My time at the the Royal Brompton Hospital and the Heart and Lung institute was one of the most enjoyable and inspiring times in my career. There was a wonderful "family of researchers" in our department led by Professor Kay. We were all well supported and learnt from the Friday morning meetings where we exchanged ideas on all the other research subjects with Professor Kay's thoughts and directions. He understood fully what projects we were all doing and what our challenges were, and he assisted us to a successful outcome along with an MD or PhD. We were supported and encouraged to attend amazing conferences on allergy and immunology around the world, that expanded both clinical and research knowledge and understanding that we have all used throughout our career. Professor Kay had great enthusiasm and was extremely hard working himself and always kept a sense of humour. When I saw the MD post advertised in the BMJ I called into the Heart and lung Institute uninvited to ask about the MD on a day off. I remember Professor Kay was there with his arm in a sling, and told me that he should have been elsewhere had it not been for his arm!! I realised that I was very lucky that day! I asked about the post and he spent 1-2 hrs with a projector showing me all that was occurring in the department and what the proposed MD study would entail and then took me around the department to introduce me to everyone. He then asked when I could commence!! I never had an interview!! The subject of the study was grass pollen allergy and desensitisation effects on the immune system and especially the late phase reaction in patients. This was perfect for me and there was lots of help with Prof Durham and Dr Mina Gaga. Professor Kay had grass pollen allergy himself and was one of our "guinea pigs". Dr Mina Gaga and I took countless skin biopsies from him after injecting him with grass pollen to examine his late phase reactions. Despite our study of grass pollen desensitisation we did not offer it to Professor Kay as we decided he was more valuable to science with his allergy than being desensitised. He never flinched when we set about cutting out skin biopsies nor injecting him with the grass pollen to generate his late reactions. Most of our department kept in touch long term, and Professor Kay was interested to know how we all progressed and we would meet him at conferences. The massive attendance at his 80th Birthday party in June 2019 where people travelled from all corners of the earth to attend his evening party speaks volumes about his personal and lasting connection with us all. It was a very memorial evening and lovely to catch up everyone and see professor Kay again and everyone else. We are all sad at our loss and owe much of our success in our careers to having passed through his department gaining his enthusiasm and inspiration. With condolences to his wife Rosie and all his Family. Veronica Varney