Gordon Lionel Bourne was a consultant in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was born on 3 June 1921 at Sudbury in Derbyshire, the second son of Thomas Holland Bourne, a farmer, and Lily Anne Bourne née Clewlow, a former Barts nurse. His primary school education was at Sudbury Council School, followed by secondary education at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Gordon Bourne recalled how his early life experiences influenced his decision to study medicine. The farm where he grew up in rural Derbyshire was in a relatively remote but idyllic area. It was whilst there that he developed abdominal pains, which were diagnosed by the local general practitioner as resulting from abdominal tuberculosis. The recommended treatment was fresh air but no exercise. So, a tent was put up outside the farmhouse and for two and a half years he slept in it, occupying his time with a great deal of reading. The treatment was successful but his early life was clouded by the death of his adored younger brother who died prematurely as the result of an accident. He enjoyed his school life, particularly the opportunities it provided for sport. He achieved considerable success in cricket, rugby and shooting, in which he excelled. At the age of 18 he played these sports at county level for Derbyshire schoolboys, and in the case of shooting competed at international level. His admiration for his family’s general practitioner resulted in him being determined to pursue medicine as his career. He subsequently obtained a place at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School, qualifying with the conjoint diplomas in 1945. Between 1947 and 1950 he was an anatomy demonstrator at St Bartholomew’s Medical College. In 1948, whilst in a junior surgical post in Derbyshire Royal infirmary, he met, and subsequently married, Barbara Eileen Anderson, with whom he had three sons and one daughter. His initial training appointments were at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, followed by appointments at the Royal Northern Hospital and at various city hospitals in the north and Midlands. He obtained his FRCS in 1952 and the MRCOG in 1956. He gained his FRCOG in 1964. His interest in obstetrics and gynaecology commenced soon after qualification, fostered by appointments at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the City of London Maternity Hospital, the Hospital for Women in Soho and the Middlesex Hospital. In 1958, he became a senior registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at St Bartholomew’s. At the same time, he was awarded a Nuffield travelling fellowship to become a research fellow at Harvard. In 1961, he was appointed as a consultant at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and remained in this post until 1984. He delivered an Arris and Gale lecture in 1962 and was appointed as a RCS regional assessor of maternal deaths. He also sat on the Central Midwives board. He published many academic papers on his specialty, and authored and edited books: *The human amnion and chorion* (London, Lloyd-Luke Medical Books, 1962), *Recent advances in obstetrics and gynaecology* (London, Churchill, 1966) and *Shaw’s textbook of gynaecology* (Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 1971). Undoubtedly his most lasting and significant contribution was his book, *Pregnancy* (London, Cassell), a guide for mothers to be. First published in 1972, it went into seven editions, the most recent being revised and edited by Malcolm Gillard He was also widely recognised for his work outside medicine. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers livery company, ultimately becoming master. He was a governor of Haberdashers’ Aske’s School. However, his major claim to fame outside medicine was his membership and leadership within the Freemasons. Following his retirement at the age of 72, he was a driving force in the Masonic Trout and Salmon Fishing Charity, which raised funds for disadvantaged and disabled children. He became the first pro provincial grand master of Middlesex It is interesting to reflect how parenteral influence was a major factor in his ultimate success in medicine. In an interview in his late retirement years, he remembered that whilst still a schoolboy he indicated to his parents that he would like to study medicine at Edinburgh University. His mother responded: ‘You are not going to Edinburgh you going to Barts.’ He countered by asking ‘What is Barts?’ She replied: ‘Barts is the biggest teaching hospital in London, and is one of the finest medical schools in the world and that is where you are going.’ In Gordon’s case that turned out to be sound advice for he became a highly successful ‘Barts Man’. He died on 2 January 2018 at the age of 96.