AMY Harrison, of Whittle & Co in Colchester, has successfully gained her ACA (Association of Chartered Accountants) qualification.

Amy joined Whittle & Co in January 2008 after completing a BA in Accounting and Management from the University of Essex.

Paul Whittle, the firm’s senior partner, is delighted with Amy’s success.

“One of the great pleasures of being a senior partner of the firm is seeing younger members of the team such as Amy join and then grow over the years in terms of confidence, experience and now a professional qualification. Young talent such as Amy is vital to a niche practice such as Whittle & Co to ensure that we continue to provide our clients with the quality of service and advice they have so rightly come to expect,” he said.

COLCHESTER businessman Philip Amoss has joined forces with national van leasing specialist www.vanarama.co.uk to become a franchisee.

Starting as a valeter and working up to management, Philip already has significant experience in the motor trade. “Lots of businesses rely on their van and can’t afford downtime, so won’t risk having an unreliable vehicle,” he said. “I’m really excited about getting out into the local business community. Of course, there are already van suppliers out there, but these are often linked to franchised dealerships tied to one manufacturer, which tend to concentrate on cars. Vanarama will ‘do what it says on the tin’ and deal in vans alone, giving advice on everything from, fuel consumption or load capacity, to finance options and tax advantages.”

ESSEX law firm QualitySolicitors FJG has awarded two solicitor training contracts to paralegals within the firm.

The highly sought after contracts have been awarded to paralegals Cate Hammett in the employment team and Amy Herring in the wills and probate team.

Cate Hammet said: “I am extremely excited about being given the opportunity to qualify as a solicitor. I am looking forward to working hard and winning new clients for the firm with my additional move to the Chelmsford office.”

Amy Herring added: “ FJG have given me a fantastic opportunity to progress my career to the next level by qualifying as a solicitor. I am looking forward to all of the experiences and opportunities that will be coming my way and will be sure to make the most of each and every one.”.

Paula Fowler, managing partner at QS FJG, added: “Having shown great potential and dedication in their time with the firm, I am confident that giving both Cate and Amy the chance to further their development will lead to many benefits for the firm and for themselves. It is fantastic to be able to promote development from within the firm and we look forward to seeing them making their mark in the legal landscape in the future.”

David Welham, consultant solicitor in the Wills and Probate team at Colchester and Clacton firm Thompson Smith & Puxon (TS&P), has retired after 37 years’ loyal service.

David, originally a classics teacher, first joined the firm as an articled clerk (trainee) in January 1975, working initially from the firm’s offices in Coggeshall (now closed). Following qualification in 1977, David worked in various areas of the law depending on his clients’ requirements, becoming a Partner in the firm in 1980. In the last decade he has specialised in Wills, Probate and Elderly Client matters.

In his younger days David had serious ambitions to be a full-time actor and has since always been involved in amateur dramatics, but with a smattering of professional roles too, including a tour with Mad Dogs and Englishmen (whilst still doing his day job). He started painting in 1986 as “an alternative artistic endeavour” as he put it, and has since designed the firm’s Christmas cards, exhibited in the firm’s waiting room and at the Mercury Theatre and undertaken a number of private commissions.

In 2006 David took a step back from the partnership, becoming consultant solicitor, and started planning for his eventual retirement. He has another exhibition, entitled This Corner of England, at the Digby Gallery in the Mercury Theatre which runs from November 21 to December 10.

The directors of TS&P held a retirement party for David in the boardroom at the firm’s offices on North Hill in September and presented him with a Sony Viao Laptop as a retirement gift.

Graham Wilson, who coincidentally became a partner in TS&P on the same day as David in 1980, wished David a happy and healthy retirement on behalf of the directors and staff at TS&P.