Dr Leslie Stuart Cantlay

Leslie Stuart Cantlay died suddenly on 5 January 2001. Leslie, who liked to be caled Les, was a proud Scotsman who was born in 1945 in Aberdeen and spent his early years there until 1952, when the family emigrated to Rhodesia where Les' father taught agriculture. After 2 years in Nyasaland, Les returned to Aberdeen at the age of 13 where he attended Aberdeen Grammar School and then Aberdeen University Medical School, where he graduated MB Ch B in 1969.

He married Sheila, an Arts student, in 1969 in King's College Chapel, Aberdeen and after his pre-registration year he worked in psychiatry at the Ross Clinic in Aberdeen and then Kingseat Hospital in Aberdeenshire.

In 1972 Les joined the Royal Army Medical Service, was posted to Northern Ireland and in 1974 returned to psychiatry and served in West Germany, Hong Kong and the Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital in Woolwich, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1983. He gained the MRCPsych in 1978 and was elected to the Fellowship in 1997.

In 1988 Les joined the staff at Winterton Psychiatric Hospital and practised as a general psychiatrist in the Bishop Auckland and Crook area and moved to Darlington with the closure of Winterton Hospital in 1998.

Les might well be described as a ‘character’. He was, for example, meticulous and precise, particularly in his use of the English language; was a great fan of Elvis, loved motorcars and was extremely proud of his recent acquisition of a silver grey mark II ‘Inspector Morse’ Jaguar and collected matchbox cars and trains and implements for left-handed people.

Les was an enthusiastic traveller and a few months prior to his death spent a short holiday in China visiting Beijing, the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. Les enjoyed his work as a general adult psychiatrist and particularly enjoyed teaching and training junior doctors; his knowledge of training regulations and training schemes was second to none.