Simon was appointed Clinical Lecturer in Orthopaedic and Accident Surgery (and Honorary Senior Registrar) in August 1988. He had just completed his Doctor of Medicine (DM) Thesis at the University of Oxford entitled “Clinical and experimental aspects of denervation and reinnervation” which had focussed on the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to evaluate metabolism in muscle in health and disease.
 
In Nottingham he was exposed to intensive clinical training for 2½ years culminating in his Certificate of Completion of Higher Surgical Training (CCHST). He so impressed us over this period that he was appointed in April 1991 to a newly approved (second) Senior Lecturer post in Nottingham working at both Harlow Wood Orthopaedic Hospital and Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham. Simon gave me huge support as Senior Lecturer and helped me develop the Nottingham Shoulder and Elbow Unit (NSEU) with my colleague Lars Neumann which we officially launched in 1992. I recall Simon studying intently in the University Department, but always with his computer producing a wide variety of music as he worked. During this time, in addition to supporting me with developing shoulder research in Nottingham, he published his book on “Medical Audit” in 1993, a topic that was very topical at the time and he kindly included Phil Radford and myself as co-authors although he had prepared and edited the majority of the chapters.
 
After Simon left to fill the Chair of Orthopaedics in Liverpool in 1995 he developed his own Shoulder Unit which became internationally recognised.
 
I was delighted that he was so successful in Liverpool, particularly with his research programme – success that was achieved with hard work and tenacity. I was proud to be his teacher, mentor and colleague.