Sir Harold Ridley and Kibworth

We can see clearly now

The surgeon who changed the way millions of people could see is honoured in the village where he was born

Sir Harold Ridley invented the first artificial lens which could be placed directly on the eye. His pioneering work, which began during World War II, has enabled over 200 million people worldwide to see better

On Saturday 18 February 2012 at 12 noon, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at Sir Harold’s birthplace, 70 Leicester Road, Kibworth Harcourt by his son, Nicholas Ridley

Members of the ophthalmic community locally and nationally, including students and surgeons, attended the ceremony

The project was the brainchild of Kibworth resident Bob Haggerty. His personal story can be found in the links section below

Images of the opening ceremony here

The project has been paid for by the Kibworth Improvement Team from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant and by Rayners who manufactured the first lenses for Sir Harold. The plaque has been manufactured by a local company based in Wigston.

Sir Harold was born on 10 July 1906. His pioneering work began whilst caring for injured RAF pilots and crew during World War II. He noticed that fragments of Perspex from the canopies of aircraft cockpits which had become lodged in the eyes of injured airmen were not rejected by the body’s immune system. This observation led him to work with the manufacturers of the plastic, and in 1949 he achieved the first-ever implant of an intraocular lens in an operation at St Thomas Hospital.

He went on to develop comprehensive programmes for cataract surgery with intraocular implants and pioneered this treatment in the face of prolonged strong opposition from the medical community. He was a man of great insight and incredible skills.

He was honoured with a knighthood in February 2000 and died at his Wiltshire home a year later.

Sir Harold Ridley's birthplace is included in the new Kibworth Village Guide, produced by KiT (Kibworth Improvement Team) in association with local history and heritage societies. The new guide was published on Monday 9 January 2012.

Royal Mail issued a commemorative postage stamp recording Sir Harold's achievements in 2010. It was one of a set of six stamps marking Medical Breakthroughs, designed by Howard Brown and issued on 16 September 2010. Its face value was 67p.

The commemorative plaque was being manufactured by a local (to Kibworth) company, JR Designs of Wigston, whose expertise and experience throughout the project have been welcomed. The project was also being supported by the Kibworth Improvement Team.

Rayner Intraocular Lenses, the company that first worked with Sir Harold Ridley is still the European leaders in ophthalmic medicine, eye surgery and eye care. They are also the name behind the Lancaster and Thorpe chain of High Street opticians. Rayner provided part of the funding for this project.

An authoritative biography of Sir Harold Ridley by the late Dr David J Apple MD was published by Slack Books in 2006. Copies are available locally from The Bookshop at 52 High Street, Kibworth Beauchamp.

Links

Bob Haggerty's personal story on the Kibworth History Society's website

The Ridley Foundation

Coverage by the Kibworth Chronicle (January 2012) including nurse Margaret Stowe's story

Recent press report from the Harborough Mail's website

Details of the biography of Sir Harold Ridley written by David J Apple

Sir Harold Ridley and the birth of the intraocular lens on the Rayner website

An article about Sir Harold Ridley in The Optician online magazine

The Kibworth villages community website

The website of JR Designs of Wigston who are manufacturing the plaque

Details of the Bookshop in Kibworth Beauchamp

Article by optometrist David Baker about Ridley' work and commemorative postage stamp issue



		Sir Harold Ridley's birthplace The date of this photograph is not known but is probably early 1950s. This dignified Victorian dwelling was known formerly as The Gables, and was built in the mid-19th century. It stands on the boundary between the parishes of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt.

		Nicholas Ridley The plaque was unveiled by Nicholas, the son of Sir Harold Ridley, who remembers watching his father's first surgical procedure, as a young boy.

		Commemorative Postage Stamp The Royal Mail issued a set of six commemorative stamps marking medical breakthroughs on 16 September 2010. These included a stamp commemorating the work of Sir Harold Ridley

		Little Lebanon Bob Haggerty, who initiated the project to commemorate Sir Harold Ridley, outside the entrance to Ridley's birthplace, Little Lebanon in Kibworth (Picture: Andrew Carpenter)

		Biography of Sir Harold Ridley Written by the late David J Apple and published in 2006 by Slack Publications in the USA. It is available locally from The Bookshop in Kibworth Beauchamp



Web page design and content © Stephen Butt 2012	Published by Stephen Butt t/a Tempus Omnia Revelat 2012