David Allett
It is with great sadness that we annouce the death, a few days ago, of David Allett, aged 85, and first MD of Wang Electronics. David was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year and seemed to be doing well for a few months but went downhill fast over the last month or so.
David's funeral took place on Tuesday 15th August 2023 at 14:00 - A recording is available below.
Webcast details for the service of David Thomas Allett at 14:00 (BST) on Tuesday 15th August, at Bierton Crematorium Bierton, run by Carly Bayford are as below.
Watching webcast live and watch-again (for those who are unable to attend the funeral): This recording is available until Wednesday 13 September.
Website: https://watch.obitus.com Username: qoji7572 Password: 564698
RIP David: The longest serving employee of Wang UK. He was there at the start and literally turned the lights off at the end, when the company ceased trading.
It is with great sadness that we annouce the death, a few days ago, of David Allett, aged 85, and first MD of Wang Electronics. David was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year and seemed to be doing well for a few months but went downhill fast over the last month or so.
David's funeral took place on Tuesday 15th August 2023 at 14:00 - A recording is available below.
Webcast details for the service of David Thomas Allett at 14:00 (BST) on Tuesday 15th August, at Bierton Crematorium Bierton, run by Carly Bayford are as below.
Watching webcast live and watch-again (for those who are unable to attend the funeral): This recording is available until Wednesday 13 September.
Website: https://watch.obitus.com Username: qoji7572 Password: 564698
RIP David: The longest serving employee of Wang UK. He was there at the start and literally turned the lights off at the end, when the company ceased trading.
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Frank Pipe gave the following heart-felt Tribute to
David Allett at the funeral: |
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WANG Electronics - the beginning and early days (and new post below Aug 2023 from Mike Jaffe...)
(You can click on the images on this page to display them larger)
1968 Compact Computer Exhibition - tour of Britain - Glasgow Herald 5th February 1968. Photo courtesy of David Allett.
David Allett (pictured left)
Wang set up operations in the UK on January 1st 1968. The photograph opposite from the Glasgow Herald was published on Monday February the 5th 1968 starring David Allett who was with the company from beginning to end. David appears to be holding a Wang 300 Series Calculator keyboard in one hand and its associated electronics package in the other with the special exhibition train in the background.
As you will see from the caption below the image relates an article about: "A special train with seven coachloads of computers and calculators valued at about £250,000 arrived in Glasgow yesterday. The train houses an American sponsored 'Compact Computer Exhibition' which is completing a 15 day tour of Britain's major industrial and commercial centres with a three day stop in Glasgow's Stobcross Freight Depot. On view will be 46 pieces of equipment which can be used for everything from insurance calculations to medical research to problems of stress in civil engineering to the control of factory processes and machine tools. The exhibition opens today."
Thanks to David Allett for providing the photograph which he believes is the oldest photograph there is of Wang in the UK taken on 4th February 1968.
Wang set up operations in the UK on January 1st 1968. The photograph opposite from the Glasgow Herald was published on Monday February the 5th 1968 starring David Allett who was with the company from beginning to end. David appears to be holding a Wang 300 Series Calculator keyboard in one hand and its associated electronics package in the other with the special exhibition train in the background.
As you will see from the caption below the image relates an article about: "A special train with seven coachloads of computers and calculators valued at about £250,000 arrived in Glasgow yesterday. The train houses an American sponsored 'Compact Computer Exhibition' which is completing a 15 day tour of Britain's major industrial and commercial centres with a three day stop in Glasgow's Stobcross Freight Depot. On view will be 46 pieces of equipment which can be used for everything from insurance calculations to medical research to problems of stress in civil engineering to the control of factory processes and machine tools. The exhibition opens today."
Thanks to David Allett for providing the photograph which he believes is the oldest photograph there is of Wang in the UK taken on 4th February 1968.
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Posted 6th August 2023 from Michael Jaffé (pictured right) amd his dad Frank (pictured far right) boarding a Comet 4B!
Mike says: "OK so here we go. Fasten your seatbelts for a time travel back to 1968..." |
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Back in the early 1960s my beloved father Frank, having cut his teeth at the famous Ad Agency Waseys, set up his own London based design consultancy; Scott/Jaffé with fellow colleague Peter Scott...
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The project was featured in the Scott/Jaffé 1968 credentials broadsheet (A1 equivalent); items 17 & 18 in the attached. Although this is only in b&w, I think it was vivid orange/dark blue or black as the exterior colourways - with a full palette of psychedelic shades inside!
On the day, it's quite possible that my dad met David Allett - the newly installed UK MD, but I'm not sure about this. Either way, it was indeed a thrilling time for me and I'm happy to share these memories with the Wang clan.
As an interesting twist to the tale, when I followed my late (2009) father on my own 40-odd year Mad Men career from the late 1970s, I found myself preparing artwork for several Wang brochures in the early 1980s - copies of which I think I can find in my archive and will let you know.
Mike Jaffe - Received Tuesday 1st of August 2023 by email to Stan Woods.
On the day, it's quite possible that my dad met David Allett - the newly installed UK MD, but I'm not sure about this. Either way, it was indeed a thrilling time for me and I'm happy to share these memories with the Wang clan.
As an interesting twist to the tale, when I followed my late (2009) father on my own 40-odd year Mad Men career from the late 1970s, I found myself preparing artwork for several Wang brochures in the early 1980s - copies of which I think I can find in my archive and will let you know.
Mike Jaffe - Received Tuesday 1st of August 2023 by email to Stan Woods.
1968? Possibly the first Wang Electronics office in the UK
46-48 High Street, Wanstead, London
46-48 High Street, Wanstead, London
197?-1971: Tavistock Square (BMA Building) Headquarters
Two separate rented parts of the BMA building in London accommodates Sales & Admin in one location and Service (Customer Engineering), in another.
Sales & Admin included David Allett (MD), Bob Spicer was sales manager and the sales people were Paddy Burne, Graham Wilson, Richard Tinson, Frank Pipe and Alan Davis. Kathy Hamilton was Dave Allett’s secretary (can sales check this - not sure all were at BMA?), while Service included John Schlamp, Kumar Dighe and Stan Woods (any others?). Expansion saw the move to Northwood High Street during 1971
Sales & Admin included David Allett (MD), Bob Spicer was sales manager and the sales people were Paddy Burne, Graham Wilson, Richard Tinson, Frank Pipe and Alan Davis. Kathy Hamilton was Dave Allett’s secretary (can sales check this - not sure all were at BMA?), while Service included John Schlamp, Kumar Dighe and Stan Woods (any others?). Expansion saw the move to Northwood High Street during 1971
1971-197?: Northwood High Street Headquarters
40-44 Northwood High Street was the head office in 1971 and had Service (Customer Engineering) with John Schlamp, Kumar Dighe, Stan Woods, Dan? (and others?) as well as Sales and Admin in the same suite of small offices located in a sort of prefabricated building behind the Chinese takeaway and the fish aquarium supplies shop with the dustbins outside the entrance door!
David Allett was MD, Bob Spicer was sales manager and the sales people were Paddy Burne, Graham Wilson, Richard Tinson, Frank Pipe, Alan Davis, Robert de Newtown and David Naber. Kathy Hamilton was Dave Allett’s secretary.
John Schlamp, Kumar Dighe and Stan Woods (any others?) transferred from the Tavistock Square HQ as well as most of the Sales people (anyone a more precise memory?). John Schlamp was in charge of Service with Kumar Dighe acting as deputy.
Again the demands of expansion soon saw sales and admin move on to rather better Northwood Hills offices a mile or so up the road and Service to Arundel Road on the Uxbridge Industrial Estate.
David Allett was MD, Bob Spicer was sales manager and the sales people were Paddy Burne, Graham Wilson, Richard Tinson, Frank Pipe, Alan Davis, Robert de Newtown and David Naber. Kathy Hamilton was Dave Allett’s secretary.
John Schlamp, Kumar Dighe and Stan Woods (any others?) transferred from the Tavistock Square HQ as well as most of the Sales people (anyone a more precise memory?). John Schlamp was in charge of Service with Kumar Dighe acting as deputy.
Again the demands of expansion soon saw sales and admin move on to rather better Northwood Hills offices a mile or so up the road and Service to Arundel Road on the Uxbridge Industrial Estate.
Northwood Hills
Arundel Road UXBRIDGE