Geoffrey Patrick Ridsdill Smith

Geoffrey Patrick Ridsdill Smith, known as Patrick, chose to follow a medical career in his early thirties having worked as an economist for Fisons plc. He went on to have over 25 years as a GP. He never became disillusioned. He treasured both the variety and security of the job. He was a great advocate for medicine as a second career.

He was born on St Patrick’s Day in his uncle’s house in Wellington Park, Belfast. His uncle, Sir Ian Fraser, a surgeon at Queens Hospital, carried out the first field trials of penicillin with Howard Florey in North Africa. Ian was a source of inspiration for Patrick.

He spent the war years in Newcastle, County Down, Ireland, while his father, Geoff, served in the Home Guard in England. Geoff had suffered extensive facial burns in a plane crash during training in the Royal Flying Corps in 1917, and had a series of operations under Sir Harold Gillies at Queen Mary’s Sidcup, including a new nose, cheek, and eyelids.

Patrick was educated at Windlesham School, East Sussex, and then Haileybury College, Hertford, where his father taught history. He became head boy and developed a love of sailing in the naval section of the cadet corps. The family and their corgi, Taffy, lived in Southfield, an idyllic house with a grass tennis court.

Patrick joined up with the Royal Navy for national service. He won a short service commission and was posted to Hong Kong, where he met his wife to be, Diana, daughter of the acting attorney general, Arthur Hooton. …