Chris Newbegin was a consultant ENT surgeon at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. He was born on 11 January 1953 in London. He was educated at Harrow County School for Boys and went on to study medicine at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School. He originally planned on becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, but a friendship with a fellow anatomy demonstrator who had experience in ENT surgery influenced him to change direction. He was an ENT registrar at Charing Cross Hospital, where he worked under Tony Cheeseman, and then a senior registrar on the Leeds/Bradford rotation. Chris was appointed to his consultant post at Huddersfield in 1985, where he built up the ENT department. At Huddersfield he is remembered as an exceptionally kind and thoughtful colleague. His patients appreciated his down to earth manner and honesty about what was about to happen. By temperament and by manner he was a true Yorkshire surgeon. At Huddersfield he introduced new techniques and innovations that have gone on to transform lives globally. He recognised the potential for using a linear transecting and stapling device to perform a pharyngeal pouch diverticulotomy: Chris was the first surgeon to use this technique to relieve pharyngeal pouches. Endoscopic stapling of a pharyngeal pouch transformed a 10-day stay following traditional resection into an overnight stay with much reduced morbidity and mortality. Chris taught the technique in and around Yorkshire, and it is now the most commonly used approach worldwide, but he didn’t receive the full recognition he deserved. He was a member of the Intercollegiate Examining Board and was regional adviser for Yorkshire and Humberside from 2001 to 2006. He was a founder member of the Draffin ENT Society, where he is remembered with great fondness. Chris was a great, kind teacher, always willing to give friendly, supportive advice. As he grew more senior, he never lost his impish sense of fun. He met Hilary Moss in 1973 and they later married. She became a consultant anaesthetist in the same hospital. Although they didn’t do routine work together, their on-calls sometimes coincided: their working relationship was extremely professional. She loved working with Chris, reflecting: ‘He was exactly the sort of surgeon you wanted to look after you.’ In retirement Chris and Hilary travelled, sailed and skied together. Chris died on 1 February 2020 from a glioblastoma multiforme. He was 67. He was survived by Hilary and their two daughters, both doctors, of whom he was so proud.