In November 1971, while working as a newly qualified veterinary surgeon in my home town, Kilmarnock, I received a telephone call from the late Roger Baird to come and work in the new surgery in Galashiels for the firm of Keith, Rogerson, Baird & Wain.
I had been both a student seeing practice in Kelso and a lambing man at Clifton on Bowmont near Yetholm during my five years of qualification. Roger informed me that not only did I have the job but also I would be playing scrum-half for Kelso. To this day I am not sure what position was considered more important!
Now, 41 years on and with retirement round the corner, I have been given the exciting opportunity to stand as the Borders Party candidate for Leaderdale and Melrose following the resignation of Nicholas Watson.
While a very different role, I view this as a chance to transfer my talents to a public service. I would be able to use the knowledge, experience and common sense accrued during my time as an on-call mixed practice vet –a sick hamster one minute, a severely lacerated horse the next with life and death situations daily.
During this time I travelled the length and breadth of the Borders meeting and discussing matters with people from all walks of life. Cliched as it is, I feel I have my finger on the pulse of what people here want and, most importantly, I am an excellent listener. Rome was not built in a day and changes cannot always occur overnight but I am prepared to learn and meet the challenges as they occur.