Christopher Catterall was born in Middleton, near Manchester, on 5 April 1910. His father, Robert, was a clergyman and his mother was Sarah, née Fielden. His maternal uncle was William Hunter, a physician at Charing Cross. Christopher was educated at Rugby and Trinity College Cambridge, and did his clinical training at University College Hospital, where he was Magrath Clinical Scholar. There he met his future wife, Joy Sykes, who was also studying medicine, but under the strict rules of those days she had to leave UCH when they became engaged. They married in 1934, and it did not stop her from qualifying. Catterall was much influenced by Wilfred Trotter, Julian Taylor, Gwynne Williams and C W Fleming, and later developed his definitive career in orthopaedics thanks to Fairbank, St J Buxton and H L C Wood. He served in the RAMC as lieutenant colonel in command of a surgical division in Egypt and Greece from 1946 to 1948, and was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon to King's College Hospital in 1951. Christopher was instrumental in separating trauma from pure orthopaedics in South London. He was soon involved in the British Orthopaedic Association, serving as honorary treasurer from 1966 to 1971, and was President of the Orthopaedic Section of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1971. He was also a much valued member of the cases committee of the Medical Protection Society, and Editor of the British edition of the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery* from 1973 to 1983. He was a pioneer in the surgical management of the diabetic foot, on which he wrote many articles. In spite of the sad death of his wife, he remained busy in retirement, attending meetings of the BOA, acting as chairman of the Committee of the National Trust in Headley, and as Parish Clerk and editor of the Parish magazine. He kept spry and independent, and insisted on cooking Sunday lunch for family visits. He was survived by his daughter Jane and his sons Richard and Tony, (a consultant orthopaedic surgeon and quondam President of the BOA) when he died on 8 October 1991.