The Hereward Practice has had three homes. The first was Brook Lodge, the white building on the double bend in South Street. This was built in 1776 as the vicarage and was vacated in 1876 when the new vicarage was built, now the Cedars Retirement Home. It became the practice and home of Dr John Gilpin at the turn of the last century followed by Dr Francis de Courcy Keogh and then Dr William Montieth.

Shortly before the second World War, Dr George Holloway, stepbrother of the famous actor, Stanley, came as the next general practitioner but had to close for part of the war whilst he was on active service with the Royal Army Medical Corps. When he returned to resume his practice, he also became a county alderman and justice of the peace. Dr Williams joined him in 1959, returning to Wales soon after, being replaced by Dr Michael McGregor in 1961.

As Dr Holloway and Dr Galletly intended to stay in their practice homes after retirement, plans were made for the two Bourne practices to move into a purpose built heath centre in St Gilbert's Road. The building was opened in 1971 but unfortunately Dr Holloway died before the move and Dr McGregor was then joined by Dr Alwyn Todd who replaced him. But Dr Todd subsequently left for Derbyshire in 1972 and was replaced that year by Dr Nigel Turnbull.

Dr John Sutton arrived in Bourne in 1977, leaving for a quieter practice in Leeds in 1997 after a long period of ill-health. As the practice grew, Dr Vivien Beveridge joined in 1988 followed by Dr Rachel Elder in 1995 and Dr Ian Wheatley in 1996 and Dr Carl Pears joining in 1997.

Within a decade of moving to the health centre, the increased population and services provided in primary care meant that the two surgeries were bulging at the seams and first the Galletly Practice left to return to North Road. This was soon followed by ourselves into our third home here in Exeter Street after months of dedicated work from the practice manager, Mr Bob Brown, who had arrived in 1989 after medical services with the Royal Air Force as one of the first breed of practice managers in the National health Service. Soon after the move, Dr Clive Cole joined the partnership in 2001.

Reproduced from The Hereward Medical Practice
Internet web site December 2007.

See also

Health care in Bourne     Robert Brown

Dr John Gilpin     Dr George Holloway     Dr Michael McGregor