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ARTICLE: The Day the Music Died - Remembering John Allen

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 UKC Articles 27 May 2020
John Allen soloing Edge Lane.

Graham Hoey remembers friend and gritstone legend John Allen, who died earlier this month in a climbing accident in the Peak.

On Monday 18 May 2020 John Allen tragically lost his life in a fall at Stoney West. He was a well-loved legend within the climbing world and well on his way to becoming a National Treasure - a title which would have amused him but one I feel he would have accepted with his usual humility.



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 Graham Hoey 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Many thanks to Duncan Critchley, Phil Kelly, Keith Sharples, Nick Taylor, John Codling, John Woodhouse and Alan Hoey

 profitofdoom 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article, great photos, thanks very much

RIP John Allen

 steveriley 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice read, thank you. For a flavour of John Allen's achievements take a look at this ticklist Paul from UKC pulled from the database - https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=4080 - stunning list.

 JamieH 27 May 2020
In reply to Graham Hoey:

A beautiful eulogy Graham, thanks for sharing.

 justdoit 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Really enjoyed reading that, thank you

 Pedro50 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Thanks Graham. Didn't Crags magazine call you the second most famous hairline in The Peak; the most famous being left unstated but glaringly obvious at the time.

 alan moore 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

That was great.

Thank you.

 Jon Read 27 May 2020
In reply to steveriley:

I agree, what a list!

(note, Pacific Ocean Wall Direct and Happily Ever After are on there erroneously)

Lovely piece, Graham.

 Graham Hoey 27 May 2020
In reply to Pedro50:

Yes, I do recall my mate Keith Sharples writing that. Either in Crags or in a guidebook. John and I used to joke about our loss of hair. I did a minor new route with John and Mark Stokes and called it Hairless Art!

Post edited at 16:56
 dan gibson 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Thank you for sharing that Graham. Both inspiring and moving. 

 SteveSBlake 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Thank you for that Graham.  He was visionary....... It is such a shame folks leave early. 

Regards,

Steve

 Trythallj 27 May 2020
In reply to Graham Hoey:

Thanks for that, Graham. I never crossed paths with John, but Les (and Harry) Gillott introduced me to climbing too. I never reached John Allen's heights, but they passed on to me a lifetime love of climbing.

 Patrick Hill 27 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Great read, thanks. 

 Hughbery55 28 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Such a sad loss but what a warm, insightful and wonderful article. 

 Wiley Coyote2 28 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

A lovely piece and a fine tribute to a great climber

Removed User 29 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Just a couple of anecdotes about John...one Christmas Day he decided we should do Christmas Crack...not surprisingly there was a queue so he opted for the Inverted V...off he went but suddenly movement slowed...stopped...and I started to wonder if he was up to it...the fact was he had only taken a single sling up with him and when I eventually followed the  traverse out to the right was thick with ice...every hold...it had slowed him but not stopped him......as a kind man...a friend of mine was terminally ill, loved fast cars but had never been in one...at the time John had a Bentley Continental, without a second thought he handed over the keys...hugely missed...

 james646 29 May 2020

A wonderful read Graham well befitting of a great bloke.

R.I.P John

Post edited at 16:33
 Mick Ward 31 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Graham, what a moving eulogy. I remember that lovely piece you wrote about Simon Horrox (Sox), some years ago. The two essays complement each other beautifully, albeit sadly.

I never knew they'd done the Nose in a Day. You think of them running up it 'with hands and feet and heart' (no Jumars!), young guys probably flushed with the sheer joy of it all.

Now both of them are gone, way before what should have been their rightful times. But they'll always be remembered with respect and affection.

Mick

pasbury 31 May 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Is it John Allen sitting Buddha-like watching Dawes do Technical Master in Stone Monkey?

Or is it in hard grit?

Either way nice moment.

 Simon King 02 Jun 2020
In reply to UKC Articles:

Beautiful. Thanks Graham


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