Alan (Al) William Blackwood
Alan William Blackwood, Al (1932 – 2023) was born in Croydon on 23rd November 1932 an only child. Brought up in Hove, Alan left grammar school to become a cub reporter on the Brighton Argus (Evening Argus) newspaper. Conscripted for National Service at the age of 17, Alan went into the Royal Signals and was based in Germany where he rose to the rank of Sergeant.
After leaving the armed forces, Alan became a successful publishing editor before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980’s. He wrote a critically acclaimed biography of Sir Thomas Beecham and was a lead writer on ‘In Classical Mood’, a CD-book series. ‘Writer’s Cramp’, was Alan’s first non-fiction book published in 2020 and he wrote short stories in the ‘flash fiction’ genre.
Alan’s main interest was music, playing his baby grand piano in his studio flat in Shelburne Court, Putney. He attended concerts, many with his friend Sally Webster. Recently, with his friend Martin Preston, Alan broadcast ‘Alan Blackwood’s Accidentals’ on Mad Wasp Radio. He alternated between living in Putney and in his house in Alba-La-Romaine in the French Ardèche. Alan was a devotee of old British comedies and a lifelong supporter of Brighton Football Club.
