best way as an Englishman.

Having been regrettably distracted from driving west due for a few months, I saw his beloved home for sale yesterday and suspected the worst, now confirmed reading here.

My sympathies and my thanks to his family for sharing such an interesting and genuine man with we who passed by.

I have his book here and will read it again to reflect on my Richmond friend Allan.

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Alison McWhirter
9/16/2019 09:21:18 pm

What a loss to our community. I would pop in on him from time to time to check up on him, as I only lived a couple of streets away. He would always invite me to look through the house to see what I wanted. Everything but I couldn't afford all the beautiful antiques. I hope he's happy where he is and no doubt still working away.

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Ellen Richardson
10/9/2019 09:34:54 pm

I met Alan when I moved to Kurrajong in September of 2013. I had inherited an immensely long and skinny ceder table that needed repairs to a knot in the centre. Not only did Alan do a beautiful and seemless repair, he gleefully told me of the thousands of dollars he had been offered to sell my table. He had, however, managed not to be tempted despite the table being unique in that the top was a singular piece of cedar, apparently quite a rarity. Alan’s place became a regular and welcome break from running errands in Richmond on a Friday afternoon. Although I had to remember that Alan had his weekly chess game of a Friday afternoon as well. Alan treated my partner, Bryan, and I as family (that visited irregularly and then arrived without notice, but family non-the-less). Alan was nothing but supportive during my last visit in April during which I informed him of my decision to go teach in Bourke, in rural NSW. He was a welcoming, kind and cherished friend.
Ellen Richardson

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William Chipperfield
1/17/2020 03:28:15 pm

Thank you all for your beautiful words. Alan was everything you described and truly a remarkable raconteur.
I remember him more as a magician than an Uncle: He learned the ropes the hard way and lived to tell the tales; Despite his instinctive cynicism, he never lost his yearning for the warmth of companionship.
Thank you X

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Jean Gomersall (nee Chipperfield)
1/18/2020 01:58:19 am

When I heard of my brother Alan's death I felt nothing. He and I had been strangers all our lives. Born in 1933 I was evacuated with Alan to live with strangers who had 2 daughters and who valued Alan as a boy. 6 year old wet-the-bed Jean didn't get a look-in.
Although our mother was a strong, loving, intelligent woman, she accepted male superiority and my father, gifted but capricious, held the purse-strings. Born into this man's world I spent much of my life struggling for equality.
Over the years Alan and I both made attempts to connect but I suppose we were too far apart - emotionally and physically.
I am now learning so much about this man and have overwhelming grief that I will never have the opportunity to know him.

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Nigel butler link
1/20/2020 03:25:07 pm

Alan was a great man and good friend,I met him in 1979 sold him some items of antique furniture and got on well with him, later he asked me if I would send him a container of furniture, this turned out to be upwards of 100 containers over the following years , so to a certain extent it was my fault that he was always working ,restoring what I sent over to Australia , he loved doing what he did and never tired of chatting with me over the phone or when he visited me in Sheffield England about the world of antiques. I will miss him greatly rest in peace Alan

Reply
William Chipperfield link
1/24/2020 06:14:39 pm

Hello again, this message is intended for all present especially those who were unable to make the trip to Sydney to say goodbye and feel it right to give the rare old bugger the worthy, and warm, send off we know he deserved.
His son, Mark, is putting together a little thing to be held at Alan's place of birth, Grays (Essex) on 14th March 2020. Mark is an accomplished journalist and despite this he fact he remains a remarkably sincere and sensitive witness to the extraordinary condition we refer to as the human condition.
Do come. Email me at williamchipperfield@gmail.com for further info.
William X

Reply
Brad Kowalczyk
2/19/2020 10:29:47 pm

Hi William. I worked for your uncle in Richmond and also at his antique shop in Epping back in the 90's. I started doing yard work part time while still in school and then he offered me an apprenticeship when I finished high school. I have many fond memories. I believe you and I even met when you visited Australia as a young lad! From memory you were pretty miffed about the wet weather we were having at the time! So much for sunny Australia! I had not seen Alan for about 10 years when I heard of his passing and the fact I had recently been through Richmond just months before he passed and even thought of dropping in but did not due being pressed for time just made it all that much more saddening. He was a generous, eccentric, one of a kind character who I will miss. I would love to be able to attend his "send off" but alas I cannot. Just don't spend too much on it, he wouldn't approve!

Reply
Will Chipperfield
2/19/2020 11:14:00 pm

Hey Brad, of course I remember you mate - does your motor still have a spider embedded on its gearstick?
Thanks for your words - you sum up my memories of Alan to a tee (or ‘tea’ even as we all know he loved a cuppa).
Look us up if you are ever in London - always some tinnies in the fridge although you should be warned that in ‘Blighty the rain is no barrier to a bbq ;)
Take care buddy, Will

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    Malcolm Robertson

    Artist living in the Hawkesbury area

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