Crufts Gold Team

January 20th, 2012

After a grueling selection day in Birmingham with around 60 other handlers and their dogs,  Charlie and I have made it into the Kennel Club Gold Demonstration team for Crufts 2012. Together with 8 other handlers and their dogs, we will be going through the Good Citizenship Gold test exercises and performing a bit of a routine to music. Our team will be appearing on the Thursday and Sunday so please come along and say Hi.

A Dog walking Space is available

August 24th, 2011

A space has now become available in the daily group dog walk. If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact Karen on 07966 847153 or see the  RBC Pet Care Services page.

Hinton Show

August 24th, 2011

A quick reminder to all you dog owners living in Oxfordshire that the Hinton show is on this Sunday.This is a fun dog show, with a horse show to raise money for the Katherine House Hospice
At Gaydons Farm, Hinton Crossroads
Nr Brackley, NN13 5NF
by kind permission of Chris Loggin
On Sunday 28th August 2011
10.30 am Registration, 11 am Start

Cooper goes abroad

August 24th, 2011

We wish Cooper and his human’s all the best in their new venture, a 2 year posting abroad in the Far East. All your pals from dog walking in Banbury will miss you Cooper.

August is a quiet month

August 23rd, 2011

 

You might expect that August would be quiet for dog walking in Banbury, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Folk are on holiday but many cannot take their dogs with them.

Dogs seem to enjoy there holidays as well whether they go with the owner or come to us for a short stay.

Mo has settled in well and has had plenty of company with the many doggy visitors each day. I am sure he’ll be glad to get home for a rest.

Here he is just setting into the large bone which has now half the size, these terriers have no limits.

September next week already and holidays will be over, everyone will be back.

 

More updates later when we get time.

Winners at the Show

August 8th, 2011

 

As a break from dog walking in Banbury I took Charlie and little Mo, a customer’s dog, to the Bicester and Finmere Show hoping to have some fun. It was a great family show, the old fashioned type with rides for the kids and some very posh horses.

Charlier wins best terrier

 

They had a little dog show in the side rings with obedience and novelty classes. Charlie went into the Best Rescue and Terrier class, and won best terrier, clever boy!

 

Mo wins first in obedience


I thought I could have a bit of fun with Mo in the pet obedience class. Mo and owner had recently gained their Kennel Club Bronze with the Banbury and District Dog Training Club, so I thought we had a good chance. Imagine our surprise and delight when Mo put in a perfect round of heelwork, novice recall, control at gate and a one minute downstay! He came first. Well done Mo – and his owners who have done all the hard work.

Charlie wins fourth in obedience

That was a hard act for Charlie to follow in the “Triers Obedience”, but we did very well against some stiff opposition and got a fourth. We had to do heel on and off lead, a recall and a retrieve over a jump, and two stays.

A long and successful day, with two firsts and two tired dogs.

Some Icy Pictures

December 9th, 2010

Painting – some photos

September 12th, 2010
As promised here are some photos of the painting so far….
Engine Room Door Panels

Engine Room Door Panels

and the new grey cabin side.
Cabin side in grey

Cabin side in grey

Rudder

Rudder

The rudder is still to be finished but colours now on, still need to do the stern.
Atalanta Back Cabin - first coat

Atalanta Back Cabin - first coat

 Only the first coat….lots more work to do.

Painting

September 11th, 2010

Well the blog has been very quiet for several months but we have been busy. We did spend June and July out with Atalanta at Stoke Bruene and Braunston festivals.

Karen has been getting very busy with Pet Care Servcies, which has restricted our boating as she needds to be back at base to walk dogs. So I decided this was a good opportunity to repiant Daniel Oakley and get started with Atalanta.

Six weeks later and I have almost finished Daniel Oakley. I have added the small red panels on the engine room that never got done 4 years ago and changed the forward cabin sides to a dark gray. The roof has had a repaint and the rest of the boat a general tidy up after 4 years of boating.

Atalanta is starting to get back to the 1930′s coronation colours of red, white and blue.

I’ll take some photos and post them up later.

Flight to La Palma

February 15th, 2010

Just to remind you that we have gone with friends to La Palma in the Canary Islands, except we aren’t there yet! Our plane couldn’t land because of high winds, so the plane diverted to Tenerife. We are now on the ferry with a lot of Spanish people dressed in white, on our way to La Palma. The people in white are on their way to the last night of a big festival on La Palma, where  “talc bombs” are thrown about, and tourists are seen to be fair game.

Anne, who is terrified of flying, felt the flight in was a little bumpy and the 3 attemts to land were unessessary. Vicky is now struggling because she hates anything to do with water. Paul and I are happy to be taking it easy and glad to be back on a boat. Piccies to follow.