On 2nd January 1987 a 26 year old Huw Baker joined James, Bushell & Partners based in a small office in Church Street, Merthyr Tydfil. These were days before computers were used by small businesses and mobile phones were only used on Star Trek!
By the end of 1987 the office boasted one PC shared between the seven members of the firm. The cost of that PC with its accounting software was £2,500. In today’s money that’s £6,600 – for one PC.
In 1993 the practice bought a small local firm of Chartered Accountants and in October 1995 bought a much larger firm of Chartered Accountants, becoming the largest practising firm in Merthyr Tydfil and the Heads of the Valley region, now known as James & Baker. The practice moved to larger offices but still in Church Street, which at the time was the home of the ‘professionals’ with four firms of solicitors, two firms of accountants, a firm of Chartered Surveyors and the local office of The Refuge in residence. In amongst this motley crew was Charbonniers nightclub!
On the merger with another firm of Chartered Accountants in 2003 the firm, now rebranded btp Associates Chartered Accountants was relocated to the High Street where it remained until 2012. After purchasing yet another firm of accountants in 2012 we moved to our current home at The Orbit Centre on the Rhydycar Business Park. The firm now employs seventeen and acts for over 500 businesses and individuals.
When he came to the town in 1987 Huw was the youngest practising Chartered Accountant in Merthyr Tydfil, a title that he held until 2016 when his son Gavin qualified with the firm.
Gavin has now moved on to London but the title is now held by Richard Knoyle, a director of btp, who was trained with James & Baker in the 1990s and qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant. Richard then became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2016 so he is now a member of both major accountancy bodies in the UK.
Remarkably there are a quite a few clients of btp that were clients in 1987. Huw would like to thank them and all clients of the practice for their continuing support saying
‘I don’t know where the last thirty years have gone. Much has changed within the accountancy profession in that time, fuelled by the introduction of technology and there is more to come with HMRC pushing their Making Tax Digital agenda. One thing that has stayed constant throughout is the firm’s philosophy of providing a top class service to its clients and the ongoing support of those clients and my thanks go to all clients past and present’.
If you have any accountancy needs Huw will be glad to help. He can be contacted on 0800 0439351.
