ROBERT (BOB) WILLIAM ALLEN
My father, the architect and watercolour artist
land of make believe
My late father was a wonderful man, and to this day I can’t still believe he’s not with me any more. As a child, he indulged my wild imagination, spending hours writing stories and illustrating them with me. We lost ourselves in our make-believe worlds, and it never seemed a chore to him, no matter how tired or busy he was. I even thought he could do real magic until I was about ten years old, and still I sometimes wonder if he really could magic eggs from my ears after all!
I remember him taking me to see ‘The Neverending Story’ at the cinema (or the ‘pictures’ as we used to call it) when I was only four years old, back when the 1980s weren’t afraid to make children’s films that were quite scary. I cried so much yet when he tried to take me out of the cinema I cried even harder. I was mesmerised by the film and decided that when I grew up I wanted to be a dragon, just like Valcor from the film.
I know now that sadly, not everyone had such a doting father as I had, and it makes me cherish my lucky childhood memories even more so.
My father and I during the early 1980's
The traveller
Robert William Allen (or Bob, as he was known to us all) was a gentle man, and if you didn’t take the time to get to know him you might have missed his quiet sense of humour. He seemed fairly conservative but I know that before he settled down he had many travels with friends in the seventies, hitch-hiking across Canada, Sweden and even as far as Beirut.
Stockholm, 1970 - My father (right) and lifelong friend Ian Rowden (left) monkeying around
Becoming an architect
As a schoolboy, my father was in awe of the Royal Albert Bridge which joins Cornwall and Devon over the river Tamar. Built by engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it inspired my father to become an architect. He was told categorically by his teacher ‘Allen, you’ll never make an architect’ which I expect spurred him on all the more.
On returning from his travels and meeting my mother, my father settled into work as an architectural technician. He later realised his childhood dream by studying architecture at Oxford Poly as a mature student. He embarked on a successful career in London and Swindon (where I was born) before we moved to Cornwall in search of a less stressful way of life.
At my father’s drawing board, 1984
Cornwall
Living in Cornwall led my father to work on a diversity of projects from the Mineral Tramways trail between Portreath and Devoran, including the consolidation and repair of numerous engine houses, to the transformation of Penlee Museum and Gallery in Penzance. In his office above St. Ives Guild Hall he created stunning modern residences in clifftop locations and completed numerous sympathetic renovation schemes in the town centre.
He appreciated the history of once prosperous mining towns like Redruth, and when others ran it down he would tell me ‘When you next walk through Redruth just look up, there are some amazing buildings, truly beautiful’.
He once saved the ruins of a derelict medieval chapel in the centre of Redruth from being demolished. It was going to become another car park. Instead, my father and others pressured the council to secure funding to turn it into a public garden area. With the old stone walls of the building left alone to encase the garden, my father created a charming, subtle addition to the town’s centre. I think St.Rumon's Gardens is a beautiful place and whenever I'm in the area I take a moment to visit, sit and think of my father.
My father at Marriots shaft, Bassets Mine, one of the many Cornish mines he restored and made safe for the public to visit during the 1990s
The artist
For as long as I can remember, my father was always sketching. Cornish mines were often the subject of his pencil sketches and watercolour paintings he made during the 1990s. In what may seem to some a barren, abandoned landscape of the Pool, Redruth and Carn Brea area, my father saw a certain beauty, which he captured in his work. Often painted in situ, be it a sunrise, sunset or a foreboding sky full of rainclouds, he painted moments that could not be captured by a photograph.
I also loved his pencil sketches that often showed wonky little Cornish cottages, harbour scenes and engine houses.
The unexpected
I’m not unique in the fact that I’ve lost a parent to a terminal illness. But nothing prepares you for when it actually happens. Aged 64, far too soon, my father passed away with retirement just out of life’s reach. Unbelievably, he coped with his illness very well and always remained positive. He made the best of the time he had left. And even when he could barely hold a pen any longer, or able to verbally communicate very well, his humour still shone through.
His last sketchbook (2012) contained illustrated characters inspired by from the mundane things in his room. To me, he seemed to be poking fun at the illness that claimed his body, a way of saying ‘I’m still here!’
Radiator Dog
The man himself - ever ready Battery Bob
The angry rubbish bin - Pedal Bin Laden
Characters like Radiator Dog, Battery Bob, Pedal Bin Laden and Simmbad (the sim card from his mobile phone) made me laugh out loud. That pleased him very much and we’d go through his sketchbook many times so we could laugh together without the need to talk.
Radiator Dog goes to the circus
Pedal Bin Laden speaks his mind - ‘RUBBISH’
Radiator Dog takes a wife
Radiator Dog breaks free
Achieving dreams
As my father’s illness worsened, he had to give up his architectural career, but he still managed to focus his efforts on achieving his lifelong dream. Ever since he decided to become an architect, he hoped that one day he would design his own house. ‘Hakey Bay’ is a beautiful property overlooking St. Ives Bay, and I’m so pleased that he was able to see it completed.
In contrast to all the restoration work he completed, the last property he designed was a modern, open-plan house in Sennen called the ‘Sharks Fin’. The design of the building makes the best of the spectacular views from Sennen Beach to Cape Cornwall.
The Sharks Fin - The last property my father designed. Photo courtesy of RA Design
My inspiration
I’m incredibly proud of my father and I always will be. Not just because of his achievements, but simply for being the kind, gentle, patient person that he was.
If you can achieve that in life, you’re on the right track.
My father and I sharing a moment together, 2003. Photo © John Berryman.
