I was born and raised in Northampton but moved to Edinburgh in 1965 to study at the University of Edinburgh. I was actually the first person in the UK to register for and complete a BSc with Honours in Astrophysics. After completing that at the University and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh (ROE) in 1968, I continued studying at ROE for a PhD on interstellar dust grains and spectroscopy, supported by a three-year Robert Cormack Bequest Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. My inspirational supervisors were Drs Mary Brück and Kashi Nandy; and I was also very fortunate to have Dr Peter Brand as my early mentor.

Edinburgh became my home, and is now again my home in my retirement, but I had never visited the city until that momentous day in October 1965 — in fact I had never travelled further north than Birmingham! There were no “open days" nor in -person interviews then.

They couldn't fit me into student halls, so I was in digs in first year, on the Joppa promenade. With 10 other students in an amazing rambling Victorian villa with shutters on the windows against the howling winter winds: football on the deserted beach; musseling in Musselburgh; and we still have reunions every 10 years, with celebrations for our 60th 'arrivals-anniversary' now imminent.

But the reason I chose Astrophysics was quite strange to recall. Although a keen amateur astronomer I assumed I would study Physics at university. I've resurrected some of my old diaries and an entry for 7 July 1964 reads: “in a week my opinion has changed once more. I'm not very keen on Cambridge or London now, but I feel I should try a course that's going to be within my capabilities, possibly even an astrophysics course would be my best bet (though Edinburgh University is the only one giving an astrophysics course). Taking a subject that only a few do, rather than physics, which hundreds do, might be a very big advantage in more ways than one." And coming to Edinburgh felt like more of an adventure.

I was coming straight into the second year with my set of English 'A' levels. The first time I met my Director of Studies, who was Dr Michael Smyth, he said, “coming straight into the second year is going to be tough, but well worth it.". And so it proved; although the physics lectures were fine, I struggled initially with some of the maths.

For the later astrophysics lectures for this new Honours degree, it was often the first time they had been delivered. The only students were myself and David Forrester who joined the course for the last two years. So, the lecture rooms saw just two students and a lecturer. And I noticed in my diary, “Professor [Hermann] Brück cancelled his lectures because I had tonsillitis. Half of his students were absent, with good reason in that case."

I used the amazing old 36 inch telescope at ROE for my observations during my PhD, as well as several runs with the nearly-new Isaac Newton Telescope in Herstmonceux (leading to a paper published in Nature in 1971). In the winter at ROE, it was sometimes 12 hours non-stop observing, during brilliantly clear frosty nights in that historic dome - with very little sleep some weeks. And I was using newly-developed electronographic image tubes (tutored in their use by Peter Brand) with a 40kV supply, in the starlit dark in high humidity, with no auto-guider, climbing up ladders, manually moving the dome rotation and shutter. Health and Safety have come a long way since those days.

I have fond memories of Copeland House too, which in those days was Professor and Mrs Brück's family home. They used to host occasional parties attended by the University Astronomy students and staff. On one occasion my fellow PhD student Bill Samson entertained us playing a lute that he had made himself.

I went on to have a long career in astrophysics and related subjects. All that is thanks to the exceptional education, friends and training I had here at the University and especially ROE. I cannot thank ROE enough!

I worked on optical heterodyne spectroscopy of interstellar-dust-size particles at the University of Bradford; built lasers at Culham to help identify solar coronal spectra; was head of Space Astronomy Group at RAL in Chilton; enjoyed spectacular observing at Vilspa Madrid throughout the 18-year life of the International Ultraviolet Explorer; for a decade was Project Scientist of the 'original' Starlink national computing project, during which it was so wonderful to visit ROE again each year.

Finally, in 1993, I became Professor and Head of Astrophysics at UCLan Preston, later founding the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Maths, Physics and Astronomy, serving as its Director until my retirement in 2013. I remain an Emeritus Professor, assisting students and reviewing their papers.

Much of my work has had strong links with STFC, in its former guises as the Science Research Council and then PPARC [Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council].

It's really amazing to see what is taking place on site now. You have Euclid examining dark matter coming out of the University [of Edinburgh]. Obviously, there's James Webb and MIRI​, which was led from UK ATC, and then MOONS​, which I saw at the last Doors Open Day, looks incredibly impressive.

I'm amazed and very impressed, but at the same time not at all surprised, because of the strong astronomy and technological foundation that has been at the heart of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh since the beginning.​​

Find out more about the history of ROE and UK ATC.​​