• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

RIP Astonian (Alan)

postie

postie

The buck stops here
Staff member
The following message has been sent to me from jean Jeanie..
Hi Jim I would appreciate if you would convey this news to the members of the forum. yourself as the person concerned deserves it. Peter was going to try to join to post the message himself as he was never a member and not been banned. This is the message I have copied and pasted from Astonians wife. Alan and myself have kept in touch and I knew before Xmas the doctors could do no more for him. He had been issued with his death sentence he told me.


Good morning, I am Tess, Alan's wife, he is very ill, they think he is approaching the end, he is at home with me ,as this is what he wanted but so very hard to see what is happening .to him.I will tell him him of your message, sorry to be the bearer of such news,Tess xx


I would appreciate it if you could answer someones question on the Pat Collins thread as Sosperie was not aware that I had been banned.


Hope you and your family are keeping well.














.





I would appreciate it if you could answer someones question on the Pat Collins thread as Sosperie was not aware that I had been banned.


Hope you and your family are keeping well.
 
Last edited:
I loved Alans post, he held wealth of information relating to growing up in Birmingham. I will miss him.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So sorry to hear that Alan is near the end - I hope that his eventual passing will be painless. He was always friendly and helpful to me and many other members and I will miss him being on the Forum. My deepest sympathy to Tess.

I now need to check out the Pat Collins thread.

Maurice
 
I was a little uncertain to whom the thread referred, but I see most of those posting their sympathies and reminiscences mention Alan (Astonian).
My thoughts are with his family and friends, as they come to terms with this.
It is sad for all BHF Members when one of the group - particularly a long standing Member - leaves us, but I am sure it is more so for those who knew Alan and those who looked forward and followed his posts, which he started to make almost fifteen years ago - just short of a couple of weeks.
He was from Ladywood, it seems, but with his work and leisure he became familiar with much of the busier parts of his city.
We will miss his posts, but thanks to BHF, his reminiscences, particularly his personal local knowledge and family details are recorded here for posterity.
I recommend newer Members here to read them when they come across them whilst visiting some existing threads. A lot of interesting history is contained therein.
Alan +++
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you Alan for sharing your encyclopaedic knowledge of just about every aspect of
life in Birmingham with the members of this forum.

I will sadly miss reading your informative and entertaining posts.

God bless Alan

Dave
 
sorry to hear the sad news, we would always want to think we could go on forever ..Alan had such a head for knowledge of the old days that us oldens can appreciate..l never meet Alan but felt like l had known him forever both coming from Aston l loved his stories he posted on the forum we will certainly miss his posts but will always be grateful for his memories..god bless Alan..and thank you
 
This news has really shaken me as it will most of the members.
I have shared so many messages with Alan, Sometimes I had to moderate his posts and he always got back to say Sorry, but most of all he was always very appreciative of any information that myself and others gave him about his ancestry.
We will remember him as one of the characters of BHF. soon be reunited with his beloved Stevens, Jelfs and Hintons, God Bless Alan.
My thoughts go out to Tess and their children. Alberta.
 
So sad.

Carl Chinn was made Professor of Community History at Birmingham University, the first in the country to hold such a position. Of course the position was scrapped and he said...

“People have shared their lives with me and supported me. That has meant the world to me.”

Alan supported the Forum and shared his memories. I hope that if the Forum ever folds, and with the benefit of modern technology, it can be accessed in some archive for many future generations.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Alan
I paraphrase Dylan Thomas .....Do go softly into that good night....... funnily enough this poem would give heart to you and probably says everything you feel, thank you for all your memories, your knowledge will be sadly missed and as Pedrocut says in Post 18 I hope this information has been, will be, archived so that in times to come others can read and enjoy it, like all on BHF who have never met each other, there has always been a feeling that we know each other...Go softly into that good night.......

Bob
 
I’ve had the pleasure (as I'm sure many other BHF members have) of exchanging many posts & anecdotes with him a very passionate & knowledgeable man.
Lozellian.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So sorry to hear the sad news regarding Alan. Always found his stories and personal local knowlege interesting. My thoughts are with his family.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We will miss Alan and his knowledge. He has given us so much information over the years.
rosie.
 
I'm sorry to hear about Astonian. I've never met him but, I always enjoyed reading his posts which had a wealth of his memories of Birmingham and especially Aston.
 
Alans words as he was in hospital was "I have been given my death sentence" and he wanted to be at home with family who love him..
 
Vivienne14 said:
Admin note. We are currently unsure of Alan’s situation, so we are checking this. Meanwhile I’m sure members will understand if their posts are slightly edited, until we are clear about Alan’s position. Thank you for your patience. Viv.
Click to expand...
Hello Vivienne14,

It would appear that I along with several other BHF members have potentially been confused re: the situation with Alan (Astonian).

Lozellian.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top