50 up! Janette celebrates five decades working for Watsons Solicitors

The year is 1973. The Dalai Lama will visit the United Kingdom for the first time, the Sydney Opera House is to open, and the Watergate hearings begin, whilst Paul McCartney is fronting Wings after The Beatles went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, in Warrington, Janette Thorniley, will start working at Watsons Solicitors as an office junior on 21 June.

Now, half a century later, Janette is well and truly part of the furniture at the Cheshire-based law firm, where she holds the post of office manager.

She said: “It’s a great place to work – that’s probably obvious from the fact that I’ve been here 50 years!

“It’s funny when you look back what has happened over the time I’ve been here.

“For example, Steve Martin, who is a member of the property and conveyancing department, joined in the August of the same year, went to work somewhere else for 20 years, and has now been back at Watsons for the same amount of time.

“There’s a real family atmosphere at Watsons and everybody is ready and willing to lend advice or help out however they can.”

Originally, Janette arrived at Watsons for a summer job having completed her O-levels earlier that same day, with an eye on going to sixth form later that year.

She continued: “I was going into the holidays expecting to get some real-world experience before continuing to study to become a teacher.

“They say the best things happen when you aren’t expecting them, and I quickly realised that I loved the job and the environment at Watsons.

“I have always been in the cash office because I had a love of maths – that hasn’t changed over the years. 

“I do all kinds of things from legal aid checks, bank payments, and VAT returns to making sure company technology, such as laptops and the telephone system, are all in perfect working order.

“There’s plenty of variation in my day-to-day work and the people and culture at the company make it a fantastic place.”

Danny Hudson, partner and a member of the family department, paid tribute to Janette for being an important cog in the Watsons machine.

He said: “We simply couldn’t function to the levels we do without a support team made up of strong office staff, which Janette has been a vital part of for 50 years.

“If there’s ever anything anyone needs to know about Watsons, we know we only need to go and ask Janette, who will be able to help out immediately.”

Watsons Solicitors, which has been established for more than 60 years, specialises in family law, employment law, wills and probate, and conveyancing. 

The team of experienced solicitors each hold various accreditations and memberships of professional bodies relevant to their expertise, while the firm’s partners oversee all areas of work.