Haydon Veterinary Group - a brief history

Founder Member: George Dickenson MRCVS
George was the second son of William Dickenson of Cross Farm, Harpenden. The farm was mixed, with George always more interested in the animal side, while older brother Robert preferred the arable.
George had a great love for the farming life and never settled into the school routine, consequently, at an early age, he was put to do a full man's job in the dairy; where all the milking was done by hand.
He admired their veterinary surgeon and was impressed by the attention he received, so his imagination turned him towards the profession.
He entered the London Veterinary College but World War II brought an end to his studies. He joined the Royal Veterinary Corps where he worked under some famous members of the profession including Mouse Townsend. He saw active service in the Battle of Kerrin and gained a reputation for being good at dealing with difficult mules! He saw at first hand the appalling conditions under which many animals existed in the Middle East, which germinated the seeds, already sown, of his determination to care for the sick and suffering in a humane, yet intensely practical way.
Afterwards he returned to college and qualified as MRCVS. He came to Dorset, "for a year" to gain experience and stayed for the rest of his life. Though horse work was especially dear to his nature, he loved visiting the family run Dorset farms, his own family background meant he was completely at home.
He married and practiced from his home at 32 West Allington, with his wife as "veterinary nurse and operating assistant", in true Herriot style.
Women veterinary surgeons had difficulty in gaining experience in large animal practices, but George with advanced thinking welcomed students, and gave them valuable grounding in the meaning of working with animals. His foresight was justified by the welcome and consideration shown to the students by the local community.
He was joined in partnership by Miss Minter and after a short time they bought nearby Haydon House. The surgery was moved into it, the small animal side of the practice increased under Miss Minter who also played her full part with the large animals. And so they all moved on professionally with the advent of veterinary nurses and from where George continued until his retirement.
George's professional life was a hard and demanding one, but it was intensely satisfying and was a way of life he found completely absorbing. There was little time off and even in retirment he was always pleased to be involved in one way or another.
So it was that he was pleased to be asked, when the practice moved on again, to open the new premises for the Haydon Veterinary Group at Gore Cross in July 1999.