Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer

Reay Coat of Arms
Industry And Learning

Reay Coat of Arms, 2002.  Granted by the College of Arms.
The vertical stripes represent Washington, diamonds represent Coal,
and Atlas holding the celestial globe represents my background in Astronomy.

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer

•   •   ◊   •   •

SCHOOLDAYS IN WASHINGTON 1/2

• I was born in 1943 at 6 Clyde Terrace, Brady Square. Two rooms, no kitchen or bathroom…in fact no running water in the house.
• My Dad was a Coal Miner at Washington Glebe Colliery.  At the age of 29 he suffered a disability as a consequence of working
   underground.  He managed to work at Bank (the surface) for another 10 years before becoming unable to carry out his light duties.
   I am intensely proud to be the son of a Coal Miner.
• I started Biddick School in 1948.

Biddick School - situated in Washington Station at the junction of Oxclose Road and Albert Place.

Biddick School - a short walk across Oxclose Road from nearby Clyde Terrace.

Clyde Terrace: two rooms, no hot or cold water in the house, no kitchen and an outside lavatory.

Clyde Terrace  -  Colliery Wagonway Crossing, right.

Brady Square:  The Colliery Wagonway Crossing and Anderson's Shop
Straight ahead to the Celtic Club and Station Road.

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer

•   •   ◊   •   •

SCHOOLDAYS IN WASHINGTON 2/2

• I transferred to High Usworth School when, in early 1949, we moved to 5 Eskdale Crescent.  Mum described our new home as a ‘Palace’.
• I started at High Usworth just after the fire and spent the first three years at Usworth Miners' Hall, followed by two years at the Springwell
    Methodist Church and a final year at the new school at the bottom of the Well Bank.  High Usworth Headmaster was Mr James S. Hylton.
• I failed my 11+ Exam in 1954 but, with the encouragement of my parents and my lovely form teacher Miss Joan Beswick, I enrolled at
    Washington Glebe Modern School where the Headmaster, Mr Porter, had set up a GCE ‘O-level’ class.
• I passed 8 O-levels in 1959 and moved to Washington Grammar where I studied and passed A-level Pure Maths, Applied Maths and Physics.

The 'New' High Usworth School, 'F' Pit Heap and Eskdale Crescent, all on the left of Wellbank Road.
This school opened for Infants & Juniors in 1953, following the December 1948 fire at the original High Usworth School.

[ Above Team Photos: Courtesy of Dr Ken Reay. ]

•   •   ◊   •   •

Springwell Methodist Church

Temporary Accomodation for High Usworth School Pupils

[ From Springwell Postcard Collection: Courtesy of Keith Cockerill. ]

Usworth Miners Welfare Hall

Temporary Accommodation for High Usworth School Pupils

•   •   ◊   •   •

Washington Glebe School

[ Courtesy of Ken Reay - Top, Left ]

•   •   ◊   •   •

Washington Grammar School
Viewed from the playing fields (new buildings opened Sept 1958).
L to R: Science Block; Main Block; Dining Room, Hall & Library; Old School.

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Member of 1st Usworth Scouts

BUILDING THE 1st USWORTH SCOUT HUT

• I was a Member of 1st Usworth Scouts from 1954 to 1960.
• The above picture was taken c.1959 outside the new Scout Hut which we were building next to Usworth Miners' Welfare Hall.
• I am on the left and Frank Rutherford is on the right.  Mrs Joyce Scarr, mother of Cub Billy, is centre.
• At this time Joe Gillespie was Group Scout Leader and Arthur Watson was Scout Master.

AERIAL VIEW OF USWORTH SCOUTS' HUT - 1964

• Moving East along Manor Road, the Scouts Hut is the first building on your left, alongside Usworth Miners' Welfare Hall.
• Can you identify other items of interest e.g. Sections of Usworth School - The Parkie's House - St. Michael's Church - Post Office?

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

A Break from Mentoring his 'Star' Student

Dr KEN REAY DSc  &  BRIAN MAY - PhD Student
Ken and Brian relaxing at Teide Observatory in Tenerife
As young lads, they were both inspired to study Physics / Astronomy by Patrick Moore's monthly TV Programme,
The Sky At Night, which Sir Patrick hosted from April 1957 until his passing in December 2012.

Sir Patrick Moore  &  Sir Brian May PhD

Musician, Astrophysicist and Animal Welfare Advocate, Sir Brian
was knighted for services to music and charity in the New Years Honours 2023.

Brian May
Lead Guitarist of the rock band Queen
The Guitar he used while working on his PhD Thesis in Tenerife

More Memories:

•  I have a signed copy of Brian's PhD Thesis.
•  I was invited by Sir Patrick Moore to a party he held at his home in Selsey to celebrate Brian's PhD.
•  My wife Eileen and I have met Anita Dobson, Brian's wife, a couple of times.  She was - is - a lovely lady.

•   •   ◊   •   •

Who remembers  At The Castle Gate  by Jean Sibelius?

The Theme Tune to The Sky At Night

Perfect!
{ Jim }

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer / Businessman

•   •   ◊   •   •

FURTHER EDUCATION / SCIENCE CAREER / BUSINESS

• 1961 - Accepted a place at Hull University to read Physics.
• 1964 - Awarded a BSc with first class honours and started working for a PhD in Astronomy.  Spent almost nine months, in three-month
   sessions, studying the Zodiacal Light from the observatory on Plateau Rosa, Cervinia, Italy – next to the Matterhorn.
• Met my wife Eileen in Hull and married in 1965.
• Moved to Imperial College in 1967 as a Research Assistant and was awarded a PhD in Astronomy.
• 1968 - Accepted a Science Research Council post based at the Culham Laboratory near Abingdon.  Worked on UV rocket and satellite
   projects.  Made lots of friends from USA, Italy, Australia etc.
• July 1970 - Accepted a job at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, but within days had a call from Imperial College offering me
   a lectureship in Physics, which I accepted.
• My research at Imperial focussed on Planetary Nebulae and I spent long periods at the UK Infrared telescope, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, in
   Australia at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, in Tucon, Arizona at the Kit Peak Observatory and Flagstaff, Arizona at the Lowell
   Observatory as well as Tenerife at the then Teide Observatory. On average I was probably abroad for about 3 months each year.
• During my time at Imperial it became apparent that the optical technology and nanotechnology we were developing for astronomical
   instrumentation could have applications in chip manufacture and in the emerging field of fibre optic communications.
• 1979 - I co-founded Queensgate Instruments Ltd to market the astronomical instrumentation and to develop the Digital Piezo
   nanopositioning system.  Also, it soon became apparent that miniaturising the optics we had developed for astronomical systems could
   result in a module-based filter system for separating multiple wavelengths transmitted down a single fibre.  This became known as the
   MicroFilter.
• Between 1979 and 1990 the company grew rapidly with about 95% of output being exported, mainly to Japan and the USA.  We were
   awarded the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement on two occasions. The second occasion, in 1988, we were also awarded the
   Queen’s Award for Technology.
• 1986 – I was promoted by Imperial College to Reader in Physics.
• 1988 – Awarded a DSc by Imperial/University of London for my work on Astronomical Instrumentation.
• 1989 – Resigned from Imperial to manage Queensgate.
• 1990 – Awarded an MBA by Henley Management College/Brunel University.
• In 1991, as a Liveryman of The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, I was granted Freedom of the City of London.
   This allows me to drive my flock of sheep over London Bridge!
• 1995 – I was awarded the BVCA/Cartier/FT (British Venture Capital Association/ Cartier/Financial Times) Venturer of the year Award
   in the Science-Based category.
• 1996 – Queensgate were winners of the 1996 Export Award for Smaller Businesses, sponsored by the Department of Trade & Industry.
• By the late 1990s we had a staff of about 165 and were looking for investment to grow the company.  However, it became apparent that
   all potential investors were more interested in buying Queengate rather than investing.
• In 2000 we sold Queensgate to SDL, a San Jose based company, who were themselves merged with JDS Uniphase some months later.
• I resigned from SDL-Queensgate on June 8, 2001, and with my son Andrew founded a property development company which is
   now called Queensgate Corporation Ltd.
• 2003 – I was elected Master of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers.

Queensgate Instruments Ltd

Ken being presented with Queen’s Award Trophies
by Colonel Palmer, the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, 1988

Ken introducing Princess Anne to Colleagues at Queensgate.
Far right is Commander Timothy Laurence, later to become her husband.

•   •   ◊   •   •

Ken also had Three Invitations to Buckingham Palace Garden Parties and attended a reception on the Royal Yacht Britannia
where he met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

He was lovely, had obviously done his homework, and knew exactly what Queensgate was doing.
He told me that his favourite drink was whisky and soda.

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer / Businessman

Knowledge cannot flourish without us.

Dr Reay was Elected Master of
The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers
2003

[ Thanks to www.wcsim.co.uk ]

Memories from

Dr Ken Reay DSc

Washington Physicist / Astronomer / Businessman

My wife Eileen and me at the Mansion House prior to the 2004 banquet.

The 2004 banquet at the Mansion House, London, which I hosted as Master of the Livery.
I invited Ann Widdecombe to be Principal Guest Speaker.
Eileen, in the blue dress, is to the right of Ann and I am third to the right.

[ Personal Photographs: Courtesy of Dr Ken Reay. ]