05/02/2023
Birthday musings…
It’s the eve of my birthday, and therefore also the eve of ‘Sweet Sixteen’ for Bransgore Chiropractic Clinic.
I cannot quite believe it’s been 16 years since I started my ‘new’ venture,’ now longer established than my first clinic in Godalming.
So much has happened in these 16 years.
When I was invited to open my practice at Twin Oaks, I initially borrowed the doctor’s rooms, so every day began with furniture shifting so I could get to both sides of the treatment couch, and every day finished with me putting everything back.
I always said to my husband, Neil, that if ever I started over, it would have to be no more than 15 minutes walk from home… a dream wish from someone who inadvertently ended up commuting 160 miles a day for 11 years. Oops.
When the offer came from Twin Oaks, I snapped it up.
Then the credit crunch hit. My Godalming practice was being bought by a wonderful colleague who had lifted immeasurable weight from my shoulders during that year when our second baby was born. Incredibly sadly, his bank reneged on the deal and he had to pull out, so I ended up opening a new practice and continuing to commute 3 days a week, with a new baby and a 2 year old.
Probably the toughest year of my life, but the vision of working in my own village was worth the blood, sweat and tears, because in the long run, with Neil being more supportive than I can say, we ended up with the Good Life.
It’ll never be easy. We never saw a pandemic coming. We never envisaged yet another recession hitting us just when we’d perhaps have liked to relax a little. I never thought I would be hit by this flipping virus forcing me to cancel half of last week and rendering me as weak as a kitten.
But in these past 16 years, I (well, we…) have raised two rather fabulous children. I taught for a decade at the most prestigious chiropractic university college in the world (probably…). I have made countless friendships in our wonderful village. I have published two award-winning novels. I have sung in an open mike bar in Bournemouth, and sung solos in my wonderful choir.
We moved to Bransgore by accident, the house we were buying in Southbourne fell through at the Nth hour. And as it turns out, it was very much for the best.
Thank you to my lovely associates and locums over the years, Rebecca Rees, Beth MacKellar, Wendy Streeton, Lucy Wood and Vicki Hibberd. What would I have done without you…
Thank you, Twin Oaks, for this incredible opportunity, you changed my life. Thank you for looking after me during lockdown. And I’m so, so sorry to cause you so much trouble with all the cancellations last week, I promise to get well in time for this week!!!!
And to all my patients. Thank you for trusting me with your health care. Thank you for your support and for your friendship over these past 16 years. I am blessed to be working in a true community, and blessed to count myself as part of it.
🎂🎇
