FIFTY years of design by a Lewdown resident, who is behind everyday items such as the Kodak Instamatic camera and the British Rail high speed train, were recognised last week when he was awarded the Prince Philip Designer's Prize.

Kenneth Grange, 72, was presented with the award by the Prince on Thursday at a ceremony at the Design Council in London.

Mr Grange said he was 'tickled pink' to receive the award.

'It was a very nice surprise. Nominees included Sir Paul Smith, the famous fashion designer, and the man who saved the Leaning Tower of Pisa — against that competition I didn't think I had much of a chance.'

When Kenneth attended art college there were only two streams: fine art or commercial art. 'I was good at life drawing, which got me my first job painting scenery for BBC TV. I then worked for architects and was a technical illustrator in the army before getting my first job in my own name designing exhibitions.'

A chance remark led to an invitation to design a camera — the Kodak Instamatic. It resulted in an association with Kodak and Kenwood which lasted several decades, the Kenwood Chef being another of his designs.

Mr Grange was a founding partner in 1972 of the Pentagram partnership, from which he retired in 1999, and he worked extensively in Japan, designing objects as diverse as cosmetics, sewing machines, calculators, typewriters and bathrooms.

He is still designing and 'doing all the things I have been saving up to do'.

Seeing objects he has designed everywhere around him has taken 'a bit of getting used to' and Mr Grange said he felt responsible for them.

'People comment about their Kenwood Chefs at dinner parties, or I smell the brakes on the train and think: "You did this train" — but all I really did was the outside.'

Of all his designs he said the high speed train was probably his favourite.

'It will outlast me! It has been more influential than most things I have done. At the time there were only two or three high speed trains in the world and its style has become a bit of an icon.'

A spokesman from the Design Council said Mr Grange's creations, which also include the new London taxi cab, were some of the most widely recognised and durable designs of the last five decades, many of which could lay claim to the title 'design classic'.

Finalists for the award are nominated to the council by professional organisations in design, industry and the arts and judged by a panel chaired by Prince Philip.

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