It’s a Dog’s Life: A Riverside Ramble
Eh Up!
We’ve just been chatting in the office about how certain owners become attached to certain breeds of dogs. The Queen was the focus of the discussion and her enthusiasm for Corgis – dreadful snappy dogs in my opinion. My Dad is a massive fan of Labradors, and when I turned up smaller than a cricket ball with little prospects for growth over future years, he rejected me, and my brother and sister who had collaborated to acquire me were also sent to the dog-house. But after 24 hours he came round and we’ve been the best of pals ever since. My point is that the Queen is not right on everything and she should have probably had a greater range of dogs, though if I’m not mistaken she does have Labradors at Sandringham.
Anyway, enough of Her Maj for now, and onto someone who is quite definitely barking mad: Vladimir Putin. I mentioned him last week and may do again in coming dispatches. On the radio this morning they were talking about World War III, and it just seemed crazy. One thing I’ve noticed when watching the news and reading the papers is just how many Ukrainians (God bless ‘em) have dogs with them – and cats too – as they seek refuge. It just shows how important we are in the lives of so many people across the world.
I’m conscious I’ve focused my attention on places to walk/eat in the North East of late and I’m planning a great walk to tell you about in Yorkshire next weekend, but for now let me encourage you to head to the banks of the rather glorious River Tyne at Wylam. It’s worth a trip for Yorkies too. You walk along the old railway line and pass the tiny cottage where the father of the railways, George Stephenson, grew up. There’s views of the river all the way (although don’t even think about jumping in as it is fast flowing on this bit).
In the village there are several pubs and cafés, but the place to book is The Ship. The Sunday lunch here is brilliant, and we’re really welcome too. But be quick as the word is that the present owners may be off in the summer…
Sorry if I sound a bit grumpy today but the news is so grim it’s hard not to feel a little down. I guess what we all have to do in true British bulldog spirit is keep calm and carry on.
Poodle pip and see you next week!
