Edmund is still full time because he regards “vetting” as a vocation not a job. His commitment to animal welfare since qualifying in 1964 has been steadfast, but not to the exclusion of a rounded lifestyle. He has been described as a pillar of society, holding senior positions in local organisations, annual charity fundraising, a lifelong fan of Argyle, and an international athlete.

A  family man, proud of his wife, son, two daughters and two grandchildren, his reply to the retirement question is simply “when God tells me”, having survived a motorway crash in 1997...Harwell is not tied to big business, nor in receipt of funds other than generated by the good work it does, a stand alone independent family business for 41 years.