A WELL-known veterinarian has hung up his gloves and stethoscope after nearly 30 years at the same practice.

Peter Mackellar, co-owner of Drake Vets in Yelverton, bid farewell to his colleagues and clients this month with a farewell coffee morning raising money for the British Heart Foundation.

Peter, who was ‘born and bred’ in Tavistock said he always knew he would be a vet, following in the footsteps of his father who originally set up Westmoor Vets in Tavistock.

He worked all over the country during his early veterinary career in Liverpool, London and Plymouth but came back to West Devon to work at the former Town Farm Veterinary Unit in Horrabridge, eventually taking it over with co-owner Karen Tyrrell and developing it to become Drake Vets.

Peter said: ‘I used to go out with my old man to calvings in the middle of the night — there was never any doubt I was going to do anything else.’

He has had a few interesting stories during his time, most notable to him was going up in a police helicopter to search for an injured pony on the moor.

Looking forward to retirement, Peter is now planning to spend more time singing, dancing and working on his smallholding.

‘I am a member of Wreckers Border Morris so I will be out dancing around Tavistock on Dickensian Evening,’ he said. ‘I also do quite a lot of singing and I have recently started doing a bit of acting.

‘I plan to do a bit more travelling now I have more time and my smallholding needs a bit of TLC.’

Karen Tyrrell said: ‘He will certainly be missed. He has always wanted to do a lot for the community and is always singing and dancing. He has done lots of bits for charity — grown his beard and held lots of coffee mornings.’

Peter’s farewell coffee morning for the British Heart Foundation raised nearly £200.