August 2008
 We
have a new face behind the scenes here at Thameswood. Lynette is our new
Office Manager and book keeper. Lynette is a Swindon
lass born and bred and has two lovely grown up
daughters who she is incredibly proud of. She has spent the last three
years working in an accountancy practice but wanted to reduce her hours and
improve her work life balance. Lynette now spends her spare time reading,
playing her guitar, gardening and riding her bike. She has no pets at
present but I’m sure after working here she will acquire a stray or two.
We have lots of new puppies in the clinic all belonging to staff members.
Amy, our vet has a 20 week old Doberman called Bliss (Although, it
certainly isn’t blissful when she’s about!) Sarah, our receptionist has a
16 week old Cavalier x Rottweiler (don’t ask) called Spud and Sharon, our 2nd year
nurse has a 10 week old Bull Mastiff called Maple. Morning Coffee break
isn’t quite as relaxing these days! Of course, they have all attended our puppy parties
and are learning great social skills.
 We
have had our regular inspection this month by the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons. The Royal
College regulates the
veterinary profession including individual veterinary surgeons, and
practices in which the veterinary team works. Practices can become
accredited under the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, a voluntary quality
assurance programme. To gain this award, practices must pass a rigorous inspection, some of the criteria include hygiene, health
and safety, facilities and equipment. An inspection is carried out every
four years and the practice can be subject to spot checks between full
inspections. You can rest assured that you and your pet will receive high
quality care here at Thameswood.
July 2008
Yes, finally after 18 months of preparation, Zoe one of the vets at our
Greenbridge branch is a respectable married lady. Zoe was married at St
Mary’s church on the 28th June and is now spending her honeymoon in the Caribbean. Zoe has married her rugby coach Pablo,
from when she started playing for the Ladies South Marston Rugby team in
2003. He was smitten on their first date after opening her fridge and
finding not milk but rows of beercans. A match made in heaven. We wish them
both many years of happiness.
 But the sound of wedding bells has not
stopped here. Chris, our bubbly receptionist at the Purton road clinic
celebrated her 21st Birthday in New
York then sailed home on the Queen Mary cruise
ship. During the cruise, her boyfriend Lee took the opportunity to get down
on one knee to pop the question. Of course, after a moments
hesitation Chris replied with a resounding ‘yes’.
We are always looking for ways to improve our service and are proud to
announce the launch of our brand new Pet Health Care Club. By joining the
Healthcare club, you can spread the costs of routine healthcare into
monthly affordable payments. Along with Pet insurance, the healthcare club
not only gives you discounts but provides you with a truly comprehensive
care programme for your pet. For more information, please call or email
our client care team.
Sharon and Kirsty, our 1st and 2nd year nurses are sitting their exams
this year. It is the final exams for Sharon
and she faces a gruelling set of practical and written exams. Results will
be posted in late August so we will be on tenterhooks until then. Good Luck
girls.
Log on next month for more news from the Thameswood crew.
June 2008
 The
Wedding Day is looming ever nearer for our Rugby
playing , totally mad vet Zoe. She has now had
four Hen Parties/weekends and is not planning anymore but with a few weeks
to go..who knows what may happen. Her last rugby
match has now been played so hopefully all the cuts and bruises will have
healed and faded away in time for her big day. Look out next month for the
wedding pics.
 Congratulations
to Huw, who after what seemed endless weeks of waiting is now a proud Dad
to little William. William came into the world on the 21st May weighing in
at 7lbs 7oz. No more peace and quiet and long lazy lay-in’s
for Huw and Wife Donna. Along with the four Border Collies and now a new
baby...life is not going to be quite the same ever again!
 Lucy,
our Head Nurse has been training now for a while to take part in Cross
Country Horse Jumping. Her first competition was rained off much to her
disappointment but she has now set her sights on the next competition in
the Autumn. Although she is a keen rider, Lucy has never before attempted
Cross country jumping and to date has managed to keep her rear end firmly
in the saddle.
Chris, our jolly receptionist at the Hospital reaches the grand old age
of just 21 this month. She is celebrating in big style by a trip to New York and
homeward journey by none other than the Queen Mary Two cruise ship. This
will certainly be a birthday she won’t forget for a while.
May 2008
 She
did it...after months of hard, seemingly endless long training sessions
Linzi has completed the Flora London Marathon in 4 hours 22 minutes.
However, she was overtaken by a Womble just before the finish line. She is
now sporting a tattoo to prove she completed the run and is in the process
of collecting all that sponsor money of £1300.00 that is being donated to
the Swindon branch of the Rspca. What now
I hear you ask? Well Linzi has now set her sights on the Iron Man Half
Marathon next year so watch out.
 The
rest of the Thameswood crew have been doing their own
fundraising for National Wet Nose Day which was on the 23rd April. This is
a little bit like Red Nose Day but all the funds raised go towards animal
charities. The girls spent three hours at Asda Walmart offering their bag
packing services for a small donation. We had great fun and raised £128.07
which we are donating to the Blue Cross Animal Sanctuary in Burford.
You may have read the story in the Evening Advertiser in March about 5
tiny kittens being found in a Refuse Skip. The discovery was only made
after the skip had been collected and was in the process of being lifted
off the lorry by the crane to be emptied when the mother of the kittens
took flight abandoning her babies. With thanks to Swindon Skip hire, the
kittens were found and brought into the clinic. The vets examined them and
found them to be only days old. Sharon,
our 2nd year nurse took them under her wing and hand reared them which
meant feeding every 2 two hours day and night.
Sadly, one kitten failed to thrive but now with Sharon’s loving tender care, the
remaining four have all been found lovely new homes. Sadly, the mum of the
kittens has never been seen since but hopefully she will be a little more
careful where she chooses to have her next litter.
April 2008
This month, no news is good news! Instead, check out some of the
favourite pics from our image library...
March 2008
Its Countdown to the 2008 London
Marathon. With only approximately one
month until this event, Linzi is training harder than ever in preparation.
She is now running 22 miles without collapsing in a big heap and her
fundraising is very close to her target of £1300 for the RSPCA: only £300
to go. Remember to give her an encouraging beep as you pass her pounding
the streets on her long weekend runs.
Huw, our vet based at our Purton
Road has now finished the last stage of his
post graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour with a weeks intense course of lectures. He now has to complete
his final written assignments by the end of April, giving him at least a
week's free time before he becomes a father for the first time in May! His
wife Donna is expecting a baby boy who at present is nick-named ‘the Grub’;
they've said they'll give him a proper name when he's born. Probably.
 The Student
nurses are now coming to the end of their studies at Hartpury Agricultural
College. This is Sharon’s final year
and she will face not only written examinations but stringent practical exams
where she will be tested on various aspects of practical nursing. With no
margins for error, this is a tough exam. Kirsty, our 1st year nurse will be
facing her written exams which will need to be passed before she can take
on her 2nd and final year. They also have to complete detailed case studies
throughout their whole training period which have to be approved before
they finally qualify.
We have a new nurse at our Greenbridge branch. Celia came to us as a
locum nurse after our lovely Karen left to pursue a career in Sports
Therapy Massage. Celia is a very experienced Veterinary nurse qualifying in
1988. She currently owns four Icelandic horses, one of which is expecting a
foal any day now and four cats. Celia is also the proud owner of Dolores, a
tortoise which was found wandering alone at Chingford gasworks in 1986.
Tortoises aren’t the only thing to be rescued: Our big hearted nurse has
rescued three sheep that were destined for the slaughter house.
February 2008
 Its a leap Year this year, so I wonder if any of our
young, footloose and fancy free girls will be proposing to their partners?
Our Greenbridge vet Zoe is very loved up and is putting her wedding
plans in place but had to take a week off to recover. She is planning a
summer wedding in June. While Zoe is up to her eyes in wedding planners, we
are secretly planning her hen night. All will be revealed in time but I can
guarantee it will be the mother of all hen nights!
 Linzi,
our Client care manager is continuing her London marathon training and has now
clocked up her longest run of 18 miles. Only another eight to go!!. Linzi’s fundraising for this event has now reached
£850.00 so just another £450.00 to reach her £1300.00 target. A big Thank
you to all who have so far sponsored her.
Giovanna, our practice manager, Nick, our principle vet and Linzi have attended workshops and lectures in Bristol regarding
marketing, and management skills. All three have returned with new ideas to
keep Thameswood on top. They did however decide to give the African Harmony
Singing workshop a miss which was supposed to enhance team work. Singing
isn’t one of their strong points!
 You
may have noticed a new face on our Client Care Team at the Greenbridge
branch. Karen is our new part-time receptionist who works afternoon/evenings
and Sunday mornings. Karen has taken a career change and is at last
pursuing a career within the veterinary world that she longed to do as a
school girl. Circumstances prevented her from becoming a veterinary nurse
when she was a sweet sixteen year old but she now has the opportunity to
learn the ropes from the very beginning. Karen has settled in very well and
is proving herself to be an essential part of the Thameswood crew.
Giovanna, our practice manager, Nick, our principle vet and Linzi have attended workshops and lectures in Bristol regarding
marketing, and management skills. All three have returned with new ideas to
keep Thameswood on top. They did however decide to give the African Harmony
Singing workshop a miss which was supposed to enhance team work. Singing
isn’t one of their strong points!
 Hannah,
our nearly qualified nurse is just waiting for her portfolio of case
studies to be passed before she can go in her new all green uniform. Hannah
is making plans for September to take a very exciting working holiday in Africa working with the big cat rehabilitation
project. This has been one of her long time ambitions and she is very
excited. Here she is practising with one of the less ferocious varieties.
January 2008
 We hope you all had a lovely Christmas
and didn’t over-indulge too much. Another year gone and a brand new one
ahead.
Nick and Giovanna, our Principle vet and Practice Manager are starting
the year learning new management skills to keep up to date with this ever
changing work environment. This is a two day course of lectures, workshops
and of course culinary delights to tempt them out of their good healthy
eating resolution.
 Craig,
our vet student who spends most of his university breaks with us has again
left to complete his final 4th year term at Liverpool University.
He has also gained his Masters of Science in Animal Behaviour this month.
Craig was our work experience student at the tender age of fifteen and has
been a regular visitor ever since.
Amy, our lovely gentle vet is moving into a new house this month after
moving to Swindon in the Autumn to be with
her husband. She seems to be coping well with the inevitable stress of
moving house and hopefully will get those boxes unpacked before long.
Linzi, our Client Care Manager is now in full swing with her London
Marathon training. No more cakes, biscuits or chocolate for Linzi, just
lots of good healthy fruit and vegetables and of course bowls and bowls of
pasta. Linzi has raised nearly £700.00 to date which goes towards the
£1300.00 target for the Swindon Rspca.
Huw, our veterinary behaviourist has some good news. He has announced
the imminent arrival of his first baby boy. The baby is due in May and his
lovely wife Donna is blooming in health. Look out for Huw around the
clinic, he’s the one with the sloppy smile and the swollen belly as he
claims he’s coming out in sympathy, Personally, I think it’s a case of too
many pies!. A proud dad-to-be.
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