Veterinary Practice in Uckfield

 

Sewell

 

For many years before and after the first World War Mr Sewell MRCVS had a veterinary practice in London Road, Uckfield, with branches in Heathfield, Horam, Lewes and Eastbourne. He had a great deal of competition from unqualified ‘quacks’  in the area.

 

Turnbull

 

During the second World War Mr Turnbull MRCVS from Lewes succeeded in buying up almost every veterinary practice in East Sussex as much of the area along the coast was evacuated and business was much reduced. After the War he put Mr Needham MRCVS in as manager of the Uckfield practice with Heathfield becoming a branch of the Uckfield practice.

 

Needham & Setterfield

 

The 1948 Veterinary Surgeons Act effectively sealed the fate of the old ‘quacks’ and in about 1950 Mr Needham bought the Uckfield/Heathfield practice from Mr Turnbull and moved from London Road to the enormous Fairfield House to raise his status. At that time Fairfield House had four major rooms downstairs with eight bedrooms and two bathrooms.

 

Mr Needham had over-extended himself after buying both the Practice and Fairfield House on big mortgages and, in spite of having a salaried partner in Mr Setterfield at Heathfield, in 1953 the Uckfield practice was put up for sale.

 

Gunner

 

In October 1953 Desmond Gunner bought the Uckfield practice and Mr Setterfield the Heathfield end of the business. The clients were arbitrarily split on a territorial basis between the two now separate practices.

 

Gunner & Clarke

 

Peter Clarke had been at college with Desmond Gunner and, after working as an assistant for a year, bought a half-share in the partnership. When Desmond and Peter took over in 1953 the Uckfield end of the Practice had been sorely neglected by Mr Needham.

 

Gunner, Clarke & Grainger

 

However,by 1958 there was more than enough work for two and Ken Grainger joined the Practice. Ken had been at college with Desmond and Peter at Liverpool in the same 1946 academic intake and he eventually purchased a third share.

 

Clarke, Grainger & Howe

 

With his many other time-consuming interests Desmond was finding it increasingly difficult to devote enough time to work, and he eventually retired in 1968. Christine Howe replaced him and it became a very busy three person practice.

 

Clarke, Grainger, Howe & Starnes

 

In 1980 there was enough work to make two new contracts available. Andrew Starnes and Donald McLean were taken on as assistants with Andrew subsequently becoming a partner. 

 

 

Howe, Starnes & Gatward

 

Ken Grainger died in January 1984, and a replacement was needed. Lloyd Gatward had seen practice in Uckfield as a student and despite this agreed to join the team, becoming a full partner on Peter Clarke’s retirement in 1993.

 

Howe, Starnes, Gatward & Blowey

 

March 1995 marked the arrival of Stephen Blowey who had worked for many years for a neighbouring practice in Crowborough and was looking for a move with a view to a partnership. There was some concern whether the Practice would support another partner but after high-level talks it was decided to take the gamble. Such was Steve’s popularity that many of his former clients made the move as well and the Practice went from strength to strength.

 

By the late 1990s the farm work had declined and the pet animal side of the Practice had increased to such an extent that new facilities were needed at Fairfield House. In 2000 the single storey office was demolished to make way for an extra operating theatre, new laundry and washroom and more office space.

 

Kirsty Turrell and Andrew Wood

 

In the tradition of the practice we have always sought, where possible, to recruit staff from the more outstanding students that we have helped to train. Kirsty joined us in 1995 and has worked for the practice ever since despite getting married and having two small children to bring up. Although her busy life now allows her to work only part time, her commitment, experience and expertise is highly valued.

 

Andrew was another ‘local’ we recruited in 2002 and in 2005 we asked him to join us in partnership so that as Christine retires later this year the Practice will become

 

Starnes, Gatward, Blowey & Wood

 

Fresh challenges

 

In 2003, farm animal work accounted for less than 30% of our business but, as this diminished, other avenues opened up and we dealt with a greater variety of species than ever before. This included many more ‘small furries’, i.e. rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets etc, cage birds, and more exotic beasts such as snakes and lizards. Along with this came other work such as Drusillas Zoo and Bentley Wildfowl. In the last few years alpacas and llamas have become very fashionable, and that has opened up fresh challenges and taken us even further afield.

Ironically in the last eighteen months the farm work has had a renaissance and we are being asked to travel further and further afield as many practices in the South East shed their large animal business to concentrate on the small animal work.

 

Traditional values

 

Despite all these changes and the increasing bureaucracy facing veterinary practice these days, the Practice continues to thrive and strives to provide the same high quality of care and value for money that has become traditional to us. This is in no small way helped by the professionalism and loyalty of their entire staff.

 

The Practice now has nineteen full and part time members of staff the longest serving of whom, Mrs Joan Mason, was employed in 1965 by Gunner & Clarke.

 

July 2008