THE scales of justice have tipped in favour of retirement for a long-serving Tyne Valley solicitor.

Wendy Best is retiring as a partner at Nicholson Portnell in Hexham, where she has been ever-present since 1997.

Specialising predominantly in family law, the 65-year-old has also worked in conveyancing, and covered criminal cases at the former Tynedale Magistrates’ Court.

But in retirement, Wendy will continue to play an active role in Hexham, as a board member of Hexham Community Partnership.

“I didn’t want to retire,” she admitted. “I have loved working in our lovely office on Priestpopple, and meeting so many different people.

“The coronavirus pandemic has prepared me to some degree because I’ve had to work from home during the past seven months.”

Born in Essex, Wendy grew up in Surrey where she attended Woking Grammer School, before moving on to study chemistry at Bristol University.

There, she met her husband of 42 years, Dave, and decided that a career in science was not going to be the way forward.

“My godfather worked as a solicitor and I decided it was something I’d like to do,” said Wendy.

The couple moved to the North-East, and after carrying out her law training, Wendy spent 18 months working in Hexham in the late 1980s, for Hindle Campbell solicitors, which had an office in the Market Place at the time.

A seven-year spell working in Newcastle followed, before Wendy joined what was then known as Portnell, Ward and Rose, in 1997.

It later merged with Nicholson, Wood and Gregg, and has been known as Nicholson Portnell since 2003.

“There’s been a lot of changes,” said Wendy. “When I first got a computer I didn’t switch it on for two years, but now I couldn’t live without one.

“I’ve always loved Hexham and the North-East. There’s a lot of glass half full people and that’s a great thing.”

Wendy admitted she felt that she’d finally been accepted in the region in 1993, when a custody sergeant addressed her as if she were a local.

She explained: “I was going into the court cells to meet a client when the custody sergeant said ‘here’s wor Wendy.’ I’ve never forgotten that.

“It has been a tremendously rewarding career. In family law, you can be helping people through a really difficult period in their lives.

“That first meeting can be a difficult one, and it always felt good when people left my office saying they felt much better because of our conversation."

Wendy said she had fond recollections of the former Hexham-based Tynedale Magistrates' Court, which closed in 2011.

"There was a family atmosphere in there," she said. "There was a good staffing team and everyone had the support they needed."

Away from the legal world, Wendy is secretary of the voluntary-led Hexham Community Partnership, and is looking forward to retaining an active role in the town.

She added: "My husband and I like to go walking in the local area, which is beautiful and we love the countryside.

"We also like to travel and we have family in Australia and America. Any travel plans are on hold at the moment but the most important thing is that everyone stays safe during the pandemic."