NEW LIFE BEGINS: Peter Orr and his guard dog and mate Binkie are farewelling the chemist shop for a life of retirement. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 140912GOC01
AFTER nearly 30 years at Robert St Pharmacy, Peter Orr began his new life on Saturday in retirement with a furry friend by his side.
Mr Orr is one of the longest serving pharmacists in Tamworth and has worked in the industry for 72 years, starting as a child washing bottles in his father’s pharmacy during World War II.
He continued in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps and qualified as a pharmacist in 1956.
Mr Orr has been at the Robert St Pharmacy since 1984, with his wife Elisabeth and in the past two years they have been joined daily by their great dane, Binkie.
Binkie joined the staff after Mr and Mrs Orr were held up by an armed and masked man and has helped them stave off trouble twice since.
“One man came in here armed and when he saw the dog, he said ‘wrong shop’and another presented a forged prescription that I refused to fill and he started to get aggressive so I told him that was my guard dog and he left,” Mr Orr said.
He said he was going to miss the customers and the people he knew who often came to the pharmacy.
“I will miss the contact,” he said. “There are so many nice customers, but I’m 80 next year so the time has come.”
In retirement, Mr Orr said he had plenty to do on his farm at Piallamore where he has 200 acres and breeds great danes, charolais cattle and paint horses, and he was going to spend time with his daughter.
“I have a lot to do on the farm,” he said. “I have four pups that need training and they are very exuberant great danes. Binkie is their father.”
Mr Orr said he was looking forward to watching his daughter do karate and attend Scouts events with her.
“I have been missing a lot of family life,” he said.
The pharmacy will be run by new owner Margaret Kamerman with three pharmacists in a partnership.