Dave Newton

Obituaries for David Sinden MSc, FRAS

This article by Dave Newton was taken from the Sunderland AS Newsletter and sent to

Transit by Juergen Schmoll.

Remembering David Sinden

By Dave Newton

It is with much sadness that we have to report the passing of David Sinden, MSc, FRAS,

who died on Monday 29 August, aged 73.

A long-standing member of the Newcastle Astronomical Society, many of our members

will know him through his own company, Sinden Optical Company Ltd, located near the

banks of the Tyne at Blaydon. David became a dealer for Meade and Celestron telescopes

in 1999 after receiving many queries, and it is through these small telescope sales that

many of us came into contact with him.

Sinden Optical was established in 1979 by for the production of large and difficult optics

for professional use. Previously he was the last Chief Optician for the firm Sir Howard

Grubb, Parsons and Co Ltd, in Newcastle upon Tyne. David was the head of the team

making the 155 inch Anglo- Australian Telescope, and his list of achievements includes

such other telescopes as the Isaac Newton Telescope, the William Herschel Telescope,

and the new corrector plate for the 48 inch Oschin Schmidt on Mt Palomar. After Grubb

Parsons closed he saved much historic material that would have otherwise been lost. His

great loves were the making of large optics and the restoration of old telescopes.

My own involvement with David Sinden started in 1983, with the purchase of a 5 inch

Newtonian reflector on an alt-azimuth mount from Grubb Parsons. It was only many

years later, while talking with David after a Newcastle A.S. meeting, that it transpired he

was part of the team at Grubb Parsons that had made those telescopes. Without that 5

inch reflector, I may well have chosen a completely different path in life. I believe David

had kept one of those 5 inch Andromeda scopes for himself, but his favourite telescope

was a 6 inch Calver reflector that he kept on an alt-azimuth mount.

While studying at Close House Observatory, we made use of the University of

Newcastle’s 24 inch Calver reflector. Again, it turned out that this massive telescope was

found, restored and rebuilt by David before being handed over to the University. The

story goes that the original tube was being used by a farmer to feed his pigs!

I remember during the passage of Hale Bopp in 1997, many of us were taking pretty,

wide field images of the comet’s graceful tails. David, on the other hand, was using the

24 inch Calver to take some stunning close up images of the comet’s inner coma.

While we think of David primarily as a telescope maker, he was also an observer and

knowledgeable astronomer. For example, back in the 1950s and 60s he was involved in

meteor astronomy. In addition to all of this, he was a highly entertaining and much

sought after speaker. He lectured extensively on the great days of Grubb Parsons and I’m

pleased to say that I heard him speak on occasions at Newcastle A.S meetings.

I will remember David with fondness, with great respect for his abilities and

achievements, and enormous gratitude for the enjoyment his telescopes have given me

over the years.

Transit, Cleveland and Darlington Astronomical Society.14th October, 2005.

http://www.cadas-astro.org.uk/transitmag/Transit1005.pdf