He worked as a design and site engineer in the US and Britain before becoming chief research officer of the highways and transport department of the Greater London Council.
But Ridley oversaw both the development of the metro plans, which linked decaying rail lines using city centre tunnels and a bridge over the River Tyne, and the successful bid for Government funding.
[11] Ridley served out the remainder of Hambly's term as well as the usual 12 months in office, becoming the first person to do so since Herbert Manzoni in 1961.
[10] In June 1995 he called an extraordinary meeting of the ICE Council at its One Great George Street headquarters to discuss the future of the loss-making New Civil Engineer magazine.
The ICE, facing a £4 million overdraft from a renovation of the headquarters, and the slide of the magazine into unprofitability was considering selling the publishing arm.
The council met in a closed session for the first time in its history, with the room being cleared of all observers and the secretariat leaving only the voting members.