Waiting for a W-A-L-K

Every day at about this time Charlie wakes from his all-day slumber and heads to one of two place - the window in the front room or the hallway - to start his vigil.

A creature of habit, he's used to Jim coming home around this time and waits patiently (ish) for his return. I can set my watch by Charlie and it amuses me everyday. I often think he can hear Jim start the car in Shawbury!

Anyway as soon as Jim comes home, they'll both be down on the field... don't say I didn't warn you!

Emma & Charlie x

Happy Birthday Castle Walk Dog Walkers' Blog!
How do you fancy a group night out to celebrate at the new Tapas bar in town?
Suggested date is Saturday 2nd April. Let me know if you would be interested and I'll book us a table.
Thanks. Andrea & Jack

Let's blog!

Hello all! This is a picture of Archie wondering where you all are... and this is just a quick post from me about... quick posts. It's been quiet on the blog for the last month or so, and after chatting with one or two people, I just want to encourage anyone who still reads this to write the odd line every now and again. Blog posts don't have to be long, they don't have to include pics and they don't have to be funny! A little line about who was out, which characters were doing what etc. etc. is enough to keep this little venture alive and keep everyone in the loop. Since the last post, Ozzy has been confirmed as lost, Lloyd has managed to get a nasty cut on his paw (so that's why we haven't seen much of him lately!) and we've had another quiz at the Abbey and romped home in 2nd place. All this and the light nights are nearly here! Hope to see you all soon.

Old Age II

Nick, on the other hand, in the style of Benjamin Button and wearing a cheeky monkey suit, prefers to hitch a ride on Lil! Either way we all get to where we're going! Hope everyone's well out there.

Old age

As Anth and Archie grow old together, Archie starts to become a little lazy!

Google Earth Street View

This blurry image was captured by Google Earth and has imortalised this dog and owner on the Street View of our beloved Castle Walk. But who is it? Answers on a postcard please.

Sighthounds and Valentines

I can't see myself and Archie entering the Fancy Dress Competition for best dressed dog and owner, but this looks like a good day out all the same! It's always nice to meet the wonderful dogs of Greyhound Rescue and all funds raised go towards their rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming.

Quiz Night Fixture

To save any confusion (or anyone having a 'billy-no-mates' evening at the Abbey), it has been decided that the 'Castlewalkdogblog Quiz Night' will be held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Abbey Pub. Meet @ 8.30, quiz at 9 - starting at the end of Jan.
By order of The Committee

He's behind you!

We met Blue the Border Collie for the first time today and he was having a great time on what felt very much like a Spring day! That's Archie keeping an eye on things in the background and as you'd expect, he's got a ball that does not belong to him in his mouth. It seems like ages since the sun shone on us and it was lovely to have a little break from the snow and ice. Good chat for the owners as well! Have a great week everyone.

liddy&lloyd: liddy&lloyd's first blog

liddy&lloyd: liddy&lloyd's first blog: "Hi , it's Scarlot and Olivia. Just wanted to know what's going on tomorrow at the park. From Cathy's daughters Olivia and Scarlot.P.S Mummy ..."

HAS ANYONE SEEN OZZY?

LOST - OZZY THE FRENCH BULLDOG MIX

Ozzy has escaped from his garden and has been missing for quite a few hours now.

If you have seen him, or know of his whereabouts, please call Jim on 07771 332839

Eyes peeled everyone!

...and a Merry Christmas to us all!

We hope your Christmas walks are enjoyable and look forward to seeing you all soon! Take care, thanks for your company throughout the year and all the best to you and yours! A,L&A.
P.S. It's technically weak, but very cute. I couldn't resist one more photo of Noggin!

Quiz! Sorry for the very late notice! Abbey pub, tonight @ 9.

The Best Laid Plans...

Once you were up there, the weather seemed particularly kind, as it was absolutely stunning. However, it's not so kind when it makes it difficult to get there in the first place! The car park was the quietest I have ever seen it at Haughmond, so we weren't too surprised not to see anyone up there. That said, Archie and Lily had a great time anyway and the sausage bap at the bottom was divine! I'm sure we can organise something else another time. All the best. A&A.
p.s. 4 posts in a day is a new record! Keep them coming!
p.p.s. Thanks for the info Jill, thanks for the thanks Bec, and great pies Sarah!
p.p.s.s. Did anyone go to Moorlands?

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone enjoyed a nice snowy walk over Haughmond this morning. Sorry Busby and I couldn't make it. Just want to say thank you for making us feel welcome when we moved to the area in the summer and if we don't see you before, then have a great Christmas!

New Year Peace Boats

Hi Hope all the intrepid dog walkers enjoyed the winter wonderland of the hill. Hope you have some great pictures.
Wanted to remind everyone of the new year eve peace boat tradition ( must be all of ten years old) of Castlefields. There are no organizers or rules and time is difficult to gauge as the children start earlier and the big boat builders fall out the pub at about 5:30ish. The aim is to send a boat with some kind of light over the weir. Very few manage this, but it is great fun watching with the help of mulled wine and mince pies or refreshments of your choice.
Basically, any type of home made boat which a) floats and b) holds a tea light or other type of light, LED lights have been successful but don't, in my view , have the same effect. The launch of these boats can be tricky depending on if you lower the boat over the bridge and have given due consideration to a) how to let the string go without tipping the boat over and wetting the light, and
b) if the river has risen or fallen since you last assessed the length of said rope. Many a disappointed boat builder has fallen at the first hurdle. Some launch from the towpath ( better for the children) but difficult to assess the eddies and currents,and boats frequently hit the path or other boats resulting in a spectacular fire.
The builders and designers really go to town with some boats having fireworks and rockets , many boats are made from old paper lampshades . I have known dead pet mice that have been given the full viking funeral.
So I hope to see the Dog walkers make a stunning effort. Can anyone willow weaver a dog shaped boat?

Mince Pie Anyone?

Thanks for organising the haughmond walk but those snowy roads are going to keep us on castle walk this morning so im going to make some mince pies and see if me and Cadbury are the only ones around, hope were not! should be coming out of the oven about 9.30

All I Want For Christmas!

This is Noggin everyone! He's a beautiful tri-colour Border Collie and at the grand old age of 12 weeks he was making only his second ever outing on to a very snowy and cold Castle Walk this morning. Needless to say, I was captivated, but Archie paid him absolutely no attention and just wanted to keep playing in, eating, catching, and chasing the snow! There were quite a few out this morning which meant that we stayed out far longer than we intended and got very cold feet. It was interesting to see how Noggin and the others reacted to each other and this sort of behaviour always fascinates me. Noggin was understandably nervous, Lloyd's brain was a good fifteen minutes behind the rest of him (as usual - but he's still one of my favourites!) and he just bowled straight in there, and Lydia had a face on 'cos she was cold. Elsa, being Elsa, waded in after Lloyd, but it was all good clean fun in the end and great to welcome a new face.

Sorry meant to ask what does #39 mean

9;30 sunday morning Who are you kidding!

What time is the walk on sunday and do we need to bring pies and wine or buy them there?

Away days...

It's been mentioned in passing several times, and this Sunday it's happening! Regardless of the weather, the hardy souls that make up our merry band are meeting in the car park at Haughmond Hill for a little away day and change of scenery. As usual, all are welcome, spread the word, and if you're up for it, myself, Archie and plenty of others will see you there at 09:30 am. The plan is... there is no plan. If you want to be festive, be festive, if you need a hip flask and a bit of stollen to enjoy at the top, then bring it along. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome, but the most important thing is just to turn up and do what we do best, enjoy the fresh air and make our dogs happy!

P.S. Cheers for another fun night on Monday and well done to all of those who answered a question. It seemed like everyone had a good time and we'll definitely do it again. Watch this space!Thanks also to those of you who responded to our little appeal for 'bits and bobs' for the less fortunate dogs at Roden and Hilbrae. Lynds took everything in to work today and it was very well received. See you Sunday if not before. A&A

Game on!

Just a quick post to confirm that a bunch of us (about two teams worth, at the time of writing!) are heading to The Abbey Pub on Monkmoor Road, this Monday @ 8, for the quiz. All welcome!
Follow the link below for more info. and hope to see you there.

http://www.emberinns.co.uk/theabbeyshrewsbury/offer/quiznight/

Also thought I'd post a flyer for the Moorlands event I mentioned previously.

Quiz Fever and Christmas Cheer

Hi All. Well, assuming anyone still reads this, the school holidays are almost upon us so I might start posting a little more regularly over the next few weeks. This post is actually three in one as given the time of year there's quite a bit going on! Are you still with me... then I'll begin. Firstly the all conquering and newly named Dog and Pheasant quiz CHAMPIONS, "We love Lloydy" are really enjoying their 'quizzing' at the moment (not to mention the good humour, cheeky drinks, and laughter that somehow goes hand-in-hand with the questions), that for one reason or another we are seeking new challenges. Rumour has it that there is a quiz night at the Abbey pub on Monkmoor Road each Monday and Wednesday, not to mention the Dun Cow on a Monday... Several of us were chatting a little this week and were planning on a little 'reccie' this coming Monday and would love it if you could either join us, or let us know a little bit more about the quizzes themselves or what's involved. As soon as a firm plan is in place, I'll post it, but as always, the more, the merrier!

Secondly, this might appeal to the generous and loving Greyhound and Lurcher folks in our group... Yes, more wine, but all for a good cause and given the history of some of our most adorable (Lil) and ever so slightly noisy (Jack the lad) characters, something you might want to consider...

Hounds and Carols!

1:00 - 3:00 pm

Saturday 18th December

@ Moorlands Kennels

Join everyone at the kennels for mulled wine, mince pies, Santa, gifts, Christmas Lights and carols accompanied by a brass band!

Call Sue Tipton on 01743 872395 for more details or e-mail moorlandskennels@hotmail.com or visit http.//shropshire.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk/ for more info.

...and thirdly, at Lyndsey's place of work there is a big drive to collect dog toys, bedding, food, bowls, leads, old towels, blankets, chews etc. to help out local dogs (and cats) homes this Christmas. I know it's asking a lot and you may already help out elsewhere (Moorlands for example), but if you have got anything extra or feel like donating, catch me on the field some time before the 16th and we can make sure it gets to either Dogs Trust Roden, Hilbrae or if you want to help the felines, Telford Cats Protection. Thanks in anticipation... and that's all from me.

Stay warm and catch up soon.

Time to redeem ourselves!

Quiz Night

Dog and Pheasant

Wednesday 1st December

8:30

All welcome!

Haughmond

We haven't seen too much of anyone recently, but we HAVE been to Haughmond and it's just lovely this time of year. It would be a great venue for a Christmas walk and we'd love to join in anything that's arranged. Hope everyone's well and ready for another cold snap. I think the first snow photos of the year could be just around the corner, and I'm still snapping so keep an eye on the Flickr link, still located on the top right of the blog. I've accompanied this post with a couple of Haughmond winners and hope you like them. Take it easy and hope to catch up soon! (Well done Elsa, by the way, after the major surgery.)

Getting withdrawal symptoms with no dog youth club meetings.I have managed to meet up with a few die hards but hoping for a better turn out this weekend. Latest Haumond Hill news is that the cafe is now up and running with a few hic cups . The 'Grand' opening went sort of well last weekend . Bernie and Ellen have decided not to allow dogs in the cafe( which is rather small) after a rather nasty dog fight that knocked over a few cups of tea and tables. But they will be putting up some dog hitching post. There are a numer of new picnic tables out side so plenty of sitting spaces.
Anyone interested in setting a date for a Christmas Dog walk? Not many weekends left before christmas. I am sure that the cafe would provide some mulled wine and mince pies.

I can't believe there has been no mention of our (cough) pub quiz attempt - it takes skill to come last! Perhaps next time we should put forward a team of our dogs, they'd have more chance.

Same time next month then? :)

Emma, Jim & Charlie

Warm Welcome

We'd really like to echo the post by Jay, Tor & Wilson - thanks to all for making us feel so welcome. Since moving to the 'shire in July we've really enjoyed meeting you all; Charlie has made some friends (when he's not too busy scenting the WHOLE park!) and you've all helped to make us feel very settled.

We'll still be around in the dark some nights, and I'm often out at lunchtime as I work from home. Failing that we're fast becoming regulars at the Dog and Pheasant so we'll hopeful see some of you there. And as it's only 7 weeks, 3 days until the big day, maybe we should arrange a Christmas dog walk? Perhaps with mulled wine...

Not sure if we'll make it to the pub quiz tonight, blame Jim and night flying. But good luck :)

Two Very Intense Struggles...

Wee Wilson and big lad Kobe go head to head over a very soggy rat-like toy, and it's the first Wednesday of the month again so it must be quiz night in the Dog and Pheasant! Once again, it would be good to get together over some questions and a drink, so if anyone wants to get involved, see you there tomorrow night. The first question is around 8:30ish so bring your brains, because we only managed third (out of 4!) last month!

Wicked Wilson Writes ...

Tally, "Stop drawing attention to my plans for Castle Walk then World domination - you are the Pinky to my Brain!"

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the Castle Walk Dog Walkers who have made the three of us feel really welcome over the last month (especially considering Wilson's unique style of group integration!). It's a real shame that the Winter evenings have drawn in and will dwindle the gathering. Tor, Wilson and I will still be going down at half 5ish so will enjoy meeting with those of you not scared of the dark!

For the Border Collie owner who has everything.

For those of you with Christmas shopping on their minds, you may like to pay a visit to Charlies at Welshpool as we did today. We saw this fabulous matching set of Border Collie door stop and draft excluder, competitively priced at £13.99 each, now I wonder who's home these might look rather stylish in? Anthsers on a postcard please kids!

Winter starts here...

I suppose there's always tomorrow night, but for some reason Saturdays are never quite like weekdays! This means tonight could be the last time we all have the chance to get together for a while. I thought I'd post a little picture of one of Lynn's boys (I think it's Zak) in the fading evening light, as we all get ready for a long dark winter. I'd like to think there will continue to be good-sized gatherings on Saturday mornings, weekends and the odd Wednesday afternoon, but if we don't see some of you for a while, stay warm, and myself and Archie the sheriff will catch up with you sometime next year! Hopefully between us all, we can keep the blog ticking over and keep communicating virtually, throughout the Winter months. All the best everyone! (...and put off buying a 2011 calendar for as long as you can, because I might do something with some photos!)

Wilson

Who's going to vote for Wilson as Head Boy,I think its time we all realised that Wilson has it all sussed and will be taking over the planet dog next week. How long before he realises that he is small.LLyod is big and will get bigger, Lola will sit on him and Bolt will shout at him and Tally will bounce on him. Wilson needs to make friends with Archie as insurance.

just spent hours trying to get my technical head working after 2 weeks letting it rest on holiday in Turkey . Meet some very friendly and well looked after dogs in the hotel including one land shark puppy and I have the scars to prove it. Rushed home intime to pick tally up from her holiday at Moorlands. She was over over joyed to see us but let out this incredible howl as we drove home not sure if that was her saying good bye to her new friends or just not happy to be going home . Still we will never know. Been watching the blog and catching up. Will be adding some dog friendly pubs to the list later , but for now I thought I would remind everyone about the wonderful winter we had last year, (actually posted the wrong picture, but it looks good) Tally is looking forward to meeting you all again. We did a wonderful walk up at the hill today lots of buzzards and jays. But i feel abit like Bo peep at the moment as tally won't leave my side.
See you soon and thanks for the You Tube Extreme Sheep LED best laugh for ages

Just Beautiful Autumn Colours in our Park!!

Had I not had a dog I would not have witnessed such a striking site in our park just now, with the fantastic autumn colours of the leaves against a dark grey sky and Cadbury bouncing around like a hare, thank you Cadbury!!, made it back just in time as the heavens have now opened ooooh and I need to go on the school run..thought I would share that with you. Sarah x

Have you ever seen a greyhound puppy?

This morning, myself and Nick went to Moorlands to take some photographs of the many retired Greyhounds they have there, and it may sound odd, but I saw my first Greyhound puppy! I am not sure it is as impressive as Sarah's sighting of the black swan, but it was a lovely experience all the same! It was great to see the wonderful work the staff at this particular rescue home do and to enjoy the company of some beautiful dogs albeit for such a short time. We went to try to help out with their publicity and capture some of the characters they have living there at the moment, and I can honestly say, if anybody out there is looking for a second (or third, or fourth) dog, you could do a lot worse than give a home to one of these wonderful creatures. We have some fine examples of rescue greyhounds and lurchers in our ever-expanding Castle Walk group and I'm sure those who were lucky enough to witness it on the field tonight would agree, it's a great sight when they get together and just move through those gears! The picture above is just one of quite a few I took today, so follow the Flickr link if you want to see a few more. I've also managed to capture a few new faces over the past couple of days, so their portraits also feature. A big welcome to Wilson, Boston, Freddie (amongst others), and their owners, and we look forward to hearing from you on the blog soon!

Have you ever seen a Black Swan before?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing for the first time a black swan, sat proudly on the river Severn by the Grey Friars Bridge, he appeared to be floating off down the river, so as soon as I got home I got Cadbury on the lead and we ran down through the park over the bridge and down to the river at Castle Walk in the hope he had made it to our little part of the river...but no as we made our way looking for him along the toe path, he was still sat at Grey Friars quite happy, I really wished I had Anths' phone number Im sure he could have captured him beautifully but hey!!. so for those who have never seen one, it takes you by surprise to see not only the black feathers but a bright red beak/bill...I have to say it made my day.

Hello Furry Friends ( & owners)
Well mom has filled me in on the Quiz last night! Firstly mom returned in a sober state(that was different but don,t tell her i said so! ) and The Quiz was much improved and competitor friendly and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves.
Afterwards home cooked fare was provided from Sheena(who works behind the bar & is Robbo's fair lady) and my mom,Indian ,chutneys and cakes,sounds lovely BUT no doggy bag i noticed hmmm! humans!!!
Mom said she hoped everyone would attend again next month and it takes place on the first weds of every month for anyone who is interested.
So i,ve had a dip in the river earlier today and i,ll catch that rat next time ,honestly i will ! hmm mom's just added not if she has anything to do with it,we'll see grrrrr! I also lost my new ball on a rope but i blame Pete the rough haired lurcher as i do like him lots and got distracted what can i woof!
A message to Jess & Coda you can dogs in the Dog & Pheasent but they have to be kept on a lead,water and biscuits provided.
We are off now for an early walk as mom's got a meeting to go to so she said she'll catch up with you all tomorrow and at the weekend, woof woof, slurps a plenty ! Sophie !

Pub quiz anyone?

Picking up on the pub theme from Jess and Coda's post, for those who don't already know, there's a quiz in the Dog and Pheasant this Wednesday the 6th. It would be great to get a team (or two!) together and enjoy a drink (or two!) together and have a bit of fun at the same time. As far as I know the quiz starts around nine and everyone's welcome. I'm sure that between us we've got a fantastic range of specialist subjects, but it's not the winning, it's the taking part (unless of course you're Jack and Andrea then it's just winning!)

Changing the subject a little, it's great to see so much activity on the blog. I'm adding photos all the time (follow the Flickr link) and really appreciate all the different contributions. Cheers everyone for staying involved and hope to see you on Wednesday if not before.

Dog Friendly Pubs?

Ok I admit it, I like beer! But I also do not like leaving Coda at home alone!

Can anyone suggest any pubs in and around (i.e. within walking distance of the park) Shrewsbury where I can enjoy beer AND spending time with Coda?

We were chatting about this at the park the other week while the dogs were bowling and some pubs were mentioned....The Boathouse, The Bricklayer, The Armoury, and another just across the bridge in Castlefields but I forget the name! Something about a Hen or Chicken maybe?

Doing a pub crawl on Saturday around town and bringing Coda along, so I’ll report back with any findings! But any suggestions before then would be helpful!

Jess & Coda

Lost and Found

Green and black lead, let me know if it's yours. I'll bring it down with me until its claimed!
Andrea & Jack

Copthorne vets dog show

Well here I am attempting my first ever post which may well go horribly wrong but here goes.
Thanks to everyone that came along to Copthorne's charity dog show on the 19th with a special mention to Jack obviously as star Castlewalk canine ! The show has now raised over £800 to be split between Lingen Davies and Shropshire Greyhound rescue , so we've beaten last years total despite the not great weather , which we're all chuffed about . Hope you all enjoyed the day I was very proud of all our beautiful and well behaved ( Bolt excepted ! ) Castlewalk crew . At the cost of several computer illiterate hours , I've put lots of photo's on the Copthorne vets website www.shrewsburyvets.com so please have a look . They're obviously not quite to Anths standard but if anyone would like any copies please let me know.

Hello Fans! It's Jack the Superstar here ..... what do you mean big headed?! I've had a fantastic summer down the 'Blog Field', thanks to all of you. My pet Andrea hasn't had too bad a time either! How dull doggy walk days would be without all my friends. It's just not the same if we go out the two of us, not saying that she's dull but ... !

What a long winter ahead - it's going to be sad not seeing everyone every day. I'll miss Lloyd, Polly, Archie, Lilly, Cobey and Elsa - to name a few. And I just don't know how I'll get by without my daily fix of Lydia baiting!!! My pet said that we can come down on Thursday, Fridays and at the weekends - so keep your eyes peeled, there's a chance you won't recognise me in my new coat! Lots of Love Jack x x

Catch Up!

Well hello my Furry Friends(and owners!),
It's been a while since i've posted ,been alittle hectic on the home front! But i've sat mom down and told her to get typing as i woof!!!!!
So we've had a wedding( Stuart & Sarah) and now the girls have moved over the river so all change next door,i keep forgetting they've gone & keep looking for them then mom takes pity and i get extra cuddles so i'll play this abit longer !!
The kitchen has some fab smells coming out of it as mom 's busy making chutneys and jams and conserves,then it'll be xmas cakes and she won't let me taste test as it's for pressies and to sell,yea right let me at them especially the cakes !!!!!
We went along to the Dog Show on Sunday with Lynn x 2 & saw a few furry friends there ,as you now know we were entered (some reluctantly) into a few things ! well i did not like the look of the judge and made my feelings known by turning my bottom to her!! she was not going to feel my bits etc! I was missing my dog naps!!! Lloyd and Jack did well and it made a change to see what other furry 4 legs are out there BUT i do like the Castlewalk Furry Friends best of all,mom loves them all but she's a soft touch , oh teas up followed by my nap!
Take care buddies ( and owners) woof,woof, slurps Sophie !

Hello all from Jess & Coda!

We are new to the blog but not to the park.

Coda has made a few friends over the summer, and he gets on especially well with Lloyd...although he is now at least twice the size of Coda! Hard to imagine that only a few months ago Coda was the larger of the two!

Coda usually gets home too late to make it to the park when most other people go, but we look forward to seeing you all when we do make it!

Hello

Paddy and I would like to say Hello and Thank you for making us welcome on Saturday morning. Paddy really enjoyed meeting all the characters from Castle Walk in particular Joe and cannot wait for the next visit for see him again!. I must admit that Lydia was my favourite on Saturday, her curly coat is gorgeous.....


Paddy and I walked up the Wrekin this morning we managed to walk up and down in 1 hour !! Here is a picture of Paddy on his first trip to the top of the Wrekin when he was about 4 months old!

Also just wanted to say Thank You to Anth for taking the beautiful photograph of Paddy (see Flickr link).


See you all again soon.

Celebration part 2.

Here's a picture of Sunday's other prizewinner and his proud handler, Scarlet! They both did REALLY well and I don't think anyone could argue with the judge's decision. Even though Archie was in this particular class, I can honestly say that Lloyd really is one of the most handsome dogs I've seen in a long time! Congratulations again to all concerned and enjoy your success! Back on the field, it's been a great few days with loads of dogs and owners enjoying each other's company as the nights draw in. Last Saturday morning saw a special guest appearance from Paddy the Lab (who took quite a shine to Joe!) but who is yet another handsome boy to join our merry little gang. Hopefully we'll see a lot more of him in the future and maybe even hear from his owner Kelly on the blog! Kelly is one of a handful of new contributors who are keen to get involved so welcome one and all!

The boys done good.

CONGRATULATIONS JACK AND LLOYD! It was left to the boys to bring home the bacon (or ham, Andrea!) this afternoon as they did Castle Walk proud. Thanks to Emma and her team at Copthorne Vets for giving us a very pleasant Sunday afternoon at Longden Village Hall and although the competition was extremely fierce it's great that as a blog, we didn't come home empty-handed. Hopefully we'll hear from one or both of the very proud owners some time this week as they share their hopes for the future and wax lyrical about their lovely boys! Well done again everybody and maybe... just maybe... celebrity beckons!

Pet bowling

Hi all

I haven't been able to get to the field the last few days, and was wondering if I had missed anything. Has anybody got a pet strike? Jack (my hero) had a near miss the other day, and hurt himself doing it, unlucky, any other human would have been down, my pet would have been!

For anyone who doesn't know, we play pet bowl's, when the pets are chatting away to each other, we 'play' chase and crash into them, and try to floor them! Maximum points for flooring more than one, I don't know if anybody has done that yet but I feel it won't be long, I think our technique is getting better. Flooring one gets 5 points, 2 points for getting more than one pet to dodge, and 1 point for getting one to dodge. I'll start to keep a record, someone else will have to take scores if I'm not there.

Winter is coming, I am lying in front of a crackling fire, one of my favourite pass times. All is surprisingly quiet in the house, even though the puppies are in, I have a boy who bounces off the walls, makes lots of noise, and is big on hugs. I am told that when they get a bit older they start sleeping all the time, and communicating in grunts - proper dog behaviour, so what happens, why do they get all active again when they grow up?

Hope I can get my pet out soon

Come along to the Copthorne Veterinary Clinic Dog Show!

It's that time of year again, when the nights are drawing in and we all try to make the most of the last couple of hours of daylight down on the field. This leads to HUGE gatherings of dogs and it's great to see all of the different shapes, sizes and coat-lengths, all getting on so well (...most of the time Lottie and Polly!) Tonight was no exception and Bolt the JRT is getting more and more involved with both dogs and humans as he continues to recover from a nasty car accident and who knows what other misfortunes he has no doubt suffered in his short life. He's obviously extremely happy with Emma and Ralphie now, and the reason I mention him in particular is that he is a success story from Copthorne Veterinary Clinic and they are holding a dog show this Sunday 19th September at Longden Village Hall SY5 8EX. This is near Shrewsbury and entries for a range of classes including pedigree and novelty are welcome from 12pm and judging begins at 1pm. Entry fee is £1 per class, car parking costs £2 per car and all proceeds go to Lingen Davies Cancer Appeal and Shropshire Greyhound Rescue. Sounds like a lovely afternoon out to me with a BBQ, charity stalls, cakes etc. not to mention facepainting and other stuff for the kids. How about we try to get a whole load of rosettes back to Castle Walk?! I know I am more than a little biased but we have got some lovely looking dogs in our group so it's worth a few quid for some good causes to show them off, and enjoy each other's company in a different location for a change. Archie's up for it, although after what happened last time we showed him, I hope his self-esteem can take it! Hope to see you there. If you need more info contact the clinic on 01743 360614 or e-mail hello@shrewsburyvets.com .

Have Your Say!

It's been a great couple of days on the field for myself and Archie as there have been some good gatherings and yet more new faces. Plenty of mud flying between and Archie, Ollie, Rafa and special returning guest star Inca as they had a lot of fun down by the river yesterday morning! It's also great to see Jo / Polly adding a post to the blog and I hope this is the first of many.

I thought I'd post tonight with more details of something some of us were chatting about earlier. At 4pm tomorrow at Castlewalk Park (I assume that means 'our' field) our local policing team is holding a PACT surgery which gives everyone a chance to let them know what we would like them to deal with. We had a flyer through the door but I don't think everyone else did. Unfortunately we probably won't be able to make it but I know that there are plenty amongst us who really care about what goes on over the field, so if you are able to get down around 4, this could be a good opportunity to have your say. For more information you can contact Column and Underdale Local Policing Team on 0300 3333000 ext:5790

Last thing from me tonight... if you haven't met her already she's another new face and another new pup. The list of breeds on the walk / blog just keeps on growing with Lola, our first Bulldog. What a beauty! This is her portrait but have a look at another shot I got of her tonight in my Flickr album (link above). I'm even more pleased with that one!

I have just noticed all these pictures of my mates who I meet when I take my pet for a walk. I am not sure that the one of me has my best side, but still not bad for a human - you should encourage that Archie, its good for them to have something to do. These human's just won't sit still, mine is always up down, wandering around - goodness knows what she would be like if I didn't take her for a walk. It's good to socialise them and she gets to meet other humans and I get stuck in with my friends. The humans like to through balls, so we chase after them, they love it, you should see there little faces, its almost as if there ears are pricked! I know some say its silly to dogise them, but sometimes its so difficult not to.

Now I am writing for a little bit of advice, I am having a problem with an infestation of birds - it doesn't matter how much I bark and chase after them they keep coming back, has any dog got any advice? Even worse while I was in the park the other day there was a shark flying around, I kept out of that, some of the others seemed to know what they were doing - in fact Jack managed to get it, but got tangled up in its tail - one to watch if you ever think of catching one yourself. Well done Jack, that took some courage, sharks can be very unpredictable around humans, thankfully they did not seem to understand the danger they were in, you don't want a pack of frightened humans on your hands, no matter how well trained they are.

Talking about getting some exercise, I better get this one out she is beginning to look ready, she's got her little singing box out, one of her favourite toys, she chatters away to it - Arr they are funny arn't they, I couldn't be without mine.

Polly

Early morning mist and new arrivals...

Forget everything I said yesterday about the challenges of lowlight photography. This morning's misty river provided the opportunity for some very atmospheric shots and we had a lovely walk along the towpath. I spent the whole day editing my holiday shots and these can now be seen via the link to my Flickr account (above right). Please feel free to have a look and comment (constructively!) as all feedback is welcome. Also above right is a slideshow with a few new additions, so look carefully and you should see several new photos of regular visitors to the field. It was great to see Lloyd today after quite some time and he really is growing into the most handsome dog! (There's a new one of him). As far as this afternoon was concerned it was a fine gathering, as it was yesterday, so let's keep making the most of the dwindling daylight before half past three becomes the new half five! Finally for this little post, I can't resist adding one more more photograph... Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, please welcome... Chanel!

Back to School...

Is it just me or has it gone very Autumnal all of a sudden? Weather has been a major talking point on the field over the last couple of days and the wind, rain and low light has made photographing our beloved animals all the more difficult lately, hence the lack of new images. That said, I have got a few to add to the slideshow, so keep your eyes peeled for new photos of old dogs plus the odd new arrival! It's been nice to catch up with people after a couple of weeks away and as the nights draw in it has struck me that this little blog could really come into its own during the dark Winter months. I know that myself and Archie will not be able to get down to the field as often as we would like but hopefully we'll still be able to stay in touch with what's going on via the odd post from those of you at the heart of the action. Come on! Don't be shy. Pop a little note on here every now and again. As you may have noticed the layout of the blog has changed slightly. All of the same content remains, plus a little more, so I hope you approve. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas just let us know. P.S. The menacing-looking individual on the right is definitely NOT a new face in the Castle Walk cast of characters, just in case you were worried. I just thought I'd share this as it was the closest thing to a dog I photographed while I was away...

Beyond the blog...again.

A couple of months ago, here on the blog, we listed a couple of dog-related events which proved to be quite a success. We had a lovely day out when we took Archie to the Haughmond Hill Breast Cancer Awareness event (see previous posts for pics and updates), as well as a Charity Walk through the Quarry in aid of rescued greyhounds. Needless to say, I took my camera along to both events and thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by showing you some of the images AND how they have subsequently been used by this excellent organisation to encourage more good people to get involved with Greyhound fostering and adoption.
P.S. If you know of any dog-related events, happenings or good causes which could benefit from a bit of publicity on this far-reaching and widely-read blog(?!) feel free to add them or e-mail details to myself or Nick.

To watermark or not to watermark?

With Archie on lead-only exercise, there have hardly been any opportunities to take photos recently and I miss that. It's all I can do to keep him calm on the lead as he's so desperate to get involved with his mates and their games! Something's got to give, so I haven't bothered bringing my camera on walks since he got his injury. Fingers-crossed, however, things will be back to normal sooner rather than later. As I write he's going crazy at the flower show fireworks, so he's still his usual self in some ways at least.
It's great to know that the images are appreciated and the whole watermarking thing is just standard practice for a lot of pictures that go on an online journey of one sort or another. I do keep copies of all of the originals (without watermarks) and if you, like Allison, would like a copy of any photographs just let me know and I can e-mail you high resolution j-pegs. The files are quite big, but this means that the majority of them will easily print up to A3 or even larger. My e-mail is hudsonaj@yahoo.com or you can click on the contact link on the list of followers below. Failing that, just mention it next time I see you on the walk. Have a good weekend.

Great photo

I just want to thank Anth for the fantastic pictures he has taken of all the dogs. A special thanks for the one you gave me of Swiss. I have already confessed to him that I copy the pics and show them to people obviously when they see the water mark I am not able to get away with taken the credit for shooting them. Kobe is now 100% after being neuted (I suppose 98% with his missing bits) . I did say I would do a post about one of our conversation on the field which is "Cosmetic surgery for dogs? Thanks to fake testicles for animals, owners can neuter their pets but make sure they still look "intact." Fortunately for you lot I have not got around to doing it.

Beyond the blog...

Those of us involved in this blog obviously have a lot in common. Whether you read it, write on it or just look at the pictures on it, there is obviously something on here that you think is worth pointing your web browser at every now and again! With this in mind, I just thought I'd mention that one or two of our dogs are capturing the hearts of fellow dog lovers way, way, way beyond the fields of Castle Walk! Obviously, all of the images I take are available for anyone to see via Flickr, but what I have started to do recently is add some of my favourite images to other groups, or in several cases, other people have seen photos they like and have actually invited me to join their groups. Through doing this I am seeing a lot more great examples of dog photography, and if this is your thing, then next time you browse some of the blog photos, have a quick look at some of the groups they are part of and then you too can enjoy many more examples of wonderful shots of wonderful hounds! You can also comment on any of the shots or post your own pics for others to enjoy. P.S. Archie's carpal pad is granulating nicely and he should be 100% in about a week if he does as the vet told him... P.P.S. Kobe's picture is the one I've chosen to accompany this post as at the moment he is Top of the Pops as far as "the most viewed" is concerned! Gold disc to be presented shortly...

Life's a beach.

I haven't met a dog yet that doesn't love a good romp on the beach, although some are less enthusiastic about getting their paws wet! The first time we took Lily to the coast she could barely contain her excitement, and when we let her off it was explosive. She took off up the beach at such speed that she was a dot on the horizon within seconds, fortunately, she made a wide turn and pelted back towards us with equal pace. The feel of the sand between her toes must have sparked memories of her racing days and she was in dog heaven, grinning from ear to ear.
Sorry to hear that Archie got a bit too excited at the coast and injured himself in the process, get well soon mate, there's one eager Greyhound waiting to chase you around the Walk when you get back home.

Feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves...

Just returned from a lovely weekend in Aberdyffi and now off to the North East for more beach action! Got to take it easy though as Arch has managed to get himself a nasty cut just where his carpal pad meets the leg on his front left. Ouch! I haven't got a picture of this injury but thought I'd share this one of when he had his back dew claws removed - bandages are in a different place but the expression he is giving me right now is EXACTLY the same!

On a slightly lighter note, keep your eyes open for Jack the black Lurcher! Jack is a beautiful rescue who now finds himself with wonderful new owners who are so grateful for the care he received when he was sheltered, that they are doing a sponsored walk to raise funds to help other dogs who find themselves in a similar position. Maybe, if you read this, you could pop a couple of quid in your poo bag pocket, so that next time you see Jack and Tom (his new master), you could support their efforts! Good luck to all! OK, that's it from me for a while. This would be a great time to see a few contributions from any one of the 19(!) contributors listed below as for the next week I can read, but not write on the blog! See you next week everyone and belated blog birthday wishes to Lynds and Lyn who shared a birthday yesterday!

Please can I have my ball back...?

Molly took Archie's (as usual) this afternoon and would only give it up for food, wise old girl that she is. It doesn't really bother him much, as long as she keeps on the move with it and as she was in an energetic mood this afternoon, all was well on the field. Others, however, have not been so lucky and Kobe, Finn, Zak and Dylan have lost theirs forever, but it doesn't seem to be bothering them too much as they too continue to enjoy themselves amongst friends on the walk! There is a certain unwritten rule on Castle Walk, along the lines of, "You lose one, you find one," so the Christmas themed spherical plastic thing that Archie brought home tonight goes some way to making up for the tens of thousands we've lost over the past couple of years. (If anyone has lost a Santa ball by the way, please let me know as he's not too attached to it just yet!).

Changing the subject slightly, it appears that one or two photos are now finding their way out into the big wide web world and although Kobe as a pup is still the most popular, Ralphie and his ready-brek glow is going down very well in Hungary! As Lynn said tonight... "From small acorns..." I should go now if only to try to work out where the double entendre starts / ends as far as this post is concerned! Hope to see more of you soon - either on the field or on the blog!

Back on the blog and the walk...

It's good to be back on the afternoon walk after a few weeks of summer school and experimenting with different routines. As ever there are new faces and new photos and pictured right is Polly. A far more welcoming pose can be found in the portraits above, but she's a dog we haven't seen since she was a pup and it was lovely to see her again the other day - teeth and all! She's a lovely dog who enjoys running with the pack and is obviously a firm favourite with the younger dogs. Mr Mature (aka Archie), at the grand old age of three and a half, likes to let the youngsters get on with it these days and just lately prefers the company of the younger humans who are on the field at the moment as the school holidays are now with us. I still can't see the appeal of catching little bits of grass, but as I have mentioned in previous posts, Archie is not your conventional Border Collie, so I don't try too hard to figure him out anymore!

...and on the subject of cool but unconventional Border Collies, here's a story from last week's Telegraph. If you read this, it's worth noting that Archie cost the rather more modest sum of £100! Nice story though.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/7903305/Ron-the-border-collie-the-Rooney-of-the-sheep-dog-transfer-market.html

Didi remembered...

For us she was the grand old lady of the field and one of the originals. She made quite a partnership with Saatchi and the pair of them always had time for a bit of fuss whenever we met them. Didi was expecially affectionate and I will miss the way she always made the big effort to get over to see me for a bit of a tummy rub right up until her final days. At these sad times we can't help but analyse the unique relationships we are lucky enough to have with our own dogs and love Archie as I do, there'll always be a special place in my thoughts for dear Didi. You had a good one there Lynn. Gone but far from forgotten...

Into each blog some rain must fall...

..and as we headed out for an early walk tonight to try and dodge the gathering clouds, we saw the familiar face of Lynn 3 dogs, but she appeared to be one dog light, we didn't need to ask. Di Di's poor health had finally got the better of her and she had passed away over the weekend. What a terribly sad moment for Lynn,  as 14 years of companionship came to an end, and who's going to keep those Mitchell Brothers in check now hey Di Di? Rest in peace girl. 

Whatever next. Part 2

We've had all sorts of dog antics on the blog over the past few months, but this takes the biscuit, Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce, the rather cruelly named, Boniface, the Worlds first scuba diving dog! Yes, Russian professional diver Sergei Gorbunov has splashed out on a specially designed swimsuit for his pet Dachshund so they can go on deep-water adventures together. The pooch now has his own wet-suit and helmet. Although he was heard whining, Sergei is adamant the pup enjoys the experience. He said: "Underwater, I don't think he experiences any stress." If water sports for dogs catches on, pretty soon Pets At Home will launch its new designer pet wet-suite range, maybe Archie will do a spot of snorkeling and watch out for Lily blastsing down the Severn on her jet ski!

Damm, I forgot the poo bags!

Lily's day in the sun...

A great time was had by all at the Upton Magna Summer Fete and Dog Show this afternoon, but the day really belonged to the lovely looking lady pictured right! Yes, peeking out from behind all of those rosettes is lovely Lily who romped home in great style taking two third places and one second in the categories for, "Best Rescue Dog", "Best Pedigree Bitch" and "Best Greyhound, Lurcher or Whippet", (Is that right Katie?). Needless to say she took it all in her stride and remained totally unphased by all of the attention, but she totally deserved it with her relaxed and confident approach. Other dogs who turned out were Archie and Cadbury who came up against some very stiff opposition in the form of a very handsome Siberian Husky and a couple of incredible puppies (if you were there, you must have seen them!) and unfortunately the judge only had eyes for these... This said, Arch did win a rosette and the confused expression on his face in this picture is down to the fact that his second place (in a field of two!) for "Best Pastoral", was to a dog who, in this owner's wholly biased opinion, was nowhere near as good-looking (100% sour grapes!). Poor Cadbury left the event empty-handed, but once again, anyone who has spent any time in his company knows he's a smasher and that's what really matters! Well done the three of you!

A little Dog with a Big Bark

We must have missed everyone on Saturday for Leroy's first weekend out at the park but thankfully he got the chance to make some friends on Sunday and almost had an impromptu swimming lession to boot, very exciting. Since our return home he has been a very sleepy puppy and has been snoring away for the last few hours.

This weekend we spent a small fortune in the vets getting the 'wee man's' eyes checked over as he has a tendency to look like a blood hound when he's tired and ends up looking a bit like Deputy Dog. Vet's Answer: He has to grow into his eyes (total cost £24!).

Anyway, Molly and Leroy are getting on like a house on fire and are now spending most of their time plotting their mischief which equates to double trouble! I have finally stopped them jumping into my raised beds to eat the lettuce and courgette plants however that was just the beginning. I came downstairs on Saturday to find Molly holding the draft excluder in her mouth and paws whilst the little black monster was tearing all the stuffing out... great fun, a snow scene in my living room with Leroy as Santa Claws with a long white beard of kapok!!

Despite Molly's return to being the naughtiest puppy in school, it is lovely having the two crazy muts. The only nightmare (so far) comes at dinner time; Leroy is a greedy little boy so I have to stand between them to act as referee to stop him polishing off both bowls of food. I have tried putting them at opposite ends of the kitchen but they are both so nosey and concerned about the other getting better food that they keep running back and forth trying to eat each others food so I have to put them side by side which seems to be the best option.

The best bit is now, having them both curled up on the rug in the evening watching them chasing rabbits together and woofing in their sleep... so funny.

Leroy has a couple of weeks off from commuting to work in Warminster now and so he and Molly have two weeks of playing and causing havok in the parks of Shrewsbury.... I can't wait, Two crazy labrador pups, what is the worst they can do?! x

Hello everybody

hi everybody in CastleWalk Dog Blog,

At least, I managed to join your blog site.

Carrie-Lou the belgian shepperd and me wish you a very good time in the Severn water by those hot summer days.

In a little while, I will send you some photos from Archie and Carrie playing the ball in June.

We created here a workgroup for creating our Charenton Dog Blog during summer.

Some more news in september.

Regards to you all

"Sagesse, Force et Beauté"

Thierry GUIDON