Angus was born in Rochford, Essex in 1964.  His father was a banker and his mother a homemaker.  He was one of three sons.  From school in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, he won a place at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London, from where he graduated in 1987.  Like many graduates from that era, he spent a year in mixed practice before embarking on an academic career.  He was appointed Demonstrator in Small Animal Surgery at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (Dick Vet), University of Edinburgh.  The position would equate to what was formerly known as House Surgeon and would now be termed an internship.  As a graduate of the RVC, it was not surprising that he had developed an interest in orthopaedics, where the subject had dominated surgical teaching.  At Dick Vet his lead mentor was Colin Stead, an orthopaedic surgeon.  It was to Angus’ credit that his orthopaedic skills developed despite the extended absence through illness of his mentor.  At that time, residency training in veterinary specialities was embryonic and for many the pathway to an academic and/or specialist career was via a PhD.  Angus was fortunate to secure one of the early clinical research funded PhD positions so that his time could be split between the research laboratory and the clinic.  In 1995, Angus was awarded his PhD entitled “The pathogenesis of natural and experimental arthropathies of sheep”.  A Diploma in Small Animal Orthopaedics (DSAO) followed in 1997, leading to recognised specialist status.

The career path for specialist clinicians in academia was far from clear and this spawned a number of private referral practices.  It was to one of these, Wey Referrals in Guildford, that Angus moved from the Dick Vet.  His proximity to London led to him applying, successfully, to join the panel of BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia scrutineers.  From Guildford he was to spend some time in Norfolk, at Grove Referrals, Fakenham.

He was later to hatch a plan with an old friend and orthopaedic colleague, Ralph Abercromby.  Their paths had crossed some years earlier as the Essex lad swapped geography with Scotsman Ralph, trading places at the RVC and Dick Vet respectively.  The mutual strengths of their Edinburgh and London orthopaedic training had seen them hone their skills under the tutelage of Leslie Vaughan, Colin Stead, Gary Clayton Jones and others.  Perhaps it was a match made in heaven.  Anderson Abercromby Veterinary Referrals (AA) opened its doors to clients and their lame dogs in 2005.  Ralph & Angus executed the planning and delivery of the new practice without dissent.  Their partnership was to continue to flourish in harmony and without an ounce of rancour.  Even what might have been a thorny issue, how should the practice be named was solved without dissent.  Alphabetical precedence could have been an option and age another.  The fluence of the two names, in the end, was the deciding factor.  Anderson Abercromby was ultimately sold to one of the corporate entities, paving the path for either or both of the founding partners to retire.  The founding partners continued for another three years until Ralph retired but Angus chose to keep his orthopaedic hand in, at least without the stress of running a business and with a slightly lighter workload, whilst Ralph could not resist the lure of eighteen holes and the seven seas.

In a wider contribution to the profession Angus helped and patiently taught aspiring orthopaedic surgeons, acted as an examiner and Orthopaedic Board member for RCVS and filled several officer roles within BVOA.  He was a recognised specialist and a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

This potted curriculum does not reflect the man himself.  Angus was a quiet, reserved and private person.  It is not surprising, therefore, that as I came to write this obituary, having taught Angus as a student; watched his career develop; through Ralph, see their practice flourish; and, with intermittent close encounters over thousands of hip and elbow radiographs, I realised I knew little of his life outside the veterinary sphere.  I am grateful to others for their contributions.

Ralph paints a picture of what the professional obituary writers call a colourful past or the exuberance of youth.  Whilst Angus worked hard, very hard, he also enjoyed life and laughter with his friends and colleagues.  Perhaps the most important story involves Irish wolfhounds.  In November 2005, not long after AA opened, a wolfhound called Percy was referred to Angus.  The frequency of re-checks raised suspicion and eventually Angus had to admit to Ralph that Percy’s owner, Lucinda might have been the reason for the unusual clinical strategy.  Lucinda was struck by Angus’ gentle, kind manner.  A mutual love of dachshunds probably finally sealed the relationship!  Within a few months, they became a couple, leading to their marriage in June 2011, Angus becoming stepfather to Lucinda’s son and daughter, James and Grace.

Angus had a strong sense of fairness and propriety.  This underpinned the ethos of the practice.  He, also, was a great advocate for animal welfare, in particular, a sense of proportion when it came to clinical intervention.  He did not subscribe to the tenet “we will do it because we can”.

Away from the operating theatre and orthopaedic screwdriver Angus, with Lucinda, acquired and enjoyed antiques and art to decorate their home, “The Old House”.  He took up the piano and as the perfectionist he clearly was, he progressed to a very high standard.  He enjoyed his library-study where he could enjoy his music, his books, fossils and butterfly collections.  His love of things culinary extended from a carefully chosen restaurant to accomplished feats in the home kitchen.  Outside, the natural world and their garden were a joy, perhaps in some contrast to his exploits on the roads as a cyclist, doing battle with the terrain of the south downs.

Despite all this fulfilment at home and at work and his idyllic loving home life, Angus battled his demons, unbeknown to most of us.  To use his wife’s Lucinda’s words “on 4^th January [2023], Angus decided that it was time to go”.  To encapsulate this, Lucinda chose the Bach cantata Ich habe genung (I have enough, I am content) to be played at his funeral service.  The service was held at Clayton Wood Natural Burial Ground and a large number of family, friends, practice staff and so many orthopaedic colleagues that the clatter of drills, plates and screws must have fallen silent that day.  Beautiful and fitting eulogies were given and received with a great sense of sadness and yet, the venue and the style of the ceremony brought a serenity befitting the man we had gathered to remember.  We filed out of the glass pavilion on a sunny afternoon and followed the wicker coffin carried on a horse drawn dray, across the fields to the burial. Flower petals were scattered whilst the congregation quietly dispersed.

Written by JVD on behalf of the BVA/KC HD/ED Scrutineer Panel and the BVA Canine Health Schemes team.