Farewell Alan Scott

Maedi's picture
Maedi

Alan Scott in 2002

Some sad news... Alan Scott passed away today at 3.00pm in Tasmania, Australia. Many of the baking community will know Alan as a superb oven builder and motivator in the sourdough baking community. He will be missed and remembered in every loaf that comes out of an Alan Scott oven.

Good journey Alan
Graham and Maedi


Updated 30 January, 2009

Alan's funeral will be at 11 am on Thursday 5th February. It will be a graveside service in the grounds of the Oatlands Anglican Church (St Peter's). No other details are available yet.

 

Alan Scott, Dan Lepard and John Downes at the ABA Gathering in Melbourne


Alan Scott, Dan Lepard and John Downes at the Artisan Baker Association Gathering 2007 in Melbourne

Replies

iain 2009 January 31
Have just returned home from baking another days bread in one of the great mans ovens. I have been supporting my family for almost 14 years baking organic sourdough bread in an Alan Scott oven (the first 8 years in a 3.5 x4 ft oven and now in a 6x8 ft one )and I still get a thrill every time I fire it knowing that the process has begun again not to mention the enjoyment of loading and unloading it.
 I remember first hearing of him in "The Bread Book" by Thom Leonard and getting so excited about building our own oven. I wrote him to ask about plans and the letter I got back in Feb 94 included a plan of an oven he had just completed building at his place in Petaluma and he said "This oven you could possibly build by following the directions in the Bread Book , that I wrote , if you have some native Aussie savvy with things like bricks and mortar , and stuff "  Well I knew how to bake bread but bricks and mortar were not my thing so I sent off some money for his detailed plans and photos instead.
 That was the begining of my friendship with Alan and my joining the fraternity of Alan Scott Oven devotees. I attended the "Brick Oven Bakers Conference" in the U.S. in 2000 and truly got to see the impact that this Aussie Hippy was having, camping on his living room floor with a dozen or so bakers from all over the place where talk of leavens and oven firing schedules went on late into the evening.
 A lovely gentle soul who shall be dearly missed but whose presence will live on in all of the ovens he has built or inspired.
Lyndall 2009 January 31
Peace, Alan. What an honour it is to have known you.We will always remember your generosity of spirit, wisdom and humour.
Thanks for your example of how to tread lightly on this earth.  
ted.chang 2009 February 1
看到這則訊息真的哀傷卻又有點不相信,還記得2006年暮春才去塔斯
馬尼亞拜訪Alan,他是那麼熱情、那麼活力十足,回到台灣,我還寫
了篇文章稱頌他的活力,尤其是開車在鄉間小路上,讓我記憶猶新。
因為他,我在記者的工作之餘努力摸索sourdough bread,也計畫蓋
一座brick oven 我買了一分築爐計畫,打算今年完成,還想著要請
他簽名,以便刻在爐上,沒想到,卻已天人永隔。不過,Alan我們永
遠記得您,您的名字將永遠刻畫在我的爐上。

Translation:
Sees this, then news really sad actually a little did not believe that but also remembered that in 2006 late spring only then goes to Tass Ma Niya to visit Alan, he is the enthusiasm, so the vigor is so full, returns to Taiwan, I also wrote an article to praise his vigor, particularly drove on the country road, let me have a vivid memory. Because of him, I in time reporter's work tries to find out sourdough bread diligently, also planned covers brick oven I to buy one point furnace building plan, plans to complete this year, but was also thinking must ask him to sign, with the aim of engraving on the stove, had not thought that actually the beauty forever will have separated. However, Alan we will forever remember you, your name will portray forever on mine stove.           
Marcia 2009 February 8
We are baking today in an oven designed by Alan Scott. I took a 3-day oven-building class from him  3 years ago at The North House Folk School in Grand Marais, MN. It was the last class he taught there before moving back to Tasmania. It all started for me with his and Daniel Wing's book, The Bread Builders. I was so inspired by the history, the chemistry and of course with the total charm of the ovens. We love our oven and how cooking with it (cooking IN it doesn't sound right because it is a cooperative venture with the oven) has changed our family, neighborhood and social life. Thank you, thank you, Alan Scott. Your generous sharing of your life's passion and work mean a lot to me.
Eagle 2009 March 27

Me and a friend learn Alan from a book "bread and chocolate", and find his Ovencrafters.net from the Internet, the communicate was started - the year is 2001, Alan said we can stay with him and went to work for his project to learnung by doing, it seems a great chance to go.

But the impact of 911 and some other issues kept us hold for some years, till the autumn of 2004, we heading to Petaluma to learn from him.

Nothing happened since came back from Petaluma, after Alan decided he want to go back to his hometown 2006, we asked him stop in Taiwan for the workshop.

Many of you knew Alan longer and better than me, need no say more. He is a unique and so extraordinary man, we will always remember him.

The second oven just finished recently, the tale of Alan will keep repeat in the loop here. Farewell, Alan

There were some pictures while he was here for the workshop, please visit http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ovencrafter/gallery

crusty-ken 2009 March 28

There are not many Alan Scott's in this world
I first met Alan by chance when i was a young man also on a bread discovery journey in the US in 1993. I will never forget the day and night i spent with this old Ozzie hippy in California i had never met anyone that had so much to share about sourdough baking and his collection of books , including his editions of the Small Farmers Journal's amazed me. I left with a book and some Desem and a friendship that never ended.
Alan was always up for a tale of his experiance as ( australia's first hippy) and he had many adventures to tell some of the most amazing where in San Fran in the prime of the flower power days.
Alan always welcomed guests and so many people passed through his house and shared the passion for living and baking with him.
Alan will be missed by many but his memory will live on with all the loaves that come out every day from an oven that he designed or helped build, he showed us a great example of being able to tread light and live life with passion and integrity He was very much a man of his era and that time can never be repeated ( I wish it could)but his his legacy will live on for all of us that share the real CULTURE!

meg 2009 May 1

I moved back to my native home of Oz in 2004, from Canada, with a mission to start a bakery....after so much research of ovens and where and how to build a woodfired oven, one baker finally said to me "just email Alan, he'll help you".....Right I thought...here I am in the middle of nowhere in NSW emailing some one in California!!!! Well the magic began as I sent that email and within ten minutes I had a response...." I can come in March..see you then".....that began my lovely and sadly all too short friendship with the wonderful Alan Scott.....

Alan arrived in a tiny car at our farm and helped us build a dream, I have never been so moved by such a humble man and I so thankful to have been lucky enough to meet him and perhaps build one of his last ovens...

I visited Alan in his hometown of Oatlands, Tasmania, to say good bye as my dream shifted and I had to return to Canada in 2007, I never thought it would be my last goodbye......

So right now we are building another Alan oven and a bakery, there is not a day that goes by that I feel so fortunate to have been a friend......

He is still my friend, but now he gets to shed his light all over the world as we fire up our ovens and bake to nourish this planet....

thank you alan.....

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