A day with the watercress beds & Shepherd's Hut pub

A Watercress Day with a Dish of Whitebate and a Glass of Beer Thrown in for Good Measure.

Barnaby visits Jerome K Jerome's grave at Ewelme

 Our main reason for visiting the delightful little village of Ewelme, South Oxfordshire, was to see the watercress beds which flourish there, but Barnaby also wanted to pay homage to one of his favourite writers Jerome K Jerome who is buried in St Mary's Church yard next to his wife Ettie. Barnaby particularly admires the way that Mr Jerome has included the spunky little dog Monterency to his famous story Three Men in a Boat, which takes place on his favourite river - The Thames.

Yes, he saw the watercress beds too and was fascinated by the way the water wove its way through the cress.  He doesn't like watercress very much, but admires the way it grows here - and in abundance. The  stream in which he watercress grows flows the entire length of the village and is fed by streams. This wonderful crop of cress flourished during the 20th century such that it was sold all over the country, including Covent Garden, but unfortunately regulations finally prevented the cress from this site being sold. Obviously this led to  the bed's demise.  Thanks to the Chilton Society the beds thrive now, as the they have invested in a programme of conservative revival.

Of course we had to visit the local pub, The Shepherd's Hut, which is a comfortable little hostilary you would expect to find in a village deep in the countryside ( Eweleme is south of the B4009 two miles east of Benson). It's just a pub standing on the edge of the village and close to the watercress beds..  It has a little garden and a reasonably sized bar area where dogs are allowed.

Indeed it has a really cosy atmosphere. Dogs such as Barnaby are very welcome as long as they behave themselves - Barnaby behaved himself! He particularly enjoyed his nice cup of tea which was served for him in a plastic dish, with several ice cubes floating around to cool it down.  Uncle John and I ordered whitebait served with chips and a salad.  Simply delicious a perfectly match for our beer. We chose Tribute which matched the whitebait perfectly. As we drank we raised our glasses to this gorious little red brick village with its charming pub, friendly village shop, historic church, watercress and the many friendly residents who helped make our day out so perfect. Thank you Ewelme we had a simply lovely day.

The Shepherd's Hut

Our delicious whitebait

Soon be time for Barnaby's introduction to agility

Barnaby will soon be old enough to attend agility classes

Barnaby says:  " Helen says that in a months time I will be one year old.  Well my birthday is September 29 actually, so it will be in just over a month's time and guess what when I have come of age I can begin taking agility lessons.......Oh what fun that is going to be.

But first dear Sue Baker, from Up N Over Dog Training Club, Upper Heyford, who has taken on the role of my personal trainer, says I still have a lot to learn before I begin jumping hurdles, climbing dog frames and leaping through tyres.



Barnaby and Sue Baker of Up N Over Dog Training Club
 

I mustn't, for example jump up and give people a big furry cuddle when I see them and I must sit still at all times while waiting for instructions.  These are things I do not always do, I find it so difficult to hold back when someone  enters the room who I long to hug. Sue is helping me curb these enthusiasms but as I still tend to go for the big hug, she is showing me how to stand still and simply smile  rather than rush up towards them at 70 miles an hour. Yes Sue is a very special person, exceptional actually as she loves doggies like me even when I am naughty and trains us dogs to all levels of Kennel Club Good Citizen Awards. As Sue has been doing this for more than 10 years so there is nothing much she doesn't know about training dogs like me.

The lovely thing about Up N Over is the amount of friends I am making.  I'll tell you about them all next time."
Barnaby



The lovely Amanda

The Lovely Amanda


Barnaby writes:

"I was just 10 weeks old when I first met the lovely Amanda, the landlady of The Harcourt Arms, Stanton Harcourt.  Helen, my mistress, had just travelled to Old Sodbury in the Cotswolds with Uncle John to collect me from a farm and take me home with her to be a companion dog. I had always assumed that I would become a working sheep dog like my brothers and sisters when I grew up - instead I am being trained up as a companion and pub reviewer who writes about dog-friendly pubs in Oxfordshire. for the Abingdon Herald and the Oxford Mail. 

Anyway, because of the floods our trip that day was 40 miles longer than it should have been because of diversions we had to take, so there came a moment not far from home when I was in desperate need of a comfort break - hence The Harcourt Arms.

The Harcourt Arms, Stanton Harcourt

The Lovely Amanda gives me a big hug

Helen carried me into the bar and immediately everyone rushed over to say "Hello". Having come straight from the farm I had never met so many people before.  It was all very confusing, but among all those faces was the Lovely Amanda, smiling at me and Oh what a smile.

After devouring a couple of bacon butties and downing a glass of the red stuff, Helen and Uncle John took me  back to the car and my new home in Eynsham.

This week Helen decided to call in at The Harcourt Arms again, and guess what - there she was - the lovely Amanda.  She remembered me!  Kept saying this couldn't possibly be a grown up version of that little puppy who called in to see her in December, but of course it was, so we had big, big hugs and I promised I would come back lots to see her when ever we were passing. Gosh that was a lovely encounter.

The operation

The Operation

Barnaby says:  "  I am not sure what happened yesterday. One moment I was walking into the doggie doctor's office the next I was surrounded by people in white coats - then I fell to sleep.

Helen was there for me when I woke up, I remember that, she was all kind of clingy and comforting, though I wasn't sure why she was comforting me, though admit feeling all sort of cold "down below".

Then there was the panic the next morning

The lampshade!

. Helen discovered that during the night I had licked places I should not have licked, and as a consequence removed things that should not have been removed. The vet had to tie things up again!

Then came the helmet, well not a helmet exactly, more of a lampshade, tied round my neck with pink ribbon - YES PINK..! Not only do I now look a really wally, I have great trouble finding a comfortable way of putting my head into my food and water bowl.  Getting through doors is almost impossible, and as for going upstairs, well I have to get Helen to help me with that.

No idea what is going on, though apparently it will go on for a further nine days!  Help..................!

The Rolling Stones & Barnaby

The Rolling Stones

Barnaby says:

 Helen insisted that I had to watch BBC2 tonight as they were showing the Glastonbury Festival and the Rolling Stones, who it seems are from the same generation as she is. 

She wanted me to recognise just how energetic her generation can be so that I don't get despondent about being a companion dog to an oldie. 

As Helen walks me for at least three miles a day,and spends much of the day filling up the holes I dig in the garden, how can I possibly worry about her being an oldie? I reckon she has as much energy as a youngster, and certainly as much as those "Stones"who were dancing across the telly screen with such amazing force.

A nice bowl of tea

A Nice Bowl of Tea sent to him by Bistro-tea who have created an innovative teapod

Barnaby enjoys a nice bowl of tea

Barnaby says:  "Well this little packet arrived in the post with my name on it, it was a single use, high-tech tea diffuser with a unique filtration system - in other words a "thing" that produced a really nice cup of tea. 

Well I should know, I am a dog who appreciates a nice bowl of tea. Helen  orders me a bowl of tea every time we visit a pub.  She has a glass of the red stuff and I have a nice cup of tea.
Am I not a very lucky dog to get tea samples arriving in the post for me too? It came from: www: bistro-tea.co.uk.

Winding Helen up

Winding Helen Up:

Barnaby says: " Helen has just marched me into the cottage, she was gritting her teeth as she unloaded me from the car and there were a few tears in her eyes.
Perhaps I shouldn't have done it, wound her up like I did, but it was such fun I just couldn't resist it.

Yes - we were at Up'N'Over, Upper Heyford, the fantastic club where I am being trained for my Kennel Club Bronze Certificate having graduated from the puppy class.

I do enjoy Up'N'Over as I get to meet some very interesting dogs and puppies there.  It also gives me a chance to wind Helen up.  It is such fun watching her get more and more frustrated until there comes a moment when she calls me a little B***** and threatens to give me away. (I think that is called the breaking point).

.

Last week I was so good Helen was boasting about how good I was, I think my antics today have brought her down to size.
She kept saying "when he is at home he is sooooo good" as of course I am, but there aren't many fun-distractions at home (apart from the pesky cats) so it is easy to be good.

The nice gentleman Dave who began the club with his lovely wife Sue did tell Helen not to worry, that I would soon grow up, but of course she is worrying.  Do you know what she did as soon as we got home?  Poured herself a glass of the red stuff and it was only just past 12pm!
Poor woman, I guess she didn't deserve all that I did to her. I'll cool it next week."
Barnaby