Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

My PhD supervisor, Professor Joel Richman was a wise man. He once said to me (slightly misquoting Isaac Newton) that I would be able to see further (than others) if I stood on the shoulders of giants. It was his way of telling me to listen to his advice and to read everything I could get my hands on, if I ever thought I might eventually get a PhD. And I did. He introduced me to anthropology, philosophy, economics and opened up a whole new world of interest and insight for me. Sadly, Joel is no longer with us, but I remain grateful for that advice. It has helped me over the years. I still miss his mischievous sense of humour.

Last week, I said goodbye to two other folk who kindly allowed me to stand on their shoulders. The first was Martin Johnson. He had died a week or two ago and last Monday I attended his memorial service. I was not alone. There were at least 100 people in the room to celebrate his life as a father, nurse, professor, and husband. Martin was a real pioneer in so many ways. He was one of the first male nurses in the North West of England, and he excelled in his clinical career. Martin was one of the first nurses to undertake a MSc in nursing at the University of Manchester. Martin was one of the first professors in nursing. I first knew him through his editorship of the prestigious Nurse Education Today journal. I was privileged to have some of my papers published there.

It was Martin who was instrumental in my applying to the University of Salford and succeeding in becoming a professor myself there. I can remember at the interview asking whether the School would pay for me to attend a conference in Australia; the answer was yes, and I was also invited to attend a Nurse Education Today/Nurse Education in Practice conference in Vancouver to which I also said yes as well!

A year later I became Head of School, and then Dean, and Martin’s boss. Together we enjoyed a wonderful 10 years working together. We had a great time developing a vibrant professoriate and he did wonders in leading our Research Excellence Framework (REF) submissions. Another first was getting nursing, as a profession, recognised as having a powerful research voice. Between us we redefined academic tourism. He will be missed by many, and I count it a real privilege to have known him.

The other person whom I will miss, is Andrew Foster, who sadly died last Tuesday. Like Martin, I knew of Andrew before we became colleagues and then friends. People only spoke well of his approach to life and work. In health care he was always a champion for patients, the people he worked with and strove for continuous quality improvement. My first Non-Executive Director role was at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh FT. Andrew was the Chief Executive. It was my first exposure to an acute Trust, and for the first six months, I struggled just to understand what was being discussed. Those acronyms! Over the next seven years, his wise counsel helped me grow in confidence and we established a really healthy working relationship that saw us safely navigate some difficult times.

Andrew retired from the Trust, but we maintained our friendship. Once every six weeks, we would meet to have a glass or two of wine and to put the world to rights. Our favourite place was called The Tickled Trout, a hotel set by a slow moving river. We could sit and watch the world flow past. When I was approached to consider the Chair’s role at Stockport FT, Andrew was one of the first people I went to for advice. He told me ‘not to touch it’, but if I really wanted a go, then he was certain that I was the person who could make a difference. Andrew was generous like that, always believing in people and helping them to realise their ambitions. Like Martin, Andrew is already missed by many, and his passing hasn’t quite sunk in with me.

I’m conscious that this is a blog post about three silver-haired old men, written by an equally silver-haired and old man, so please forgive me for that. However, Andrew has a special place for J and me. It was at his retirement party that I proposed and J agreed to marry me. Although the wedding was postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic, we did eventually get married, and Andrew was one of our treasured guests. In a week full of sadness, the memory of that wonderful day has helped bring a little light to the darkness. RIP Joel, Martin and Andrew.

 

Ps – our UK £2 coin has the inscription ‘STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS’ inscribed on its edge. Keep reading this blog for more startling facts that you didn’t know you needed to know.