Andrew Ayre.
Andrew Ayre began his accountancy career at Greaves West & Ayre (GWA) in 1978, before becoming a partner in 1988.
However, his association with GWA began three generations previously when his grandfather, John T Ayre, came up from Newcastle to open a Berwick branch office of Greaves & Company in 1918.
After John T Ayre’s sudden death in late 1947, his son Gordon, Andrew’s father, returned to Berwick from the navy and was joined by Arthur West and the firm later took the name of Greaves West & Ayre.
When Andrew joined the firm there were a total of six partners and around 30 staff. In 1988, he joined his brother, Peter Ayre, as one of eight partners.