The son of a Northumbrian farmer, Dick graduated from Liverpool Veterinary School in 1977 and promptly headed to Oswestry, mid-Wales to cut his teeth as a budding young veterinary surgeon.
After a short spell working part time in Morpeth, while h
elping his unwell father to run the family farm, Dick and his vet wife Rosie took the plunge in 1988, buying a veterinary practice in Alnwick.
Taking over from Duncan "Mac" McPherson, they knew they would have their work cut out replacing such a well-known and respected character. Living in Hampden House, Dick and Rosie soon began to move the practice in their own direction, establishing themselves as dedicated and progressive professionals.
The practice soon grew and developed, a significant advance coming in 1991when Dick and Rosie joined forces with Paul Freeman, based in Rothbury; Andrew Sawyer joining the partnership at the same time. Unfortunately, the pressures of running a busy practice and doing such a demanding vocation began to take its toll and in 1994 Dick and Rosie separated, though they remained amicable business partners.
In 1995 Dick's life took a turn in another direction when he married Linda and also became the proud father of son Ricky.
This year also marked my entry onto the Northumberland veterinary scene, a very green new graduate with plenty to learn. I cannot state how grateful I am to Dick for guiding me through my formative years; always patient and with a depth of knowledge that he is often not given credit for he proved an excellent tutor with the canny knack of knowing when it was time to stop talking work and chat about the football or cricket.
Continuing to grow, the practice took another leap in 1999, setting up a branch in Morpeth while at the same time taking me on as a young partner. Always looking forward, Dick was a major driver in this venture and his progressive attitude came to the fore again in 2004 when he was a main protagonist in the merger with the Wooler vets Ewing and Gidlow to form the Northumbrian veterinary partnership, Steve Carragher becoming a partner at this time.
Though these changes demonstrate Dick's aptitude for business, he was also keen to progress his veterinary skills and to this end completed his Certificate in Sheep Veterinary Medicine in 2000. In fact, though he probably didn't know it at the time, this qualification would actually end up leading him into the new challenges ahead.
In 2007, the Northumbria Veterinary Partnership and the Aln Veterinary Group joined forces, a move that again Dick was very keen to progress. However, by now, he had already set his sights on pastures new and at the merger took the opportunity to drop out of the partnership, continuing to work as an enthusiastic member of the Alnorthumbria veterinary team.
Anyone who knows Dick will not be surprised to hear that his retirement from the practice will not be to put his feet up.
