Tony Rickwood, paediatric urologist at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, played a seminal role in establishing paediatric urology as a recognised specialty in the United Kingdom and was a founder member of the British Association of Paediatric Urologists in 1990. He was an internationally recognised authority on the paediatric neuropathic bladder. Tony was born in London, where his father was a chemical engineer with ICI. After the war, during which Tony was briefly evacuated to Durham, his family moved to Sheffield, where he spent his childhood and attended King Edward VII School. An outstanding pupil, he won an open scholarship to University College, Oxford, qualifying in medicine in 1965. After junior posts at the Radcliffe Infirmary and a demonstratorship in human anatomy, he returned to Sheffield for his general surgical training at the Royal Hospital. The rotation introduced him to urology, renal transplantation and paediatric surgery, and in 1974 he began specialist training in paediatric surgery at Sheffield Children's Hospital. In 1979 Tony was appointed to a newly created consultant post in spinal injuries and spina bifida at the Sheffield Children's Hospital and Lodge Moor spinal injuries unit, where he established an innovative urological service for young spina bifida patients. In 1983 he succeeded the eminent J Herbert (Herbie) Johnston as consultant paediatric urologist at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, where he remained until his retirement in 2001. Despite a profound dislike of flying, before taking up his consultant appointment at the Alder Hey Hospital he made the journey to the United States to visit a number of major centres. On his return he became one of the first paediatric urologists in Europe to implant artificial urinary sphincters. He was also amongst the first to introduce urodynamics into paediatric practice. Tony's clinical practice, publications and teaching were founded on an unrivalled understanding of the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the lower urinary tract. Some of his publications on neuropathic bladder dysfunction in children remain amongst the most authoritative accounts of this condition ever written, and are respected for their objectivity and freedom from bias. He impressed this objective analytical approach on his trainees and was greatly respected as a teacher. His pre-eminent clinical expertise was in relation to the neuropathic bladder and vesico-ureteric reflux. He challenged the accepted operative approach and, based on logical evaluation of the evidence, was a proponent of non-operative management for most children with vesico-ureteric reflux and ureterocoele. Tony also published a number of influential studies on the impact of antenatal diagnosis on the management and medium term outcome of a range of urological conditions. His findings contributed to a shift in practice away from early (and often unnecessary) surgery in children with antenatally detected hydronephrosis, ureterocoele and multicystic dysplastic kidney. A strong advocate for the prepuce, Tony sought to reduce the large number of unnecessary 'medical' circumcisions being performed on children, predominately by adult general surgeons, by providing convincing evidence that circumcision rarely was justified for medical reasons before the age of five. His influence on paediatric surgical practice in respect of ureterocoele, vesico-ureteric reflux, antenatally detected hydronephrosis and circumcision across the United Kingdom and beyond saved thousands of children from needless operations. Tony was a highly intelligent, modest man who did not seek publicity or fame. As a speaker, and indeed generally, he was a man of few words and those he uttered were well chosen and relevant. He was in demand as a speaker and his international standing could have been even greater had his aversion to flying not discouraged him from travelling to venues he could not reach by train. Few will forget his lecture on the neuropathic bladder that he gave for many years on the British Association of Paediatric Urologists' Cambridge course, which portrayed his consummate expertise. Many of his publications in books and peer-reviewed journals are relevant to present day practice; joint editorship of *Essentials paediatric urology* (London, Martin Dunitz, 2002) and much of the writing within it allowed Tony to bequeath his experience to future generations of paediatric urologists. A passionate interest of Tony's was railways. Combined with his aversion to flying and the fact that he did not drive a car, this lead to an encyclopaedic knowledge of train timetables in the United Kingdom mainly, but also in countries around the world, many of which he had not even visited. His love of railways was reflected in his substantial personal contribution to the cost of reopening an important section of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. Tony knew the history of every mile of the railways of northern Wales and a day spent in his company travelling on these historic trains through the Welsh valleys was a rewarding experience. Another interest was Meccano, the metal model construction system, in which he also indulged with enthusiasm. In the hall of his home stands a full-size grandfather clock made entirely out of Meccano, powered by an electric automatic rewinding mechanism. Tony was a true gentleman who will be remembered for his individuality and sharp intellect. His modesty, economy with words and wry sense of humour are nicely captured in the biography he provided at the time of his retirement: 'BIOGRAPHY - AMK Rickwood: Born in Isleworth, Middlesex; raised in Sheffield; educated, after a fashion, at Oxford; surgically trained in Sheffield, predominantly; and, after sixteen years as Paediatric Urologist in Liverpool, getting on a bit. Any "expertise" possessed represents not a "special interest" but rather an exercise in making a virtue of necessity.' While a house surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Tony met Valerie Prew, a theatre sister, whom he married in 1968 in the chapel at University College. He was survived by Valerie, their four children, Sarah, Elizabeth, Alice, and Tom, and seven grandchildren.