We recently sat down with some of our long serving staff members who are all due to celebrate big work anniversaries: David Richardson, approaching 60 years; David Fawcett approaching 50 years and Stephen Jepson who has just hit 40 years. They each work in different departments and undertake very different roles and tasks each day but one thing is common, they all agree the best thing about Sanderson Weatherall is the people.
Brief overview of your job/jobs over the years?
David R: I joined the firm as a newly qualified “surveyor” in 1965 and became a partner in 1972. In those days we didn’t have job titles, other than being a partner and we didn’t really have departments. Over the years I have looked after Agency, and Landlord and Tenant and been an arbitrator and independent expert as well as being part of Corporate Real Estate. Always in Leeds. However over the years we were first of all in CMA House at the corner of King Street and Park Place (now redeveloped as City Point) then at Wellington park House before coming to Central Square.
David F: Started as a trainee plant and machinery valuer age 19 in September 1974 with Singletons in Manchester. At the time I was in the Milling & Food department, which also took in leather and shoes and anything else Textiles and Engineering departments didn’t want. The first to pass the ISVA examinations in Plant & Machinery all the way through. Became a Partner in 1991. Singletons moved to Old Trafford and I did a few weeks trying to set up an office with another Property Surveyors in Birmingham, but mainly Manchester.
Stephen: Started in the property department at age 17.5 years, then moved to Plant & Machinery after approx. 18 months, been here ever since. Started in the Blackburn office and realised the lights shone brighter in Manchester
Your personal career highlight?
David R: Perhaps working with Peter Dunlop on several successive Saturdays, as well as during the week, to make a (successful) bid to win the Barclays Bank Estates dept work in the North of England when they put it out to tender about 25 years ago. Also a combination of becoming a partner (1972) and still enjoying working part time (2023).
David F: I would say becoming the one who takes on any difficult or challenging valuation and being the ‘valuation hotline’; being acknowledged as someone happy to discuss colleagues valuations and help them to value anything (anything that isn’t a building).
Stephen: Every day is a school day, that’s why I still love my job. No better feeling than a great auction result. I think the use of technology has revolutionised our job. I remember my first day well…putting catalogues, 3000 of them, into envelopes for the post; none of that anymore!
Your most memorable/favourite job?
David R: The sale of High Royds Hospital at Menston in the early 2000s to Audley Retirement Villages for £26M and recently acting for MOD as a consultant in a long running arbitration – probably the largest ever in the country.
David F: Most memorable would have to be working as an expert witness in St Vincent in the Caribbean, on which I spent more days travelling than working on site. Favourite would be another expert witness case where I was able to save a client around £8million on the value of plant and machinery, though I was very annoyed that it was settled for twice my valuation of £1million.
Stephen: So many! We were appointed to deal with the assets of a 600 acre site at BAE Dunsfold in Surrey back in 2000. I was at the site for over 3 months which culminated in a very successful two rostrum auction (a very busy day I hasten to add!). I later learned that BBC’s Top Gear used the same site for filming and can boast I too have driven round the Top Gear Test Track all be it in a very tired Sherpa Minibus!!
How have you seen SW change over the years?
David R: Wow! Too many to go into detail. When I started at Hollis & Webb in 1965 there were 4 partners and around 20 staff. We have morfed into SW via Hollis Webb & Gale (1969) and Weatherall Hollis and Gale (1973), then Weatherall Green & Smith in early 1980s and Weatheralls North in about 1996 before finally merging with Sanderson Townend & Gilbert and becoming SW. When I started at Hollis & Webb if we wanted to make a phone call to someone outside Leeds, we had to get a connection from the main Leeds telephone exchange. We soon then got an STD (subscriber trunk dialling) system which fitted into a room in the basement about 10 feet square! Really urgent communications in writing were by telex. There were no such things as computers and typewriters were mechanical – not even electric. I can remember buying our first electronic calculator in the early 1970s. Photocopying was by a wet chemical process. So it has changed so much that it is hard to even explain it all.
David F: Singletons joined WGS in 2003 which almost straight away became SW. At the time it was particularly insular and cellular in terms of departments never mind offices. I hope we have broken down some of the walls between departments and offices, but still some way to go. Most importantly I have seen SW grow in adding other skills, departments and offices.
Stephen: Adapting to modern methods, everything was paper in the old days. Now it’s all truly electronic in every aspect.
Favourite thing about SW?
David R: The firm is a collection of bright, intelligent like-minded independent successful people
David F: Has to be the people and their range of knowledge, being able to help and advise them and in turn to get advice from them.
Stephen: The staff!!! Great work colleagues, great work values and remarkably great team effort
Your best memory from work over years?
David R: Maybe the party at the Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the firm in 1983. Also having the same secretary, Janet Kerr for 37/38 years.
David F: I would say staying away from home working hard with colleagues all day cataloguing a large flour mill and still socialising with them through the evenings.
Stephen: Working with great people old & new…it’s akin to be being on a rollercoaster that keeps on going up!
What do you think the future holds for SW?
David R: I don’t think I am likely to be very good at predicting the future for the firm as I would certainly not have anticipated where we are now in 1965 when I joined the firm (before almost everyone now in the firm was born!) However, the History of the last 57 years is that, although the firm (or my part of it) has had several different existences, it has always operated as a very good sized, distinctive, successful, independent firm in our market place and I expect and very much hope that that is the way it continues!
David F: SW is one of very few firms of surveyors with national coverage (international if you are in the Machinery and Business Assets department) but able to be flexible enough to take on any assignment while still owned by a partnership rather than the big firms or the small firms. This makes SW a friendly company that can provide clients with continuity and still look after its colleagues, many of who stay with the company over many years. That stability is the best model to take the company forward while other companies come and go.
Stephen: Onwards & upwards, a great future I’m 100% sure. SW has a great talent for keeping up with the times and continually evolving. I think I like it here!!
Sanderson Weatherall are proud of their rich history and you can read more here – https://www.sw.co.uk/who-we-are/
