To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Alison becoming the owner of Wincanton Chiropractic Clinic, we’ve been running a series of video interviews with Alison to find out more about where it all began. Many of you will have seen them on social media.
Alison tells us about her university days, her early career and how she ended up moving to the area and buying the clinic in Wincanton. We find out how she managed to juggle a career and family life and get updates on her grown up children. Most importantly, we learn about her plans for the future.
For those of you who haven’t seen the interviews, head to Instagram or Facebook. We will also publish them here on the website in writing for those of you who prefer to read
Alison, take us right back to the start – what made you decide to become a chiropractor?
When I was small I remember my father always having a really bad back and he often struggled to play with us. He was an airline pilot so he was away a lot and and I remember when he came home we’d take him to see all different types of people to try to get his back problem sorted out. Then there was this one chap called Mike Bassett who was a chiropractor. We went all the way to Watford to see him. Eventually the whole family saw him for various things. He really was the miracle worker. He completely sorted my dad’s back out then he could play with us and pick us up and do all the things that dads are supposed to do. So that’s really why I became a chiropractor.
Where did you go to chiropractic college?
In 1985 the only place in the whole of Europe to study chiropractic was actually in Bournemouth. So I ended up at the Anglo European College of chiropractic, which was great. I spent four years there. It was a lovely place to be. One of the great things about it was that there were at least 50-60% Scandinavian and other European students there so it made it a very interesting and diverse educational experience. I loved it.
Did you come to Wincanton straight after Chiropractic College?
No I didn’t. My first job in fact was in Woking. Soon after that I moved onto another practice in Reading where I stayed for quite a while. I worked with an amazing guy called Steve Carpenter who taught me an awful lot. He was an amazing mentor. During that time I also set up a small practice of my own within a squash club that had a gym. I used to go training in there quite a lot and I ended up treating quite a few international squash players. So that was quite fun. I enjoyed that.
What made you choose Wincanton as a place to work?
Well funnily enough I’d already decided, as much as I loved working in the Reading practice, I’m very much a country girl at heart. I always wanted to come back to the country and I had just recently bought a little cottage in Dorset and I was driving from Dorset to Reading which was quite a big commute. Very randomly, one day I was working at the Caversham Squash Club and I picked up our chiropractic magazine and as I picked it up a piece of paper fell out onto the floor and it said ‘clinic for sale’. I looked and it said Wincanton. I thought, ‘I wonder where that is.’ I looked it up and thought ‘gosh, I must look into that. That looks very close to where I’m living’.
What was it like when you first came here?
I remember the day so well. It was a lovely sunny day. I pulled up outside the practice in my little Peugeot 106. I got out and looked at the building and thought, gosh, what a lovely building. I had done a little bit of research and I think it had been a chiropractic clinic for only a few years. Previous to that it had been a GP surgery and I just thought that actually sounded rather nice. I walked into the practice and it just had a really lovely homely feel and I just thought, yeah, this is great. The town looked nice. It looked like a nice rural town and I just had a good feeling about the place.
How did it come about that you bought Wincanton chiropractic clinic?
Gosh, now there’s a story. The chap who owned the building was the previous chiropractor, Mr Davidson. He decided to sell the building and he suggested a high price so it ended up going to auction. I was very nervous about going to auction so I’d asked a friend to come with me. He was going to do the bidding because that what he did for his work. I put in the first bid. I must have jumped out of my seat like I was electrified so it was fairly obvious that I wanted to buy the building. The price then went up to my maximum level. I was so nervous – I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I thought the building was going to get sold to someone else. My friend then stood up and put in a bid for an extra £1000. And with that, I managed to get the building. Bless him, that friend of mine, the next morning had pushed an envelope through the letterbox of the clinic with an extra £1000 in cash. So then I was able to get the mortgage and buy the practice. The next day I then went to meet the tenants in the flat upstaters. I’d never even seen the flat, which I’d now just bought.
What reception did the people of Wincanton give you when you first took over as the new owner of the clinic?
Ah, it was lovely. I absolutely loved coming here. People were so friendly. Everybody was so welcoming. It was a very different vibe to where I’d been working in Reading where it was very ‘commuter belt’. People were very stressed coming out of London. I remember driving down the A303 thinking, ‘Yes! I’m coming back to Wincanton! Everybody’s going to be very welcoming and lovely.’ I’d always lived in the countryside and I had always wanted to work in the countryside and probably that’s why I’m still here 30 years later.
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in the last 30 years here?
Probably Covid. I can remember the day very well. Having to clear the diaries, ringing people and telling them we couldn’t see them. Panicking about how people were going to cope and manage their pain at home. Realising quite quickly that I could actually still help people via Zoom which was more helpful than I thought it might be. When we did come back to work, there was the challenge of PPE, masks, gloves, aprons which was all horrible. I’m very glad now that everything is back to normal and we’re seeing people face to face, just the way I like it.
How do you find working in one room all the time?
Well I can’t believe I’ve been in this room for 30 years but I’m glad that I have. A lot has happened in this room. I remember one day, 28 years ago, I was waiting for my next patient to arrive and there was a knock at the door. Graham, my now husband came in, and he actually proposed to me in this room. And then later on, some of you may remember coming in and seeing a little baby called Tommy sleeping on the chair in the corner when I was short of childcare.
How did you manage your work-life balance whilst raising a family and running the clinic?
I have to say, it was tricky. With Graham, who was in the forces, being away a lot of the time. I would not have managed without my staff. There were times when my receptionist, Vivian, who was with me for 25 years, would be knitting little blankets and jumpers for the children. And there were times when some of the staff would also double up and help me with childcare. I really wouldn’t have managed without them.
What do you enjoy most about your role as a chiropractor?
That’s quite simple – it’s the patients. Having been here for such a long time, I’ve met so many lovey people. I’ve ended up treating their children, grandchildren and whole family. I think the best thing is realising that sometimes I do make a difference to their lives. They come to us in pain. Then after treatment, they’re often able to get back to work and do the things they enjoy doing.
What plans do you have for the future of Wincanton chiropractic clinic?
I think I’d like to keep everything exactly the same as it is now. We have a great set up at the moment. I’ve got two chiropractors, a couple of massage therapists and an acupuncturist. We all work really well together as a team. It’s great. I want to continue helping everyone in the community here in Wincanton and further afield. I’d just like to thank all my patients for their lovely comments and messages they’ve been sending in about these videos on Facebook. I’ve really enjoyed reminiscing about my last 30 years here and everybody’s been so kind. It’s been really overwhelming and very touching.
I can’t believe I’m still here after 30 years but I really am glad that I am because I’ve loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t change a thing.
