Dexploration – Page 14

A light that will never dim

Sometimes you become friends with someone who you instantly know is honest, fun and has a heart filled with goodness. This is the story of one such friend who I was lucky enough to meet on quite a few occasions, and who I will never ever forget. If I may indulge you in some reminiscences, I would be grateful for a small amount of your time.

Raffa was the friend I started woofing with soon after I joined Twitter in 2013. After we had been talking on Twitter for some time and finally decided that, as my parents were taking me for a holiday to Patterdale in the Lake District, Raffa and her mum would join us to have some walks and chat in person. We were all really excited as we got the impression from our Twitter talks that Raffa was happy and fun and always exploring. We met in the White Lion in Patterdale on 30th August 2016 and our friendship was sealed in the first few moments when Raffa walked into the pub and nose bumped me whilst I was asleep. I had been walking for miles and was very tired.

The very next day we all walked out on a long trail that was stony in many places. Raffa had her chariot as she wasn’t able to walk as far as she would want to. However she seemed to stride out and I looked on in awe at her. We managed to arooo very loudly at some sheep and generally had a lovely time.

On our return to the holiday house, I escorted her along the road in her chariot as she was a little tired after the days exertions. The next day she went home, however the friendship was set.

In December 2016 we arrived unannounced at a meet up near Sheffield in Yorkshire. We had been plotting with Charley Beagles mum to surprise everyone, and it worked. We walked along a lovely path around a reservoir with many pals. Raffa had her mum push her in the chariot as, again, the terrain was rocky and she couldn’t walk too far. But she still managed to trot happily along for a fair distance which made everyone happy.

We met up with Raffa and her mum again in April 2017 for another expedition to the Western Lake District. This time we explored Eskdale, Wasdale and Ravenglass. We greeted each other with our usual cheeriness and proceeded to explore for the next three days, always with smiles on our faces.

We then had a couple of days with Raffa and her mum, again in Eskdale, in early September 2017. We walked, woofed and had a wonderful time.

Next we all met up at the Beagle World Record in Macclesfield in April 2018. I was fortunate to meet up with Raffa, Bryher, Tean, Charley and 1,024 other beagles who all became record breakers that day. We all finished the course, creating history with every step. As followers will know Charley Beagle went to the Rainbow Bridge in September 2018.

I will finish the course, I will be a World Record Holder

We met at Dunstable Downs in October 2018 and then a hush hush visit to Charley’s mum & dad in November 2018 followed.

It’s good to see you again Raffa, my friend.

The gate keeper of Charley Beagles kitchen

When we took Lenny to the World Record Beagle Walk celebration in September 2019 Raffa was still running around when she could, and retiring to her chariot when she was tired.

I will look after you Raffa. We are buddies after all.

We topped the year off by having the honour and privilege of showing Raffa and her mum around a few parts of London. I covered this in a previous blog but make no apologies for mentioning it again. We had a wonderful day, we saw so many things, there was laughter and happiness through the entire time and much sadness when we departed.

Sadly, Raffa took the longest journey on 4th February 2020. She was 13 years old. She lived a life full of fun, adventure and exploration. She was loved, she gave love and she smiled and enjoyed her life. She was, and is, a beacon of what I would hope to be. Happy, fulfilled, loved and wholly content with her life. She may be gone from our sights however she will remain in our hearts forever. Run free sweet Raffa it is a privilege and honour to know you, to meet you and to be your friend. We had many adventures which I will never forget. May the everlasting sun shine upon your fur and keep you warm. Until we meet again, for we surely shall, I say farewell but never goodbye.

21st July 2006 – 4th February 2020. Thirteen and a half years of a life fully lived. I have sad ears because this is the most difficult blog I have ever had to write.

Postcard from London

A few years ago I sent a postcard to my good friend, Raffa the Beagle, who lives near Liverpool. It was a postcard of London with a tick list of sights to see, including Big Ben and the Tower of London amongst others.

A couple of weeks ago, we heard from Raffa who said that she was going to come to London to try and tick off some of the sights, and she asked me if we would like to be guides. Of course I couldn’t think of another fur in this house who had been to London so I volunteered my service and took Lenny along to carry the bags.

It came as somewhat of a rude shock to Lenny that we were unceremoniously woken up at 6 am on a Saturday. After a very brief walk locally we were marched up the hill to the train station so we could whizz into London. Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day but it was a bit chilly. After we arrived in London, we strolled through Regents Park towards Euston Station so we could greet Raffa and her mum in true beagle fashion by a huge arooo in the middle of the station concourse. Raffa was in her chariot as she cannot walk as far as she could do when she was a young pup.

We immediately wandered off to find the tube station as Raffa had always wanted a trip on a tube train.

We got off the tube at Moorgate and strolled to the Guildhall (original meeting place of the Guilds of craftsmen for the City of London), Royal Exchange (the original stock exchange), Bank of England (where Raffa keeps her pennies), Mansion House (official residence of the Lord Mayor of London) and then on to Leadenhall Market (poultry market from Victorian times but now a boutique shopping area) where we made our first pit stop for some coffee to warm up the humans.

We started the next leg by walking down to the Tower of London which was very busy with visitors, and where Lenny managed to see a pesky squirrel but forgot to tell me & Raffa. We then crossed Tower Bridge.

We went along the side of the river, making our way through the throngs of tourist visitors on the south side of London Bridge. We showed Raffa the replica of the Golden Hinde ship (Francis Drake’s ship), the Clink (original dungeon prison in London) and then went on to see the rebuilt Shakespeares Globe theatre.

Now for the exciting part as we crossed the Millennium Bridge, also known as the wobbly bridge, and saw St Pauls Cathedral in its glory directly ahead.

Having strolled past the cathedral we went down Ludgate Hill and into Fleet Street (famous for printing) and managed to get two tables in a pub for some lunch snacks, as well as warming ourselves away from the chilly wind. Suitably refreshed we set off and found ourselves in the middle of a wedding procession coming out of the nearby St Bride’s Church, accompanied by a brass band. This surprised us all. We continued along The Strand and dad managed to stop pedestrians crossing the road, as he told Lenny to “WAIT” and they thought he was talking to them. We continued towards Trafalgar Square to see Nelson’s Column and then off to Whitehall (government area) to stop at Horseguards Parade to see a member of the Household Cavalry, who was watching Raffa to make she didn’t misbehave.

The London Eye across the river was spied, then Big Ben and Westminster Abbey were ticked off before we ended up at Buckingham Palace. Unfortunately the Queen wasn’t at home otherwise we would have popped in for a cup of tea and a cucumber sandwich (without crusts of course).

To finish we wandered slowly up The Mall back towards Trafalgar Square and took a London Black Cab to return to the train station at Euston. We woofed a sad cheerio to Raffa and her mum as they boarded their train back to Liverpool and their home.

Our journey home on the train passed like a blur, mainly due to Lenny and I having walked nearly 13 miles in total and being very tired. It was worth being really tired though, as we showed Raffa around London and she ticked off all the sights on her postcard except one. No Yeoman of the Guard Beefeaters were seen at the Tower of London. We hope we did Raffa proud as she managed to see nearly everything on her postcard list.

Finally I have to admit that Lenny was so good, given it was his first trip to London. He managed the trains, tubes and strolling around with great aplomb. We took ages getting from one place to the next as so many people wanted to say hello to us and give Raffa, Lenny and I many tickles. He dealt with the sights, smells and noises of London without fright or fear. I am proud ears of him.

Return to Ashridge.

Today we decided that we would take Lenny to Ashridge. This is a National Trust estate between Tring and Berkhamsted, so quite close to where we live. We have visited Ashridge before Lenny arrived and given that it is now 2 weeks since his little operation, we thought it might be a reward for him not licking or chewing stitches whilst he’s been under house arrest.

Setting off in the car, I just dived into the boot so Lenny could understand that the car isn’t bad and, usually, there are good things when we stop and are let out to run around on the end of leads. He’s still a little sheepish about getting into the travel crate, but when he’s in, then he’s fine. In fact he is travelling better now and tends to lie down for a chill and relax. Mum and dad noticed that sometimes we sit up in our crates and lean onto each other as if to reassure ourselves that everything is ok. We are gradually getting Lenny more accustomed to travelling in the car. It was twenty five minutes to Ashridge this morning and he was really good.

When we arrived and the boot was opened I could immediately smell familiar scents. I told Lenny in no uncertain terms that this was going to be fun and it was a pity that we would be on the end of leads, as we would be able to run for hours. However we had to make do with pulling mum and dad around for a while, so this was almost as acceptable.

Across the common and round the edge of the woods we went. Lenny was enjoying all the scents and sights I had told him about. We were looking out for critters in the long grass, but I think they had been warned we were around today. The only downside was that we weren’t allowed in the woods as this was deemed to be “too exciting” for us. We were panting like a couple of steam trains but this doesn’t excuse mum and dad’s meanness at banning us from the woods. I mean, what could we possibly go wrong with a pair of beagles in the woods?

After a couple of hours it was decided we should return home. We slept most of the way back home so we had a great time and it was a good way to show Lenny another place we can enjoy. We took a slightly longer route home so it would test Lenny a bit more in the car. Forty minutes or so and he passed with flying colours.

Return to Jeffrey Johnson’s pubs

As many of my friends and followers will remember, I saw a blog a while ago on Spitalfieldslife.com relating to some old pubs photographed by a gentleman called Jeffrey Johnson. As a result in April 2019 I sent my dad off to London to investigate if the pubs were still present and, if not, find out what is there in its place.

There were a number of extra photographs in the collection held at the Bishopsgate Institute which hadn’t been published. So we decided it was about time dad was allowed another day off and we packed him off to stroll through the streets of London. Thirteen miles of walking later, this is his report on a number of pubs and other buildings some of which appear to have ceased any existence and others which have changed their use.

All the original photographs taken from the 1960’s – 1980’s are the property of Jeffrey Johnson. All the new photographs are the property of me, @rescuedogdexter.

Wheatsheaf, Stoney Street, London Bridge

The pub was rebuilt in 1840. It was given Grade II listing in 1998 and then closed temporarily in 2009 for four years whilst the top storey was removed to allow another railway bridge to be placed directly above. Sadly the pub was caught up in the London Bridge attack in 2017.

Fullers pub, Monument

For a Fullers pub, there appears to have been a dearth of information on it. We believe it was called the Monument and was present until shortly after 1987. It was redeveloped as offices, a bar and Boots the Chemist amongst other stores.

Mappin & Webb, Bank Junction

The old Mappin & Webb building was designed in 1870 by a gentleman called John Belcher. It had listed status. Despite such protection, it was demolished in 1993 to make way for One Poultry which was completed in 1997. The building stands on the corner of Queen Victoria Street and Cheapside. It houses offices and, at one time, a rooftop bar.

St Ethelburga’s Church, Bishopsgate

First recorded in 1250 as St Adelburga the virgin, the church was rebuilt around 1411. At some time during the 16th century it had a wooden porch placed over the entrance to house 2 shops in order that the church could raise more money. The church was extensively damaged in 1993 when an IRA bomb was placed around 30 feet from the entrance and caused major damage to Bishopsgate. It was rebuilt in its original manner after a public outcry over plans for the building to be removed and altered significantly. The church is Grade I listed. It is now a Centre for Reconciliation and Peace.

Magpie & Punchbowl, 86 Bishopsgate

A short distance along Bishopsgate from St Ethelburga’s was situated the Magpie & Punchbowl. It occupied a corner plot with one of the old alleyways prevalent in London through history, being Clarks Place leading to Wrestlers Court. This hostelry was another victim to the IRA bomb which devastated Bishopsgate in 1993. It was rebuilt and incorporated into an office block. However this was also subsequently demolished and is now part of the 100 Bishopsgate office project.

Aldgate office block

Aldgate is a ward in The City of London. It is bounded on the east by the line of the former London Wall, part of which remains and can be seen in an office just out of view in the photographs. The area bounded by Aldgate (the street itself) and Duke’s Place is now pedestrianised. The office itself is somewhat of a mystery regarding who owned it, or who was housed within.

The Rising Sun, Tower Bridge Approach

The Rising Sun appears to have been located in the Tower Hill, Mansell Street and Shorter Street triangle. The address was 12 Royal Mint Street, which is to the left of the old photograph. Due to the building of an office it was not possible to obtain a similar view to the original photograph, however the view toward Tower Bridge and St Katharine’s Way is clearly shown. The pub was closed in 1969 but was still present to be photographed in 1977.

Old Red Lion, 24-29 Whitechapel High Street, E1

Situated next to one of the entrances to Aldgate East Underground station, the Old Red Lion was built around 1835 and demolished in 1983. The older picture shows the pub between the Underground entrance and Lloyds Bank, and the P&O London office of Beagle House rising ominously to the rear. Now it is all swept away, with Aldgate Tower standing on the site. The entrance to Aldgate East remains (remodelled) on the right side of the latest photograph.

Christ Church Spitalfields E1

The church hasn’t changed since the original photograph was taken. However the surrounding area has altered significantly. The London Wool Exchange, in the row of buildings to the right of the church in the first picture, is now a glass office block with only a facade of the old brick frontage remaining. Spitalfields Market to the left of the pictures now houses a number of boutique shops and restaurants along with a market.

Turks Head, 308 Brick Lane E1

Located at the northern end of Brick Lane a pub has existed on the site since approximately 1790. Originally addressed as 1 Turk Street before Brick Lane was extended. The pub was still open in 1968 and demolished sometime thereafter. The location of the pub on Turk Street appears to be on the corner of Virginia Road and Chambord Street.

Manchester Arms, 155 Hackney Road E2

A pub was on the site sometime prior to 1872. It had a name change in 1991 and was subsequently closed in 1994. It became retail premises and has been a ladies hairdresser, a taxi office and currently is a barbershop.

The Sporting Life, Wilmot Street, E2

Located close to Bethnal Green Overground station, a pub has been present since before 1792. The pub was originally called the Lamb. Its name was changed in later years to The Sporting Life. It was closed in 1993 and converted to residential use.

Hat & Feathers 2 Clerkenwell Road EC1M

A pub has been open on this site between 1782 and 1990, then closed for around 17 years and reopened between 2007 and 2011. It is now closed again and there seems to be no sign of any re-opening. A former Taylor Walker pub.

Princess of Wales 1 Bridport Place, N1

This was a difficult pub to locate due to the lack of information available from the initial picture. There are a number of pubs called Princess of Wales. The pub was bombed in 1944 during WWII and was completely demolished. Left derelict for a considerable period of time, housing now occupies the site.

Blue Coat Boy 415 City Road, EC1

The pub was known as the Blue Angel at the time of its demolition in 1990. Offices now occupy the space, with a home-brew pub called the Brewhouse & Kitchen on the ground floor.

Kings Arms, Gard Street, off Moreland Street EC1

A Banks & Taylor pub. Appears to have been opened around 1810 and closed in 1974. Subsequently demolished to make way for flats.

Cannon Brewery 160 St John Street, EC1

Founded in 1720 by Rivers Dickinson, John Dickinson & Richard Dickinson. Two of them were then declared bankrupts in 1817. It changed hands a number of times more. In 1863 it was owned by George Hanbury & Barclay Field. It became a Registered Company in 1895 with 110 public houses allied to the brewery. The business was acquired by Taylor Walker in 1930 and became Ind Coope (London) Ltd in 1960.

The White Horse 90 Fetter Lane EC4

A pub was present by 1766 and known in the early years as the Oxford House as it was the starting point for the stage coaches heading for Oxford. It was rebuilt in the style of the first photograph around 1899 and subsequently closed and then demolished in 1989. An office was built in its place, which was again demolished and replaced by the office seen in the latest picture.

The Globe, 1 Hosier Lane, Little Britain EC1A

Locating this pub was interesting. It is shown as No.7 Hosier Lane, however records show it as No.1 Hosier Lane. The building believed to currently occupy the site is shown as No.23 Hosier Lane. Located to the south of Smithfield Market, the former Charringtons pub had been open between 1869 – 1961.

Old King Lud 12 Ludgate Circus

The pub was built in 1870, purchased by Isaac Levy in 1894 and became part of the Chef & Brewer chain of pubs, selling Whitbread beer. A couple of closures followed for refurbishments until it was closed permanently in 2005 and turned into mixed use office and cafe.

Baynard Castle, 148 Queen Victoria Street EC4

On the corner of Queen Victoria Street and St Andrew’s Hill just south of St Pauls Cathedral, the pub was renamed Cos Bar in 2006 and is now a bar and restaurant called Rudds Bar.

We hope you enjoyed our walk through some of the lesser known parts of London. Sadly too many of the establishments have disappeared from sight, however their presence is maintained through the photographic records.

Vanishing pubs of London

As some of my readers will know, I have been to London a couple of times and enjoyed exploring the city very much. So when, some time ago, my dad saw a blog written by The Gentle Author, our inquisitive nature came to the fore. The Gentle Author is a blogger and writer, based in Spitalfields which is on the boundary of East London and the City. The blog in question related to some photographs taken by a gentleman called Jeffrey Johnson. Mr Johnson subsequently deposited the photographs with the Bishopsgate Institute. They were taken in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s and were of various pubs in London. Whilst looking through the photographs, we realised that some of the pubs were no longer there. As a result of our interest, we decided I would send out my Research Assistant, also known as my dad, to investigate whether the pubs were still standing. If they were no longer there, what is in their place, we wondered.

Over a few days dad photographed, we believe, the locations of the pubs and this blog deals with what he found. I must at this point say thank you to both the Gentle Author and to Bishopsgate Institute, without whose assistance and guidance this blog entry could not take place. The photographs are arranged in the order in which they originally appeared, with Jeffrey Johnson’s picture being shown first.

The Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate

It is the oldest licensed house in the City of London, dating from 1593. Originally called The Castle, then the Angel & Crown, then Christopher Hills and finally the Hoop & Grapes. This is a reference to the sale of both beer & wine and was given the name in the 1920’s. The pub is a Grade II listed building.

Sir Walter Scott, 2 Broadway Market E8

The first reference we could find of the pub was 1851. The pub is now the Market Cafe. It stands on the corner of Broadway Market and Andrews Road, close by the Regents Canal.

City of Dublin Bottling Co., Dericote Street, nr Broadway Market E8

The building appears remarkably similar however it is clearly a private residence now. The history is somewhat shrouded in mystery, although we understand that it was part of the Guinness empire.

Knave of Clubs, 25 Bethnal Green Road E2

Grade II listed, present in 1735 the pub became a restaurant around 1994 before closing in 2001. It has since reopened as a bar & restaurant called Dirty Bones which is still open today.

Crown & Woolpack 394 St John Street, Clerkenwell

Believed to date originally from around 1851, the pub was open until 1990, then closed. It has undergone some refurbishment and is currently a hairdressers, called The Chapel.

Centre Page, Knightrider Street EC4V

Originally known as the Horn Tavern, the pub can be seen on the left when crossing the “wobbly” bridge from Tate Modern to the north bank approaching St Pauls. Another Grade II listed building, this time built in the mid 19th century. The other buildings in the area around the pub have changed significantly.

Brunswick Arms, Macdonald Road, Archway

The pub appears to have been on the corner of Macdonald Road & Vorley Road. It was demolished in the early 1980’s. The Archway Leisure Centre stands adjacent to the site and there is no trace of the pub. The flats behind the pub remain.

Queens Head, 31 Blackfriars Lane EC4V

The pub was situated immediately adjacent to the Thameslink rail line at Blackfriars. It was demolished in 1999 and now offices are in its place.

Crooked Billet, Wood Street & Chingford Road, Walthamstow

It’s believed a pub was on the site from 1742 – 1991. It was subsequently demolished for a roundabout known as The Crooked Billet on the A406 North Circular Road.

Old Bell Tavern, Pancras Road

The history of this pub appears to be difficult to come by and very little seems to be on record. The building has been swept away to provide taxi ranks and a pedestrianised area for King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. The German Gymnasium in the background of both pictures was the first purpose built gymnasium in England. It was built between 1864-1865 and today is a restaurant.

Magpie & Stump

Opposite the Old Bailey (or the Central Criminal Court) the Magpie & Stump was apparently nicknamed Court no.10 as it was regularly filled with detectives and reporters to discuss the proceedings. The old building has been replaced by an office incorporating the pub.

Mackworth Arms, 158 Commercial Road, E1

The pub was present in 1817 and closed around 2005. It’s latest use seems to be a clothes shop, however that also looked like it had been closed for a while.

Red Lion, 217 Whitechapel Road

Originally known as the Old Red Lion, the pub was present by 1839, when it became known as the Red Lion. It survived as a pub until around 1989 and is currently a shoe store under the name Sidhu.

Green Man, 7&9 Bucklersbury, St Benet Sherehog, EC4

The pub was situated in St Benet Sherehog, which now seems to be Sise Lane. It was demolished to allow the building of One Poultry, which was completed in 1997. There is another Green Man pub incorporated into the One Poultry development.

Marquis of Anglesey, 77 Ashmill Street, NW1

The address was changed prior to 1915 from 77 Devonshire Street to Ashmill Street. The pub closed around 2009 and became offices.

Bulls Head, 80 Leadenhall Street, EC3A

Demolished in 1990 to make way for an office development. Opposite Hartshorn Alley leading to Fenchurch Street.

White Horse, 8 Little Britain

Now known as 1 Little Britain. The sign is hidden behind the barred gate. There seems to have been a pub on the site since 1765, it was rebuilt in 1892 and closed around 1971. Converted to offices.

Olde Wine Shades, Martin Lane, EC4R

Now seems to be called El Vino The Olde Wine Shades, the pub remains on the same site. The establishment was built in 1663, so predates the Great Fire of London by 3 years. Due to the architectural and historical significance, it is Grade II listed.

The Crispin, 1 Finsbury Avenue EC2M

The original pub appears to have been rebuilt in the 1980’s and was then redeveloped as part of the Broadgate Development. It closed permanently in 2012. We cannot find details as to when the pub was first noted on the site of Finsbury Avenue.

Blue Posts, 73-75 West India Dock Road E14

The area has changed out of all recognition from the original photo. Westferry DLR station sits just a little behind the location of the pub. The original pub was present by 1800 and extensively rebuilt by 1876. It was demolished around 1987 – 1988 for the widening of the West India Dock Road.

Ticket Porter, Arthur Street, EC4R

The early address shows as 5 Arthur Street West however by 1910 it was shown as 17 & 19 Arthur Street. It is thought that the name came from the Ticket Porters who’s job it was to carry goods across London. The site is now redeveloped as part of the Bank interchange upgrade. The latest photograph was taken from slightly further down the hill toward Upper Thames Street.

Weavers Arms, 36 Sun Street, Finsbury EC2M

There appears to have been a pub called Weavers Arms since 1869 when it was thought to be at 13 Crown Street. The pub appears to have been demolished as part of the Broadgate Development and is known as 3 Finsbury Avenue which has taken the place of the southern side of Sun Street.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog. As you will see, some of the pubs still remain and are open for business. However sadly many are closed, redeveloped or swept away in the tide of change and progress that is forever present in cities such as London.

The Gentle Author’s blog can be found at http://spitalfieldslife.com and the Bishopsgate Institute can be contacted through their website at https://www.bishopsgate.org.uk . They have many interesting articles and information for everyone to view and enjoy.

Wendover Woods wander

Come on, come on. The sun is up, the sky is blue, I am a Beagle, I need a view. What do you mean it’s only 7 am. Ugh lazy bones. Boing, boing, boing, arooo. The day has begun and here I am waiting on my parents to get themselves together.

Uh oh, this could be trouble, as I see both of them putting on their walking shoes. And dad has the car keys. I may live to regret waking them up “early” as there seems to be a steely determination in their eyes. They’ve not even had breakfast and I am being harnessed and made ready to go. What delights await me today? Into the car and off we go, through the lanes and past the rescue centre that I came from. Down the hill and I have no idea where we are. I have never been here before. Excellent a new adventure!

As we park, mum is quickly around to get me out of the travel crate and my eyes take in the view. Trees, trees and more trees. This can only mean one thing. Squirrels. And walks. And fun. And shenanigans. OK that’s four things but hey I am a beagle and usually only count the minuscule amount of noms on my tongue.

Squirrels everywhere
I thought it was a woodland walk?

It appears that none of us have been to Wendover Woods before so we set off at some speed. Well, not exactly speed as sadly I am shackled to mum. At least I have some leeway for pulling instead of having to drag dad around. The scents fill my nose, the sights fill my eyes, the sounds of the woodland creatures fill my ears, the gravel path is under my paws so I only need to taste some stagnant puddle water to have to full sensory experience.

Lets go on the Hillfort walk I hear them say. Pffft I’m not having that, we are going on the Firecrest walk and we divert quickly off the intended path. It’s mighty warm trying to investigate all the new places that I am trying my best to reach as quickly as possible so I am drinking plenty of water.

There are so many other dogs out here enjoying it all, as well. Most of them are off lead so can wander in and out of the trees and undergrowth. I know I am not allowed off lead so will enjoy myself in my own special way. Come on mum, hurry up.

Through the woods and along the track, up hill, down hill and then around the zigzag bends. That’s a nice view they think, however I still have much dexploration left in my paws. There are so many smells here that I want to smell them all at the same time. More water and I am starting to slow a little. This is warm, but not that warm. Maybe I’m getting a bit old, who knows. Anyway, not to worry, we are off again and I can smell a squirrel in the trees. But which tree?

All too soon we are climbing the hill toward the car and the inevitable return journey home, but there seems to be a large monster looking at me. I have my picture taken with the Gruffalo and we are off to the car for the return journey.

That was great fun. I didn’t know about Wendover Woods. I had such a good time and saw so many things. I am definitely going back.

Chorleywood Common

“Where shall we go for a walk today, Dex?” asks my mum. “And, no, we cannot go on a round the world trip to see all your friends, before you ask”.

“Wow, a walk with mum and dad, this hasn’t happened for a while” I thought. “If I can’t go and see all my pals, then I will make do with a stroll up to the tube station and walk around Chorleywood Common”. That was it then. It was decided. We were off on a family stroll along one of my favourite routes.

Shackled to my dad, we set off. Through the woods, up the hill, past the church, along the road with the posh houses, past the farm and then into the next set of woods.

St Leonards Church
Patrolling a posh road

I was trying to go as quickly as possible, however I was being slowed considerably by being attached to my dad. Does he not realise that the squirrels are all getting away? This is fun, but isn’t quite going as well as I planned. Anyway we crossed the road, strolled quickly through the next wooded area and then into Westwood Park. I stopped briefly for some water as apparently, my tongue was “hanging out of my head”. Then it’s off to the tube station. Thankfully its a Sunday so the trains aren’t full. We only have to go one stop but I am anxious to get on with the next leg of the trip, as I know there will be other furs there to woof with, and hopefully squirrels to arooo.

Ugh good grief. This commuting is so boring

Arriving at Chorleywood we get off the tube train. Hurry up you two, there are creatures to chase, and hedges and shrubs to sniff. Turning right out of the station, we wander quickly along the road and there it is, in all its glory.

Squirrels over here
More squirrels over here

I like Chorleywood Common. It’s open, green, has plenty of paths, great views and is about a 2 mile circuit. Mum and dad wanted to stick to the path which snaked away into the distance. However this isn’t very Beagle-like behaviour so I decided we would go off piste. There are 3 pubs close to the Common so if we needed to take shelter we could have done. Sadly the weather was set fair and it was before opening time so any plan I had to go to the pub was well and truly scuppered. On with the walk then. Some bright spark had the idea of carving woodland creatures into some of the tree trunks that had fallen over in previous years on the common. The trunks themselves have been made into handy benches and the additional sculptures of birds, squirrels, caterpillars and other woodland creatures made them look more fun.

We pressed on and saw plenty of other dogs, all of whom I greeted in the customary Beagle fashion of loudly arooing or completely ignoring them whilst I was on a scent. Mum made friends with a 5 month old puppy whilst I was trying to catch the attention of another Beagle who was halfway across the common. No sooner had we passed the cricket pitch and the golf clubhouse than I saw the other beagle wasn’t going the same way as me.

Is that another squirrel?
(A bit of) Chorleywood

Then it occurred to me that we were returning to the tube station again. This could only mean one thing. The adventure was over. I was going home. Ok, that’s two things.

Onto the tube train for the two stops back to my home town.

Do people really use these every day?
Hope we’re home soon. This is boring

We strolled back to the house and I whizzed out into the garden to check that there were no tree based invaders digging holes in my lawn. Once I had ensured that the coast was clear, I flopped satisfied onto one of my six beds. Within seconds I was twitching, snoring and dreaming. I wouldn’t know though, as I was asleep. What an adventure I had. And I was kind enough to take both my parents along to enjoy it as well.

It was as much as I could do to persuade them to take me to the pub in the afternoon. We took our time on the walk to the pub, however I wasn’t going to complain. Shenanigans were complete.

Misty morning, gentle stroll

Continuing with my recent theme of showing you around some of my favourite walks, I decided it would be a stroll through the fields this morning. Mayhall Farm here I come, I thought when I awoke and clambered sleepily from one of my 6 beds, this morning. The only decision to be made was, who should I drag around on the other end of my lead? That decision was made for me when mum went out for a quick walk to get some air into her lungs. Ok, dad its you and me.

Into the first field, past the dead deer carcass and through the gap into the woods. I like this path as there are so many trees and thus squirrels aplenty for me to scent and arooo. The woods this morning had more than a slight element of mystery about them. Shrouded in mist and fog they had an eerie quality. The air was still and this allowed the scent of the squirrels and deer to stay in one place and make my nose very excited. The mist hung like a blanket over the trees. It was nice, I liked it.

Squirrels to the left
Where is that deer I can smell

Through the wood and into the meadow, through the gate and left around the next field. We circumnavigated another field and found ourselves at the main entrance of what I know as the “mile field” so called as it is almost a mile around the edge. Its actually 0.97 miles but as a dog I am not pedantic enough to worry. Twice around the mile field and we realised it was raining quite hard on one side of the field yet was almost dry on the other. I looked at dad, he looked at me, and we both had the same air of resignation that we were wet and there was nothing we could do about it. Hey ho, on we march.

We took a more direct route back toward home, however dad then made the error of offering me a choice. Straight on, or turn right going up and over the hillock to increase the walk by another 0.25 mile. No prizes for guessing. There were extra woods and squirrels over there, so what did he expect.

Mr Rabbit come out to play
Hurry up dad, the meadow is through here

Only when we got back to the first field did we meet any other furs or people this morning. It wasn’t far today, only about 5 miles. However it is a fun route as I get to scent so many different creatures. I am very lucky as the local farmers allow access to the paths around the fields. Usually there are quite a few fur friends who I bump into as we are allowed to enjoy the area. I think the weather must have dampened their spirits.

The best part was seeing dad looking like he’d been dunked in a bath fully clothed. And he got a leaky wellie. Me, laugh? Would I?

Dad’s tour of London

As a result of me meeting auntie Carolina and showing her around, it was decided that I would send my hudad back to London on Wednesday. I couldn’t go into many of the buildings that we walked past the previous day on account of me being a furry hound. So we hatched plans to try and show auntie Carolina & auntie Karen around some places. So, I instructed Dad to go into London again.

They all met at Tower Hill tube station and firstly went through St Olave’s Church, Hart Street. St Olave is the patron saint of Norway I believe.

Thence up to the Monument for a really good view of London. The Monument was built to commemorate the Great Fire of London of 1666. It is said that if you were to lay the Monument down upon its side, the fire ball would touch the spot where the fire started in Pudding Lane.

East from the Monument
The City of London

Next was Leadenhall Market which is one of the oldest markets in the City of London originally selling meat, poultry & game. Now it is home to a number of boutique shops and restaurants. The architecture of the Market itself isn’t really altered so maintains much of the older charm.

Then they went to the Royal Exchange. The building was founded in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Gresham. It has twice been destroyed by fire and the current building was designed in the 1840’s. In its various guises it has held the Lloyd’s Insurance Market for around 150 years.

Next on the tour was St Pauls. I showed auntie C the outside of the building the previous day. The present St Pauls was started in about 1670 and finished in 1708 apparently. It was officially declared open by Parliament on 25 December 1711.

St Pauls from the wobbly bridge
Who’s that hound?!

When they went inside they were all in awe. Well, they were in St Pauls but you know what I mean. It was apparently the most lovely place with fabulous painted ceilings, statues and wonderful architecture. They seemed to spend ages inside marvelling at the sight.

St Pauls Dome
Inside St Pauls

The views over London were pretty good. Dad managed to climb all the way to the Golden Cross to take these pictures.

Once they had finished exploring St Paul’s it was off to Blackfriars tube station and then out of Westminster Station for a tour of Westminster Abbey. Everyone said they were impressed with the architecture of the beautiful building. There were also quite a few famous people including princes, kings, queens and poets interred and commemorated within the Abbey.

Inside Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey cloisters
Westminster Abbey frontage

They finished their day with a stroll through Victoria Tower Gardens, for the best views of the Houses of Parliament.

Parliament
Old Father Thames

They departed with sore feet and happy faces. Everyone said they had a nice time.

I hope so. Auntie C had travelled a long way to see London. I think she enjoyed it.

Aventuras de Londres

Tuesday morning dawned and I was quickly on my paws around the fields with my hudad. In and out of the hedgerows, through the woods, around the edges of the ploughed fields and then a quick circuit of the big field. Just over 4 miles and home for second breakfast. Suddenly my harness is being waved in my direction and we are going for another walk. I will not complain as I get to sniff around in the park, woods, lanes or fields again.Once harnessed, I saw there was a very colourful bandana attached to my collar and it had my name on it. This time I was with both my human pawrents so this gave me suspicious ears. Along the road until we arrived at the train station. I remembered I had been here previously. The overground train arrived and we jumped on board. I like adventures and this was going to be a mystery tour for me.

Arriving in London some 40 minutes later I tasted the same type of stale air that I had tasted some 5 months ago. My ears were still suspicious as we walked briskly through Regents Park. Sadly there were no squirrels. We descended onto the Underground and took the train to Aldgate. Up the steps and into the maelstrom that is the edge of the City of London. I had not been here before, this was a new adventure for me. We seemed to be late as I was hurried down various streets only to arrive at a view of the Tower of London. When I stopped gazing in wonder at the Tower I felt a different pair of hands giving my ears a really good tickle. There was my auntie from Argentina. What was auntie Carolina doing in London? Why was I getting ear scroffles from an auntie who was supposed to be 11,514 kilometres away. I no longer had suspicious ears, they were now happy. Very happy. She does great ear tickles to be honest.

We set off on a great adventure. I took the lead of course. We went over Tower Bridge and then along past Hays Galleria.

We walked under London Bridge and past Golden Hinde and then to Shakespeare’s Globe. Now we decided to go over to the north side of the river so we crossed the wobbly Bridge, with St Pauls Cathedral looming in the near distance.

Through Paternoster Square and we strolled down to Blackfriars tube station. We got off the tube at St James’s Park for a stroll about.

Everyone sat down on a park bench to eat some food whilst I was quiet and reserved as usual.

Are you sure the sandwich hasn’t got my name on it?

Fortunately there are quite a few squirrels in the park so I managed to introduce myself to some of them just after humum had finished her sandwich. After a while we allowed auntie Carolina to go about the rest of her day and she took a London Tour Bus around the city for a few hours.

I left with sad ears as I had a wonderful day with a lovely person in a great city. I slept all the way home on the tube train. Well most of the way.

I will never, ever forget this day. I was honoured to show auntie Carolina around a small part of London.