Peter Niven was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Bristol. He was born in London on 3 March 1938, the son of Harold Robertson Niven, a Cambridge law graduate, who had served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and was a detective chief inspector in the City of London police, and Elizabeth 'Betty' Isobel Robertson née Mair, daughter of Alexander Mair, professor of Greek at Edinburgh. Peter had two brothers - Colin, who became headmaster of Alleyn's School, and Alistair, a former director of literature at the Arts Council. Peter won a scholarship to Dulwich College and flourished academically. He also made his mark in several sports, representing his school at rugby, captaining the second XI cricket team, playing hockey, which was his favourite game, and golf, which became a lifelong interest. At Dulwich his fascination with history was stimulated by the *James Caird*, a life boat kept at the school, which the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton used in 1916 to travel to South Georgia to seek help after his ship *Endurance* had become trapped in ice. Peter later visited the site of the expedition on an Antarctic cruise. He went on to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, with an exhibition and a state scholarship. He continued to enjoy both his academic and sporting pursuits and, after graduation, went to St Bartholomew's Hospital for his clinical training. He represented the medical school at rugby and cricket. He was a house physician in Luton and Dunstable, and then returned to Bart's as a house surgeon in neurosurgery. Deciding on a career in obstetrics and gynaecology, the requirement was to gain the FRCS and then a specialist qualification. His surgical training started as a demonstrator in anatomy at Bristol. He remained there until he gained his FRCS in 1966. He then held resident appointments at Queen Charlotte's and Samaritan hospitals in preparation for his membership examination of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which he gained in 1969. He then returned to Bart's for his registrar and senior registrar posts. At Bart's, under the direction of Tim Chard, he researched human placental lactogen, and was awarded an Eden travelling fellowship, which took him to Miami to work under Bill Spellacy. This work resulted in him being presented with the Purdue-Frederick award by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. After his stay in Miami he drove his family in a small car, and just a tent to sleep in, across America to Santa Barbara. The journey took three weeks. His first consultant appointment was to Newcastle General and Hexham hospitals. Very soon after he moved to Bristol. His disciplined approach to teaching was much-valued. He made a significant contribution to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, becoming a member of the education board, and chair of the higher training committee and the working party on assessment of surgical skills. He served as an examiner for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and for many universities in England and Scotland, including London, Bristol, Liverpool and Cardiff, and also abroad in Hong Kong and Sudan. He was chairman of the South Western Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society from 1997 to 1998, and a member of several distinguished clubs and societies, including the Gynaecological Visiting Society, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Medical Reading Society in Bristol. He was especially interested in the vaginal approach to pelvic surgery. He contributed a chapter on endoscopy in gynaecology for the third edition of *Shaw's textbook of operative gynaecology* (E & S Livingstone, 1968). As an obstetrician he immediately won the confidence of his patients and their families by his readiness at all times to help with problems and practical difficulties. He was often in demand by colleagues to care for their families. He continued to walk, play golf and ski. He was a member of the Bristol and Clifton Golf Club and served as captain of their seniors. He had a remarkable memory for sporting detail, from turf to track. Reflecting the breadth of his interests, he was a member of Probus and the Savage, Clifton and Shakespeare clubs. He married Peta, who was a Bart's nurse, in 1964. They had three sons, Alistair, Iain and James. They were a close family, and holidays were adventurous and challenging, rather than restful! They walked from the west to the east coast of England, and Offa's Dyke was another favourite. To celebrate his retirement Peter canoed from the source of the Thames to the Dulwich College boathouse with three school friends. In 2005 Peter was found to have renal carcinoma and had a nephrectomy. In 2010 he was found to have a secondary tumour in the lung. He died on 7 March 2013, aged 75. He enjoyed a fulfilled life, devoted to his family and profession.