History of the Practice
The practice started in 1973 when Barry Johnson (retired) decided to bring to Lancashire the experiences he had gained whilst working in Gloucester and Kirkham, after qualifying in 1969 from Liverpool University. The business started in the garage of his parent's house, The Old Mill in Myerscough, before moving to Brook House in 1976 and then to the new built surgery at the rear of the house in 1979.
The first colleague to join him was Clive Rossiter closely followed by Tom Swift and Kieran O'Brien who were instrumental in teaching two young students Geoff Baines and Roger Herdman who later joined the firm when qualified.
The small animal centre on Conway Drive started at number 2 but then moved to the present location of numbers 93 - 99, where it expanded under the guidance of Helen Smith who was later joined by Ian Chadwick.
During the 1980's students Alistair Kirkham, David Catlow, and Peter Acton were introduced to the practice, and later joined when vacancies became available. In 1993 Barry became president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and to replace him for that year Judith Lee who had been a student joined us, and remains to this day.
In 1995 the practice moved from Brook House to the nuclear bunker site at Langley Lane, Goosnargh which gave us the extra space for offices, stables, and paddocks. The site has the potential for expansion for many years to come, being located near motorway junctions and in the centre of a large rural community.
The old practice of Watling Street Road was absorbed in 2002 into the small animal section, and the large animals of the Lytham practice joined at the same time. In 2003 the large animal section of Holroyd's practice was absorbed as the M65 made their clients easily accessible.
In the last few years Peter Holland and Camilla Jones who were also students with us were joined by Tracey Taylor and Matthew Robin at Oakhill. Michael McCallum and Rachael Winder have recently joined our small animal team keeping the average age down and bringing young agile minds with fresh ideas to the practice.
The support staff have always been the backbone of the practice, and following Dot Waite and Jill Rawlins after 30 years, Ruth Pollard 17 years, and Alison Robinson for 8 years, we now have a new team ready to deal with the expansion into the 21st century.
We are a recognised RCVS Equine Veterinary Nurse training establishment. The practice is also a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accredited Tier 2 General Practice in equine, farm animal and small animal services. The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK. Through setting standards and carrying out regular inspections, the Scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. It offers peace of mind to clients of accredited practices and more informed choice to the animal-owning public.