Appointments to the Board of Directors

Gooch & Housego PLC
13 December 1999

                              
           APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
          CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND NON-EXECUTIVE
                              
Gooch & Housego PLC is pleased to announce the main board
appointments of Paul Kenrick as its new Chief Executive
Officer, Ian Bayer as Chief Financial Officer and Dr Eugene
Arthurs as non Executive Director.

Paul Kenrick has over 30 years extensive international
experience in the optical industry and has been responsible
for the development of several major optical catalogue
businesses. He has travelled widely and has lived in the UK,
Massachusetts and California.  He is currently with
Corning Inc. where he holds the position of Commercial
Director of its Corning OCA subsidiary.  He has held
several other senior management positions within the
optical industry including Chief Executive of Melles
Griot and Divisional Vice President of Coherent
- Auburn Group. He was also Founder and President 
of OptoSigma Corporation.

Mr Ian Bayer is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years of
commercial experience gained with several companies, in
different areas of business. He has previously been Finance
Director of two UK Public Companies, JLI Group plc (1990-
1996) and First Technology plc (1985-1990). He has worked at
both corporate and operational levels and as a result has a
wealth of practical knowledge. He has experience of
controlling subsidiary companies in the USA and has been
responsible for many successful acquisitions and disposals
both in this country and in the USA.

Dr Eugene Arthurs, the former president of Cleveland
Crystals Inc acquired by Gooch & Housego earlier this year,
has been involved in optical technology for over 30 years.
With Barr and Stroud Ltd, he started and led commercial
operations in scientific and medical lasers. At Quantronix
Inc he managed the semiconductor equipment business. He led
the restructuring of Oriel Corporation's product line and co-
founded Andor Technology Ltd.  As president of Oriel he
restored the company's growth and profitability leading to a
successful acquisition. He is currently Executive Director
of  'SPIE', The International Society for Optical
Engineering.

Other senior appointments including a director of production
for the UK business have also been made recently by the
company.

Archie Gooch Chairman of Gooch & Housego PLC commented:

'I am very pleased to have recruited Paul to be our new
Chief Executive. He will bring his extensive knowledge of
this industry and his international experience to bear on
the management of our expanding group of businesses.  I am
confident that he will help us to continue our strategy to
build a world class business based on the solid foundation
of Gooch & Housego PLC.  Ian Bayer brings a wealth of
experience to the company and his PLC background is
particularly useful. I am delighted that Eugene Arthurs
joins as a non- executive, his vast experience in the optics
industry will bring considerable strength to the Board'.


Gooch & Housego Plc is due to announce its financial results
for the year ended 30 September 1999 in late January 2000.

Paul Steven Kenrick (age55) was formally a director of
Optosigma Corporation, California

Ian William Bayer (age54) is currently a director of
Markbeech Products Limited and Fire Fighting Enterprises
Limited and formally a director of JLI Group Plc

Dr Eugene Arthurs (age 52) is currently a director of
Optics.Org Ltd and SPIE and formally a director of Cleveland
Crystals Inc, Oriel Corporation, LOT Oriel GmbH and Andor
Technology Limited.

Archie Gooch  MBE JP