Lucy's Newsletter

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March 2010

Dear Irish Terrier Friends,

Thank you for your kind messages about the dreaded tummy flu. I did recover very quickly and couldn’t help thinking that Zu and Beegie rather enjoyed all the bed rest.

At last, at last spring has made a faltering start and I heard myself calling to the dogs as they dashed about in the park ‘mind the daffodils you great elephants’ (only the leaves of course but a sure sign of spring).

We had Isobel and Nonny (the Manners missus) to stay in February and did all the things we love most, even managing five relatively dry days in the New Forest and pottering along the sea wall in Lymington. The older three have all been such great friends and had benefited hugely from having Tess and Nonny, who are sisters, to jolly them along.

Alas we have had a terrible sadness and I can hardly bring myself to write about it. Isobel, the oldest of the five family Irish Terriers, died last Sunday. She’d been a wonderful dog; sporty and energetic; up for everything; and at fourteen was a grand old lady and seemed somehow indestructible. Zu and Beegie adored her. They’d been three riotous puppies together and it was for them, that I wrote ‘Three Little Girls’.

We’re not absolutely sure what happened but there’s always been a time honoured game dropping the dogs off at the gate in the country and allowing them to race up the drive to the house.

Yes, it’s easy with hindsight to spot the potential danger, but the dogs have had great fun doing it for years. On this occasion, Nonny ran ahead but when they reached the house there was no sign of Isobel. She had collapsed on the drive and we’ll never know quite what happened. Her poor ‘Dad’ has been inconsolable. We’ve always laughed and said for years that she was surely the love of his life. She was a great friend of mine and we’re all struggling with the sadness. She’s buried in the woods close to Hattie, their first Irish Terrier. They’re putting on her stone ‘For the joy she gave’ which probably says it all.

Nonny has been a lost soul and we’re all going down at Easter to cheer her along. She does love baby Virginia who’s trying hard to walk. Nonny is an excellent mounting block and I see another small Irish Terrier addict in the making.

We’re off to Crufts this week, 11^th – 14^th March. Do come and see us at Discover Dogs. We’ll be there for all four days with some lovely dogs and lots of good cheer. The Irish are in the ring on Friday morning. We have the big ‘parade’ on Saturday at 3.30pm in the main arena. They are billing it for ‘heritage breeds’, not vulnerable breeds which was an awful title – it pays to make a fuss!

We were asked to re-enact Tim the Railway Dog again with Queen Victoria and a bevy of five little girls. Tollo, will be playing Tim this time with Hilary as the Station Master. Tollo is a great performer and we’re hoping will perform some tricks for the Queen and draw some applause from the audience.

I’ve been sewing flowers on the children’s bonnets and pinning up their long dresses. I’m sure it’ll be great fun – oh yes, we have a push along Irish Terrier called Sarah who will also be making an appearance. Sarah will be fifty this year but she has had major cosmetic surgery and looks pretty good.

Incidentally, there was a picture in Dog World this week of the parade two years ago when Chico played Tim.

I do hope this letter has not been too sad but I know you’ll understand. We’re all in this together and whenever I ask myself ‘how can you bear to go through this all again? I have to answer ‘because you can’t manage life without an Irish Terrier and that’s the way it is.’

With many greetings and love to the dogs,

Lucy