Forty years working as a country solicitor has been extremely challenging and rewarding for the recently retired Geoff Dunlop.
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He has seen many changes during that period in how the legal profession operates the biggest for him was the arrival of the dreaded computer.
“I have no aptitude for those beasts shown by the fact that I went to so many computer courses and came away just as ignorant as when I started, “ he joked.
“Each time I had to use them on my own I almost had a nervous breakdown.”
Fortunately for Mr Dunlop he was ably assisted in the computer area by his wife Joan and his employees Louise Badior and Christine Carey whom he described as fearless when it came to operating computers.
“They amazed me with their work and I can’t thank them enough for their care over the years,” he said.
The Dunlop family is synonymous with legal advice in town having provided continuous service to the law for 91 years and Mr Dunlop’s retirement will mark the end of an era which began in 1929 when Colin Hector Dunlop became a partner in the firm AB Shaw and Co.
This partnership thrived until Mr Shaw died 1948. Mr Dunlop continued the practice which in 1953 became known as Shaw Dunlop & Co.
Mr Dunlop was joined in the practice by his three sons Ian, Peter and Geoff – no doubt a rarity to find a father and three sons working together in the same law firm. C.H. Dunlop died in 1978 and the practice was eventually sold to another legal firm.
In 2007 Geoff Dunlop decided he was not ready to retire and opened his own business at home.
Now aged 78-years he said its time to take on the challenges of life away from the law including doing things around the home and answering the phone for his busy wife. Joan said he had a long list of jobs prepared for him.
He described working as a solicitor as being a problem solver for his clients and he was fortunate to have many wonderful clients he worked with for many years.
Now its time for more Parkruns and music concerts plus Joan’s chores.