8mm Forum: Tim Christian Remembered

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Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 07, 2007, 09:09 PM:

We lost one of our own a few weeks ago when Tim Christian passed away. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late in 2005, and spent his last months quietly in the place and among the people he loved.

Tim was born in Gloucester, UK. He eventually became an engineer for Philips and worked for several years at their facilities in the Netherlands, where he met his wife Felicity. As a result of their time abroad, Tim and Felicity were both fluent in Dutch and used this as a code language when their son Basil was young.

Tim loved boating, railroads, reading, Jazz and making and collecting small gauge films. He inherited this last love from his father, who during Tim’s childhood was a fan of 9.5mm. Tim himself was a devoted fan of the 8mm film gauges, applying his skills as a machinist and circuit designer and his sensibilities as a film maker to getting the most out of the hobby. He produced several articles on filmmaking and presentation and his website had a nice section on Walton films, which was a passion of his. He owned Isoplethics, a small company specialized in parts for vintage radios, but was not immune to providing items like material for making replacement projector belts as well. He knew as much about electronics as I ever will, even more about mechanics, as far as optics, let’s not even go there…

I’ve had the honor of being this man’s friend, despite the ocean between us and never having been in the same time zone. Tim and I hooked up over three years ago on this forum in a discussion of railroad films, and kept in steady contact ever since. In the years since we’ve had far ranging discussions covering such subjects as films, cars, boats, politics, trains, wives, sons, Shakespeare, plumbing, astronomy, beer, history, the other guy’s weather and our mutual favorite author, Bill Bryson. We did a long series on which side the steering wheel is on and the consequences involved. When I replaced the upstairs necessity we discussed Thomas Crapper, his invention, and the unfortunate fate of his good name. We were both huge fans of the English language and had long discussions about the two distinct versions of it we spoke and their subtleties. I think we found that while the differences of our own lives were indeed interesting and educational for both of us, the similarities were even more compelling.

We were a formidable team on E-bay, with our five hour time difference making possible almost 24 hour coverage of auctions, and resulting in the division of several lots of films between us and in-country checks of used prints before one was sent to the other side of the Atlantic. Several bad prints stayed where they started because of this. This also allowed us to perforate the “domestic only” barrier by effectively having overseas addresses as needed. Tim found me a ‘scope lens in the UK and was quick to send the odd part needed to make something work, or work again. I found him some model railroad parts at a local hobby shop and corresponded with local electronic manufacturing reps on his behalf. Once when a British lady found herself at my wife’s hospital, our wives worked together to hook up social services to get her transported home. I found Tim to be a source of comfort and encouragement when my own father died some three years ago, yet it saddens me I can’t do more for his family today.

E-mail made our friendship amazingly portable. Very often when I was at work and needed a break, I’d drop him a line. Almost as often within a few minutes, I’d get a response. Knowing that can’t ever happen again hurts more than a little.

It is a profound regret that because of the complications of both of our lives, I never sat down with him to have a beer and watch some films, but the night I found out he was gone both reels of Walton’s "Farewell to Steam" were projected on my own screen, all the way across the Atlantic, yet somehow still connected. It just seemed the best way to remember Tim.

Here is a selection of his articles:

http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/screens.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/screens2.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/recbox.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/dof.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/belts.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/soundstriping.php
http://www.filmshooting.com/community/articles/soundstriping2.php

Posted by Robert Wales (Member # 502) on May 07, 2007, 09:40 PM:

What a wonderful tribute - he was indeed lucky to have connected with a friend like you. My sympathy to you, his family & friends.

Your relationship reminds me of the one featured in the film 84 Charing Cross Road - a perfect gem starring Anne Bancroft & Anthony Hopkins. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it.

Regards,

Robert

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 07, 2007, 10:07 PM:

Steve,

A very lovely eulogy for a friend. may we all, on this forum, find a friend that can honor us as you have your friend

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on May 08, 2007, 01:31 PM:

I was looking for Tim's Walton website a couple of days ago, and it no longer is on the web. It was a great reference for Walton Films, and included a fascinating history of sound stripe. I wonder if anyone archived it and could post it on the forum?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 08, 2007, 02:01 PM:

Hi Paul,

I've been able to find Tim's Walton 'site cached in Google, unfortunately without the box pictures, but the text is there. I think a re-construction is possible, and I believe that Tim would have wanted it that way.

http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:xmb5caWFYGcJ:www.isoplethics.co.uk/walton/magstripe.html+%2Bisoplethics+%2Bwalton&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&lr=lang_en

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on May 08, 2007, 03:14 PM:

Steve

What a wonderful tribute to your friend and somebody who was a valued contributor to this and other forums. It was so nice to hear more about the man himself having only really brushed the surface with our encounters on the forum and just one or two outside of it.

He truly was a talented, and generous man, I’m sure he will be missed by all who new him.

Mike

Ps. On a brighter note I shall remember him mostly for his amusing, descriptive term “Elmoaners” when referring to the members of the forum! [Smile]

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on May 08, 2007, 03:18 PM:

That would be a nice thing to do Steve. I am sure between us all we could come up with appropriate picture files of the Peterson recorder, Bolex and Eumig synchronizers, Walton Film box covers etc.

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on May 08, 2007, 03:21 PM:

Paul / Steve

I still have the scans of the Tom and Jerry Boxes that I sent Tim for his site, so they could go back on.

Mike

Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 08, 2007, 03:43 PM:

That is a great post. I remember feeling the same when Derek passed away. I have kept his emails and transferred them from computer to computer and I read them every now and again.

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on May 08, 2007, 03:44 PM:

I also sent Tim some Walton catalog scans for his website, and enjoyed trading e-mails with him. What a great guy....i'm very sad to learn of his passing.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on May 08, 2007, 06:37 PM:

"Elmoaner"

-classic Tim! He was a Eumig Man and a pretty staunch one too.

Wouldn't you know it: when I ran those two Walton films (which he both recommended and found for me) that night, my machine of choice was my Eumig. Even though it's my main machine, the ELMO stayed dark.

-just seemed the right thing to do.

Posted by Tony Milman (Member # 7) on May 10, 2007, 02:18 PM:

Steve,

I have just returned from a short trip and was really shocked to find this post. Such a sad loss and naturally my thoughts go to you and Tim's family.

He was a most genereous man and I regret that I never got to meet him. I bought a few of his films last year and they were a delight to watch and own. I shall always remember his generosity when it came to providing me with a large slice of white plastic material that we were able to use a couple of years ago when we put on a cine fest in our small road. It worked a treat and without his help the show would have been much poorer. I could not publicly acknowledge his help at the time as he didn't want me to broadcast his source!!!! Thanks Tim and whatever God you followed I just hope he has enough spare bulbs to keep you going!

Posted by Joe Taffis (Member # 4) on June 08, 2010, 05:18 AM:

I brought back this post from 2007 for the benefit of those who weren't members then....

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on June 08, 2010, 01:28 PM:

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

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