Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith outside the Stonehenge Veterinary HospitalA COUPLE who founded the Stonehenge Veterinary Hospital in Durrington 13 years ago are leaving at the end of this week.

Craig and Janet Irvine-Smith arrived in England from South Africa in 1989 and opened their veterinary practice in three small rooms in a former shop in Bulford Road, Durrington, in December 1990.

Quickly outgrowing the shop, they decided to design and built their own surgery, which was opened in 1992.

Later that same year, their dream achieved the coveted status of a veterinary hospital - one of only 350 to obtain it out of 3,500 veterinary practices in the country.

Mr Irvine-Smith (60) told the Journal: "I worked in South Africa for 20 years and, when we came to England, I worked for one or two practices before we decided to look around for somewhere for us to start our own business.

"We came up with Durrington as having a need and found premises in a former shop.

"Within two years, we had outgrown the building and found a corner of a wheat field in Larkhill Road that we were able to buy.

"Janet and I set about designing a purpose-built surgery and we opened in April 1992."

Mr Irvine-Smith praised the support and loyalty of his clients and, as a means of saying "Thank you and goodbye", he and his wife will be hosts at a party in the village hall on Sunday, between 6pm and 8pm.

Craig and Janet are planning to return to South Africa, where they have friends and family, and are thinking of opening a wine importing and exporting business in the Cape Province.

They are handing over their business to vet Andrew Reeder and his wife Caroline, who is a veterinary nurse, who will both be at Sunday's party, taking the opportunity to meet villagers and clients.