En route home from Manchester, I keep returning to one phrase: life-affirming. On Monday, 5 October, we gathered to celebrate the retirement of my mentor, Professor Andrew J. M. Boulton. The photographs tell you something about the day before you read a word: old friends leaning into the frame, colleagues reunited, and smiles everywhere.
A world of friendship: the reel
Looking back to look forward
The symposium’s theme—advances in diabetic neuropathy and the diabetic foot—gave the celebration its scientific backbone. Michael Edmonds opened the clinical journey through the past, present, and future of the diabetic foot. Nicolaas Schaper’s programme contribution looked at 35 years of the IWGDF, and Gerry Rayman reflected on 40 years of the Malvern Foot Conference.
The programme also brought together Solomon Tesfaye and Rayaz Malik on neuropathy, Boris Mankovsky on diabetes complications care during war, Robert Kirsner on precision healing, and Neil Reeves on smart technology. Contributions from Jay Skyler, William Cefalu, and Lala Leelarathna extended the conversation across diabetes care and its future.
My own lecture was “The diabetic foot: looking back to look forward.” It felt like the right title for the occasion. Honouring the people who brought us here also asks something of us: to keep learning, to keep building teams, and to make room for those who will carry the work further.
The people behind the progress
It was especially meaningful to share the day with Professor Lawrence Harkless, another of my mentors. His reflection on 50 years of podiatry sat immediately before my talk in the programme. There is something wonderful about being able to celebrate the people who helped shape your work while standing alongside them.
I also had the joy of spending much of this trip with the Kirsners. The conversations between sessions, the reunions over coffee, and the photographs together are part of what I will take home.
For me, Andrew’s influence lives in both the work and the relationships around it. Mentorship travels through conversations, collaborations, and the example we try to set for the next person. A room like this makes those connections visible.
A celebration beyond Manchester
The affection reached well beyond the room. Lee Rogers sent tribute videos from India, featuring Rajesh Kesavan and Ashu Rastogi, and described a standing ovation for Andrew during DFSICON. Ruth Myers confirmed that the videos had arrived for the celebrations. Even from thousands of miles away, colleagues found a way to be part of the occasion.
The evening continued at Cibo in Manchester, with friends, colleagues, and mentors gathered around the table. The photographs capture the warmth better than a formal list of accomplishments ever could.
Thank you to Shazli Azmi, Rayaz Malik, Solomon Tesfaye, and Loretta Vileikyte for organising the symposium, and to Ruth Myers for bringing its many details together.
Thank you, Professor
Earlier this year, we celebrated Malvern at 40. This Manchester gathering belongs alongside those memories: the science, the friendships, the laughter, and the privilege of telling a mentor what he means to us.
I leave with gratitude for Andrew and renewed energy for the work ahead. The best tribute we can offer is to pass that generosity on—to our colleagues, our trainees, and the people whose care brings us together.
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Thank you, Professor. We carry your example forward. Onward and upward.
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