Baron Barrymore Halpenny
Encyclopedia
Baron Barrymore Halpenny is a commercial artist
, executive editor, writer
and historian
of traditions and culture
, who does work for several publications, but is best known for his book cover illustrations for Ghost Stations
, for which he has also been editor
for the newly released series.
, England
, but raised in the mountains of Abruzzo
, Italy
, where as a baby his first taste of Italian fame, was to have his picture in the EXTRA magazine as one of the beautiful babies of the week. He is the son of the British
historian
and author
, Bruce Barrymore Halpenny
and the equestrian
writer
, Marion Rose Halpenny
.
His childhood was spent between England and Italy with a period in Malta at De La Salle College. Despite passing his 11-plus exam, and instead of going to a Grammar school
, he went instead to his father's old school De Aston
, which originally in his father's day was a Grammar school, but had since changed to a comprehensive
.
He became involved in horse racing at an early age and is a keen horseman, his racing silks registered at the Jockey Club
are black breast, scarlet sleeves and orange cap.
Douglas DC-3 first day cover for the Isle of Man Philatelic Bureau
, and received regional press acclaim for this. The special cover carried a 26p stamp that was specially issued by the Isle of Man to mark the anniversary of the aircraft. Not only did he do all the graphic design work, but he was even responsible for the special handstamping of the covers. The Isle of Man was particularly interested in the anniversary because of the high volume of air mail handled by Dakotas at that time, and also the link between the names of Douglas, Isle of Man
, and Dakota - Douglas DC3
, which Baron cleverly showed in his Hand Stamp.
On leaving school he became a Professional Artist
& Photographer, but later concentrated on Illustrations and cartoons. In the late 1980s he did Architecture
and Graphic Design
in Italy
with Nicola di Renzo at Techno Consult and later moved more into the Graphic Design
field before establishing himself as a Commercial Artist. His most notable book cover illustrations are for his father's cult books, Ghost Stations
.
He is also known for his illustrations and cartoons, especially his Bridge themed cartoons, some appearing in bridge magazines.
He is a magazine editor and also the book editor of several publications.
and conservationist
whose advocacy for environmental causes
is well known, as is his love of the countryside and animals from a young age. He is part of several causes, supporting various organisations but in particular the Wolf Preservation Foundation
, of which his father is also President.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, executive editor, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of traditions and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, who does work for several publications, but is best known for his book cover illustrations for Ghost Stations
Ghost Stations
Ghost Stations is a series of books by the British military historian Bruce Barrymore Halpenny, containing ostensibly true ghost and mystery stories generally connected to the RAF, airfields and other military or war connected stories.- History :...
, for which he has also been editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for the newly released series.
Early years
Born in LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but raised in the mountains of Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where as a baby his first taste of Italian fame, was to have his picture in the EXTRA magazine as one of the beautiful babies of the week. He is the son of the British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, Bruce Barrymore Halpenny
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny
Bruce Barrymore Halpenny is a widely respected English military historian and author, specialising in airfields and aircraft, as well as ghost stories and mysteries. He is also a broadcaster and games inventor.-Parents:...
and the equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, Marion Rose Halpenny
Marion Rose Halpenny
Marion Rose Halpenny is an equestrian writer and horsewoman, born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, and known as the Lincolnshire turf authoress, who has written a number of articles and books on racing, but is mainly known for her pioneering book British Racing and Racecourses, which was the first book of...
.
His childhood was spent between England and Italy with a period in Malta at De La Salle College. Despite passing his 11-plus exam, and instead of going to a Grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, he went instead to his father's old school De Aston
De Aston School
De Aston School is a voluntary controlled, mixed comprehensive school in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, England with a sixth form college and boarding house. The school has a broad Christian ethos but accommodates those of other faiths or no faith.-Admissions:...
, which originally in his father's day was a Grammar school, but had since changed to a comprehensive
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
.
He became involved in horse racing at an early age and is a keen horseman, his racing silks registered at the Jockey Club
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing. Although no longer responsible for the governance and regulation of the sport, it owns 14 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud and...
are black breast, scarlet sleeves and orange cap.
Graphic design and cartoons
At 14 he started to show his artistic merit by creating a special Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
Douglas DC-3 first day cover for the Isle of Man Philatelic Bureau
Isle of Man Post
The Isle of Man Post Office , which formerly used the trading name Isle of Man Post, operates postal collection, ancillary mail services, philatelic goods and delivery services and post office counter services on the Isle of Man.-History:...
, and received regional press acclaim for this. The special cover carried a 26p stamp that was specially issued by the Isle of Man to mark the anniversary of the aircraft. Not only did he do all the graphic design work, but he was even responsible for the special handstamping of the covers. The Isle of Man was particularly interested in the anniversary because of the high volume of air mail handled by Dakotas at that time, and also the link between the names of Douglas, Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, and Dakota - Douglas DC3
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, which Baron cleverly showed in his Hand Stamp.
On leaving school he became a Professional Artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
& Photographer, but later concentrated on Illustrations and cartoons. In the late 1980s he did Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with Nicola di Renzo at Techno Consult and later moved more into the Graphic Design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
field before establishing himself as a Commercial Artist. His most notable book cover illustrations are for his father's cult books, Ghost Stations
Ghost Stations
Ghost Stations is a series of books by the British military historian Bruce Barrymore Halpenny, containing ostensibly true ghost and mystery stories generally connected to the RAF, airfields and other military or war connected stories.- History :...
.
He is also known for his illustrations and cartoons, especially his Bridge themed cartoons, some appearing in bridge magazines.
Writer and editor
Halpenny is noted for his "ability to write about things many people take for granted", especially from his early days of writing, where he had from his early teens been studying and writing about traditions and culture.He is a magazine editor and also the book editor of several publications.
Environmentalist
He is an environmentalistEnvironmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
whose advocacy for environmental causes
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
is well known, as is his love of the countryside and animals from a young age. He is part of several causes, supporting various organisations but in particular the Wolf Preservation Foundation
Wolf Preservation Foundation
The Wolf Preservation Foundation is an international non-profit organisation, independent of political parties or common interests...
, of which his father is also President.