Chris's interaction with STFC started as a user in September 2006 and he remained an active and enthusiastic user of Octopus until very recently, despite fighting serious illness. He was a prolific user of the facility, making use of just about every technique available over the years! During the early years of his interactions with the CLF, he was a strong defender of biological imaging in STFC, and during his time as President of the Royal Microscopical Society around 2008, he was active in spreading the word about the key role of the CLF in providing cutting-edge microscopy facilities. 

Chris was almost single-handedly responsible for the establishment of a vibrant plant science user community at the CLF's Octopus facility, and developed a strong link between the CLF and Oxford Brookes University. He also had a long-standing scientific collaboration with the CLF's Stan Botchway; this was not just a working relationship but also a personal friendship, and Stan greatly appreciated Chris's support and advice. 

Chris was always ready to support and promote not just the CLF but also the STFC in every possible way. He was a member of the STFC Large Facilities Sub-Group of the 2013 Programmatic Review and from 2013-2016 he served on the CLF Facility Board. Most recently, he was a member of STFC's Science Board.The members of all these panels greatly valued Chris's enthusiasm and advice.

​Chris had a global reputation, and his enthusiasm for science and research, as well as his friendship and support will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest sympathy to Chris's wife Kay and the rest of his family.