Bank holidays spent at home and out of the rain seem to be a thing of the past as we manage to get into the big world once more.

Lime kilns and castles were on the agenda yesterday as we went in search for content for one of our other websites called heritageandhistory.com.

Orton Church

Our first stop for a sniff and stretch was a small village called Orton.

This village is situated a few miles NE of Tebay just off the M6 and is known in the area for the farmers market every second Saturday of every month and Kennedys chocolates.

Our approach to All Saints Church was greeted with flags as the annual scarecrow festival was taking place.

Whilst we shelteredf rom a slight rain shower in a pop up tent erected in the church yard, Mum went into the church to be greeted by many happy friendly folk. She emerged with a scarecrow trail map and small booklet about the church.

Orton Scarecrow

Scarecrow number one was easy, a big christmas pudding at the entrance to the church.

Now to find the other 30 scattered around the many streets and gardens. You can see some of the ones we spotted in the gallery below this article.

An unusual bridge in Orton

Half way around and Charlie spots water. Like a magnet to a can he is attracted to this stream and he goes for a paddle.

Dad notices that this bridge is very unusual as it has two gaps for the water to flow through. Further investigation reveals that on the other side of the bridge the water is diverted in two different directions.

One stream continues straight on the new stream heads off left alongside the road.

We are not sure why this diversion takes place so maybe someone can advise using the comments area below.

After spending a good few hours in Orton we return to the car and head off into the hills in search of lime kilns.

Dad now got lost.

Beware of rhino

The map came out and the usual comments of why don’t they put roadsigns on some of these junctions was heard. Things were not helped when we saw this sign warning of rhino.

We have noticed recently that although the M6 seems to be getting millions of pounds spent on new electronic signs the backroads, where it could be argued are in more need of signage, seems to be loosing out.

So we say please bring back the fingerpost roadsigns on our rural roads to stop Dad gettng lost.

Single track roads and quite a bit of reversing later we emerged onto a road know as the Tommy Road between the A683 and the B6259. Observing what looked like a lime kiln to our left dad parked the car and we got out.

We were glad of the walk as all the stream water we had swallowed in Orton was now in need escape and the last 10 minutes in the bumpy car had not helped. Oh such relief.

Lime kiln

After a walk over the mossy tuffets to the top of a nearby hill to take a look at the view we returned to the now deralict kiln constructed into the hillside.

We kept well away from the kiln itself to ensure we didn’t get hit on the head by a falling rock however we did have a good sniff around.

Used now by the sheep as a place of shelter these structures were once used to produce quicklime by heating up limestone rocks.

Quicklime was used as an additive to building mortar and as a render on walls.

A very confident sheep

The tower of All Saints Church in Orton visited earlier would have had a lime render giving the white appearance which can be seen from miles around.

Looking back towards the car we became aware of this very confident sheep who tried to block our way.

Mum thought he must be guarding something, so we gave him a very wide berth and kept our distance.

Pendraggon Castle

He was very scary with his big horns and stance on top of a small hill, even dad looked worried.

Dropping further down the hill and over the Settle to Carlisle rail line we arrived at the ruin of Pendragon Castle.

According to legend, Uther Pendragon, father of King Arthur, is said to have built the first castle here and unsuccessfully tried to divert the river to provide its moat

What is in here?

Mum and dad are of a certain age that whenever King Arthur is mentioned they quote Monty Python and this was no exception. We climbed the hill to Spam, spam, spam… and a certain parrot sketch.

Walking around the base of the castle many holes, possibly former windows, just needed to be looked into.

The many sheep and lambs had left a number of trails through the ruin as they searched for shelter from the weather on this exposed spot overlooking the river Eden.

Charlie investigates Pendragon Castle

Measuring about 20m square the Pendragon Castle we see today is said to date from the latter part of the 12th Century and is built on a hill.

This offers a commanding view of the nearby countryside and with its walls over 2m thick in places, a strong defensive position.

Charlie investigates the many sniffs inside the ruin whils mum and dad try to work out what the building would have looked like all those years ago.

Hello friend...

Many small plants have started to live in between the stones of this now giant rock garden giving the walls a pink and green look. More contents for mum for Naturearoundme.com during the next few months

Our investigations were being watched by a friendly lamb who seemed very interested in what we were doing in his back yard.

The Jew stone

We left the site just as a minibus full of visitors arrived clutching cameras, tripods and rucksacks full of stuff.

Our final visit of the day was as the small village of Outhgill in search of the Jews Stone.

Not sure what we were looking for we parked the car in a road to our left just before the church and dad went for a look around.

Amazingly we were in the right place and ahead of us, surrounded by a wooden fence, was a single stone column with green lichen growing on it.

Caution - Appleby fair traffic

At the base was a large interpretation board explaining all about the monument and the history. Dad will write this all up later over on Heritageandhistory.com.

It seems that the stone is a replica of the “Jews Stone”, which was set up in 1850 by the eccentric William Henry Mounsey ( 1808 -1877).

It is over 2m high and about 10cm square and is made of a limestone known as Dent Marble.

With our challenges for the day accomplished we headed homeward relieved that we had not been caught by any bad weather .

Tired Charlie

As we past Appleby the signs had been posted warning of slow moving traffic.

Appleby Horse Fair starts in a few days time and with it comes a large number of horse drawn vehicles.

We return home safe and well after a very busy day. Dad downloads the pictures from the camera and mum gets the dinner ready.

Stew is on the menu with little trees . Mum has spent today, Sunday, planting loads of seeds to grow next years supply of turnip and little trees in the allotment.

We just love them fresh from the fridge. Trees are given as a general reward whilst a nice piece of cold turnip is favourite after a meal to clean our teeth.

Thats all for now

Until next time

Buster and Charlie

Gallery

Dad has been very busy over the last 10 days and we have been unable to get our usual walks however, today we went in search of bluebells near to Buttermere.

Tek Care lambs on't road

Mum wanted a few pictures of bluebells for an article she is writing over on oldvarieties and after a quick search on the web we came across a location where a whole valley is reportedly filled with these small flowers.

Our arrival in to the Rannerdale valley started as we passed by this sign.  The rugged mountains surrounding Crummock Water provided a great backdrop for  our walk and dad was eager to take some pictures.

Although the sun was shining the air was a little cool and mum and dad both had their coats on.  

Finding a car park a little way further along this road we parked up and set off following signs to the valley.

A lakeland sheep

It didn’t take long before we came across our first local inhabitant.  

With a dark thick coat this sheep took a moment to look up as we past by, then resumed eating the lush green grass just as dad got the camera focused.  

Many sheep, found on the fellsides in Lakeland are Herdwicks.   Without our sheep recognition books we were unsure as to what breed this one was.

Charlie leads the way ...

The herdwick is well suited to the rough scrub of the Lake District fells and is key to maintaining the grass length. It is the native breed of the central and western Lake District and live on the highest of England’s mountains. 

Charlie, out in front as usual, led the way as we followed the track towards the hills.  To our right was another of the common sight in the Lake District, the drystone wall.  

Secret valley of the bluebells at Buttermere

Marking boundaries, these walls are made from stone gathered locally and do not contain any mortar.  The waller uses his skill to pick out a stone and place it into the wall so it locks with adjacent rocks forming a solid structure.

We arrive at a wooden gate with a silver sign on it after about ten minutes walk.  After a brief pause, to allow mum to read the notice, we open the gate and pass into the secret valley beyond.

Secret valley of the bluebells at Buttermere

Mum and dad stop and try to take in what they see.  Green grass, cascading from the mountains to our left and right, had a blue tinge as it arrived into the valley bottom.  

The effect was subtle, and was brought about by thousands of  small, about 10cm high, green stems with dainty blue flowers peeping above the grass.

A well earned drink

Native bluebells it would seem are a little way behind our common garden bluebells which already are into full bloom and like the daffodils starting to wither.

Maybe in the next few days the blue effect will be much more pronounced.

We were not short of drinks on this walk as the many streams provided ample cool refreshing water and excuses for paddles. 

Footprints on a wooden bridge

Charlie drinks so much when he is in the big world,   this walk was ideal for him.

As we walked along the valley bottom we crossed over this wooden bridge.  Our soggy paws evidence that we had escaped the trolls and managed to get to the otherside.

Our walk started to climb ever so slightly as we ventured further up the valley.  It was unusual but is seemed that the bluebells were only in one small part of the lower valley as now were to be seen in this area.

The path narrows as we head for the hills

Mum wondered why they were there in the first place as it is normally recorded that they prefer growing conditions with shade not in the full glare of a fellside.

Passing through a gate our path narrows to a single well worn track with the fells ahead and to our sides. 

A gate without a wall ...

Charlie is still out in front as if he knows where we are going. It would seem as this walk is a favourite with us dogs as many of us have reported their visits on the web.

Casper came here in 2007, and Harry, as a young pup, visited in 2004.  Maybe you have visited then let us know via the comments section below?

The path turns left after about 700m and after passing over a stile we start our decent back to the car.

Just look at the view ...

Our return is punctuated by two old gate uprights, complete with hinges,either side of our path but not near any wall.  

This puzzles dad as he wonders why anyone would erect them in such a location.  Maybe the wall only appears to sheep but due to planning regulations is invisible to humans. 

This is how you cross a stream ...

Crummock Water comes into view and we take a moment to look out onto the fells and mountains.  

It is 2.5 miles long, 3/4 mile wide and 140 feet deep and is a clear, rocky bottomed lake flanked by steep fellsides of slate. Crummock Water is owned by the National Trust.

We are almost finished our walk which has taken about two hours at a leisurely pace and allowing for dad to take loads of photographs.

Picnic lunch

Mum says that you should take walking boots or strong wellies to do this walk as it is a bit soggy in places.  

It is ideal for humans who don’t fancy going high on the fells but just fancy a simple walk not too far away from the car and of low risk.

As with all good walks we ended with a picnic. In the basket on this occasion was  large french sticks stuffed full of cheese, ham and salad.

We all shared the goodies before returning home via Buttermere and Keswick.

Just off the Dalston Road in the south west corner of Carlisle lies the small village of Cummersdale.  

Our walk starts on the far side of the village down by the River Caldew at map reference NY393531.

Our walk starts alongside the print works

We park the car in the free road edge car park and head off towards a factory gate.  

The factory, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby City, is the Stead McAlpin, Cummersdale Print Works.

To the right of the main gate is a tarmac path sandwiched between the factory, on our left and the river to our right.
 
A word of caution here and we must say that the path is shared with cyclists, so take care not to get in the way.
 
The path is well maintained and is of a tarmac construction bordered by a wooden fence to one side so we feel safe and above all stay clean.

Wide paths keep us clean

Once the factory is behind us we exit onto some wide open fields with the path leading off into the distance.

We see no evidence of sheep or cattle but to be sure, we stay on our leads.  

We meet a number of colleagues happy to be out for their walks.  

Many are running free and throughly enjoying a good run as they can see their humans for quite a distance.

The hedges to our left look as if they have been recently cut as they have sharp angular sides and a flat top.

Mum keeps us away from them as she says that we may get sharp clippings or thorns in our paws.

Plenty of new sniffs

Charlie finds many new sniffs and has to investigate everything crossing back and forth across the path.

Mum gets a little annoyed as our leads get caught up like the strings of a kite flying in a blustery wind.  

Many new green tubes seem to have been tied to sturdy wooden stakes along this part of the path. Dad explains that the tubes are protecting new trees growing inside from being eaten by rabbits and other animals.  They also act as a defence to strong winds and extremes in temperature

After a few years the new trees will grow big and tall and be able to look after themselves as they poke their leaves above the tubes, he adds.

Look at the view.

This area is known as Cummersdale Holmes and is maintained by Carlisle City Council.  

Since the floods that affected large parts of the city  in 2005 this area has been classed a floodwater storage zone.   

Leaving the path for a minute or two we turn right towards the river and follow the line of a recently installed post and wire fence.

Ahead of us is the eastern outline of the city and slightly to the left are the large gasometers clearly visible towering above neighboring buildings on this edge of the city.

That is not a big stick, Charlie.

At the bottom of this slight hill is what appears to be a wildlife pond behind a fence.  

A notice clearly displayed warns of deep water so we keep away and continue towards the river. 

Charlie stands at the river edge and looks down on to a rusting pipe.

At some stage this was possibly covered by rocks and buried but the constant flow of water now has it revealed and the rust has started to form.

We keep away from the river edge as it looks a little fragile and don’t want to fall in. A small notice a little further on warns mum and dad of the danger and they keep us on short leads for a few minutes.

Entering Denton Holme close to the weir

Here we meet up with two scottie dogs out for a walk.  Their pristine white coats have a tideline of general dirt from their adventures.  

Because of their really short legs even dirty grass leaves a mark on their sides.  

We say hello and continue on our way.  Maybe our paths will cross when we return?

Our grass path leads on to firmer footings as we leave the park area and exit to the rear of the former Ferguson Mill complex.

The former Ferguson Brothers Mill

A once thriving cotton mill business the mill brought prosperity and employment to the City throughout the 1800’s and into the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

Ferguson Brothers Ltd opened the The Holme Head Works in 1824, although there was probably a mill on the site since Medieval times.

The mill processed cotton brought in from the United States, through the Port of Whitehaven and for a short time, Port Carlisle.

The sprawling complex has now been turned in to flats, sorry apartments, with some evidence still remaining of the buildings former life.

Above, what was possibly the main doorway into the offices, is an inscription ‘Ferguson Brothers Limited Registered Office’

The flood defence work has raised the river wall

Badly flooded in the storms of 2005 this area is undergoing flood defence work and river management to secure premises from any repeat damage.

You can clearly see the new wall built on top of the old as we ran down to the water for a well earned drink and a paddle.

It is hard to imagine that the water would even have been above my mums head as we mess about on this bit of shingle beach.

Ahead of us is not a tidal wave but the water cascading down a weir.

A new bridge awaits installation

A salmon run is positioned in the middle of the fast flowing water to allow atlantic salmon to return to the spawning grounds in late November to early January.  

The source of the Caldew is on the western slopes of Skiddaw, with tributaries draining the western slopes of Great Calva, High Pike and the Caldbeck Fells.

The works to protect this part of the city  involve replacing some of the old bridges that cross from the Denton Holme area in to the Boustead Grassing area of the city.

Two bridge sections and  a works compound cause us to detour from the normal course of the path as we start to really appreciate the scale of the massive £24m scheme.

We are almost half a mile from where similar works have just finished in Victoria Park and these are only two locations of many dotted around the city.

New bridge already installed

We decide it is about time to turn back when we spot a little way further, one of the recently installed completed bridges.

The smooth white pillars of the new bridges will allow water to pass uninterrupted on the way to the River Eden about a mile away.

With the photograph taken, we turn around and commence our return journey.

The flood defence works do not look out of place.

In the spring sunshine the new walls with their white stone caps do not seem out of place and could be said to improve the area.

A big flat wall is just asking for a boy to walk along ...

It is a well known fact that a wall, especially with a flat top, is a magnet for young boys and Charlie is not the exception.

He desperately wants to be lifted up and in the end dad gives in.  

Charlie becomes king of the castle, but is on a short lead so he doesn’t jump or fall off.

The return journey and the tyre factory is in the distance

We are now walking into the wind and the air takes on a new scent as we approach the Pirelli tyre factory in the distance.

You can faintly smell rubber in the air.

It is not a bad nasty smell, just unusual if you have not experienced it before.

We decide that we will take the path all the way home and avoid the river edge.

The path would be ideal for child buggies, bikes and possibly wheelchairs if you have someone to push or a motorised unit.   

These comments bring us on to the gates at either end of this path.  

What a gate. Now how do I get through here?

Our best description is that they were made by a former shipyard worker as they are the biggest gates we have ever seen.

A gap, just my size.

With narrow swing gates, gaps and wide gates they are a sight to behold.

Charlie eventually finds that he can fit through one gap but is not sure why a solid gate, possibly from a high security prison, is at one end.

If you are ever wanting to see an example of engineering by committee it has to be these structures.  They could however be art?  In which case marvelous, a good use of funds and what an expression of stability.

Our walk is almost at an end but not before dad bursts out laughing at the scene the other side of the wire fence, as we pass back alongside the print works.

Dad spotted this sign and had a laugh.

Until next time

Buster and Charlie.

Further information

You can download a guide to walking in this area produced by the East Cumbria Countryside Project 

Big excitement this morning as we ventured into the garden for our morning constitutional as all our sniffs had disappeared under a blanket of white stuff.

Charlie in the snow

Charlie chased the floaty flakes trying to grab them on his tongue whilst I tried to talk to it with a few well directed woofs.

The flakes made no sound as they came to earth in the garden, unlike the yellow and black floaty things in the summer that buzz.

As the aliens invaded our garden, they seemed to gather together and form a cold wet barrier on the ground hiding all our sniffs.

The leaves on the trees got covered, the fence and even mums greenhouse, all white.  

Mum called the stuff snow and it was great fun to play in.

Snow on our paws

Our paws got cold and it stuck to our legs.

When we came inside we left soggy footprints and the snow vanished leaving something like we find in our water bowl.

The snow was so deep in places around the garden that it reached our tummies and it seemed like our legs just vanished.

Buster barks at the snow

As we moved around the garden we left paw prints in the snow. This was great fun as we could create paths and see where we had been. 

Charlie noticed that if he snuffled in the snow and had a good sniff , his nose reappeared all white with snow.

 He played a game trying to see how much he could balance on the end of his nose before it melted.

Here are a few other friends that have been out in the snow today.

Simba at PopDogBlog enjoying the snow recently
Snow Dogs in south-east England

and spare a thought for the rescue dogs who go out onto the fells in all weathers.

Thats all for now.  Here is a gallery of the day

Buster and Charlie

It was great to get out on Tuesday and get a walk alongside the river with the sun casting long shadows on the ground.

Deflated blister

The recent bad weather caused many of the rivers and streams to flood and it seems the wind may have damaged the tennis blister, as it lies on the ground all flat and limp.

We also noted that the bulbs seem to be starting to peep through the ground in our garden.  

So it not be long until the daffodils will be adding their golden colour to the currently grey garden. 

Oh how we look forward to some sunshine. …

A quick update today as Dad needs the computer for other things.

So until next time

Charlie and Buster

Happy New Year from Charlie and I.  We hope you had a safe night and were not too scared by any fireworks overnight.

A frosty start to 2009

We have been out this morning for a walk by the side of the River Eden.  

The frost has made the ground very firm so we kept quite clean and as the river was no doubt very cold we were stopped from going for a paddle.

Dad said the light, due to the low clouds, gave the photos a very early morning quality although it was around lunchtime.

As it is a while since we last came to this park, due to the muddy conditions during the winter, we were curious to see a new visitor.

A new visitor to the park

Standing high above us was the biggest bird you ever did see.  He had his wings outstretched and was stood atop an old tree trunk about 3m in the air.

You can see the bird from quite a distance and he looks huge.  Charlie commented that his beak did look far too big for his body.

We tried barking to see if he would fly off,  but mum said that he was a carving made from an old tree and if we were not good boys this year,  we would be turned into wood and put high away from sniffs.  

I sniffed around the base of the tree and without being scared by the frogs and beasties watching me from their place carved into the the stump, I anointed the work .

Mum did a bit of research when we returned home and it seems as if the artwork has been made by a local artist called Alistair Neville.

Commissioned by Carlisle City Council as part of an improvement scheme, the six metre high piece of artwork has been chain-sawed into a Horsechesnut tree. The totem pole style artwork is themed on the nearby River Eden and includes a kingfisher, an otter, fish, frogs and other locally found wildlife and plant life.

Alistair started on the work in late October and has spent several weeks perfecting the sculpture.

The sculpture, along with three new ornate iron Kissing Gates installed at the entrances to the park, are part of an overall £40,000 project that will soon include other improvement and access schemes within Kingmoor Nature Reserves and the Kingstown Wildlife Pond. The money was given to the City Council from Barratt Homes following a land sale (to allow one of the developments to be completed).

The Kissing Gates were produced, on behalf of the City Council, by Brunstock Engineering and are also themed around the flow of the River Eden and activities within the park.

We will see if mum or dad will let us see the gates soon and we will report if we get any pictures.

Thats all for now.  

Happy New Year

Buster and Charlie

Gallery

Yesterday we managed to get to the park once more for a walk and a sniff.  Many leaves have fallen from the trees in recent days and the park staff have started to gather them ready for moving them to compost heaps.

Buster spent many minutes inspecting these piles.  Maybe he could smell hedgehogs trying to keep warm beneath the leaf cover or maybe he was just being nosey.  

Heaps of leaves are a popular place for hedgehogs and other animals looking for places to hibernate at this time of year. Buster and I would like to ask gardeners to please check for animals before leaves are moved to bonfires or into the compost piles.  

Bonfire display

On the subject of bonfires we notice that the main public bonfire display has started to be assembled.

Loads of wooden pallets are being collected ready for the bonfire and firework display on the evening of 1st November 2008.

The field still looks very wet.  Maybe the fire will help dry it out.:-)

Flood defences - update

Work still continues on the flood defences nearby. 

Concrete walls and earth bankings have been installed to help protect this area of the city.  

Other News

Following our mention of the hydrotherapy centre near us the other week we spotted a mobile massage service in Worcestershire.

The Canine Massage Therapy Centre offers massage and manipulation services for us pooches to ease aching muscles and bones out of alignment.

Get in touch

If you know of any services or products we should know about then let us know via the contact us page.

Thats all for now

Charlie and Buster

Traveling along the A6 from Carlisle to Penrith you come across a sign to your right indicating Wreay.

So not sure what lies ahead, it maybe the road to nowhere!

After about 2 miles we come across a village green with a church to the right and a pub. 

Having a drink before we go exploring

Parking the car we all get out and go for a run on the village green.

A quick drink before we go exploring and then we set off heading further along the road we came in on.

Public footpath to Newbiggin

We join a firm path past some nice houses and onto a tarmac lane leading down a hill.

It looks like this lane has been here for many many years as it is green with slippy moss in the middle.

The hill is not too steep and is shaded by old stone walls on either side.  

A small garden fire was burning behind one of the walls.  The smoke from it highlighted the sun breaking through the overhanging trees and filled the air with a comforting warm smell of hot wood.

Smoke highlights the shafts of light

Mum looked at the assorted hedges along our route beyond the wall. Holly seemed to be the basic hedging material with gaps filled with metal netting to stop the sheep and cattle escaping.

Continuing down the path, eager to sniff every smell and explore every gap in the fence or wall, the path opened out and we came upon a open view with no trees either side.

Metal railings indicated the approach to a bridge  and we were eager to peer through.

Below us was a big drop to some shiny brown snake like objects which mum called railway tracks. She said that trains use them to ride upon and that they should not be approached as they are dangerous. So we both ran over the bridge to get away and continue our walk.

Metal snakes and apples

As we left the bridge mum spotted an apple tree on the side of the embankment.  She wondered how it came to be there and how long it had been in residence.  Was it a discarded apple core from one of the early settlers many hundreds of years ago, she pondered?

The path led on past some allotments and we said hello to one of the gardeners.  He was eating his lunch whilst in his car listening to the radio,  maybe after a hard day harvesting from the smallholding.

Old style, style.

The public footpath continued down a banking and to the rivers edge.  But first you had to use this very unusual contraption to get into the field.

A quick look at the steps and we all thought that we would give this a miss today as it had been raining and looked slippy and a little fragile.  So we continued along the solid road up the hill.

We have mentioned on a number of occasions that we love to paddle in water and Buster was the first to discover the stream.

Running alongside the road the trickle of fresh water cooled our paws and refilled our tummies, and you guessed it, made for two soggy doggies. 

Corn

Beyond the hedges on this bit of track were animals and crops.  To our left were cows munching on very green grass whilst to our right were soggy fields of corn.

Rustling in the wind the corn stood about 2m tall and if Buster had wanted to play hide and seek we would never have found him amongst it.

The ground, despite being on a hill, looked quite soggy and maybe was why this crop had not yet been harvested.

Dad says that we shouldn’t eat corn as it is bad for us.  Oh joy, another thing we can’t do.

Buster was starting to slow as we climbed the hill so we decided that we should start to make our return back the way we came.  At least it is downhill.

More information

Go to the Heritage & History site to find out more about Wreay

Leaflet about our walk and others in the area

Until next time and the rest of our adventures in Wreay.

Charlie and Buster

The weather still continues to be strange with warm sunshine for a few hours then cold and damp.

Our local park

Our local park is very soggy.  A recent pop concert has left a few bare patches in the grass which have filled with water.

River levels around the area remain high which can not be good for the arrival of winter. 

The weather got me searching the web to see what was available for us to help keep us dry.

Here are a few of my discoveries.

Dog Coat Pac-A-Mac - Ever been enjoying a beautiful stroll when all of a sudden the skies turn grey and the heaven’s open? Now you can enjoy a lovely stroll without the worries of taking home a soggy dog! The black pac-a-mac folds into it’s own backpocket, then opens out as soon as you need it. It’s a must have for any style-conscious pooch!

The All-in Trouser Suit - A wonderful dog trouser suit availble in showerproof nylon and in two colours. Very practical and ideal for dogs that like getting wet & muddy. It has a full length zip runnung from the head to the tail, elastic cuffs around the legs and is easy to put on your dog. 

And the ultimate pet umbrella - Features include a clear oblong arc trimmed with classic plaid waterproof fabric and ergonomic, angled handle with padded comfort grip. An umbrella leash with hook attaches easily and quickly to your pet’s collar or harness. Clear umbrella body allows full view of pet.

Flood defence work

Flood defence work

This work is continuing and starting to show shape.

It looks like reinforced concrete walls are being constructed here to contain any flood waters.

The £24m project comprises the construction of reinforced concrete and sheet piled defence walls, as well as new embankments at critical locations along the Caldew and Eden rivers. 

Share worries

Listening to the news over the past few weeks you can not fail to notice that billions of pounds are slooshing around the world looking for safe havens and investments.

But did you know that some shares are called dogs. Here is a bit of a techie explanation. Dogs are units with low market share in a mature, slow-growing industry. 

They depress a profitable company’s return on assets ratio, used by many investors to judge how well a company is being managed. Dogs, it is thought, should be sold off.

So now you know.

More next time

Charlie and Buster

It has been a few days since we last updated our blog, but we have a very good excuse.

Last Friday we started a grand adventure to the countryside and got to sleep away from home.

All started as any normal day does but something seemed a little unusual.  Mum was packing a bag with our things. Towels, food, bowl, a few toys and a couple of chews.

This is not normally done for a walk so Buster and I started to get excited but puzzled.  

The car was loaded with our bag and a few for mum and dad and we headed off through the city and past our normal walking places and off into the countryside.

After about what seemed to be an hour mum checked her pockets and pulled out a piece of paper. Ah we thought, we are lost.

Dad pulled the car into a farm entrance and looked at the map and directions scribbled on the well folded paper.  As always seems to happen we needed to retrace our path around a mile to a junction to our right.

In the distance we could here the sounds of farm machinery which as we drove along the road became louder.

Finally we come across a direction sign on the roadside that dad says we should follow. I didn’t get chance to read it but it had a picture of a dog on it I think.

After a few hundred meters the car slowed and we approached quite a solid looking gate with a button just asking to be pressed. Mum did the honours and the gates swung upon like in the films.  

I must make a note that we could do with one of those special buttons for our gates.

Welcome

Dad drove through the gap and parked up in a yard.  We were very excited and eager to explore and couldn’t wait to get out of the car.

Mum got out first and after putting the lead on Buster they both went through a doorway opposite. I followed with Dad a few minutes later.

A very nice lady greeted us. She smelt nice and gave us both a stroke and, being the flirt that I am, I got a cuddle as well.

Our own bed

We were led down a tiled passageway past a few doors and into a room.  Wow, it had a tv, a radio, our own small bed and a chair.  

Opposite the doorway was a yard area where we could stretch our legs and speak to other companions nearby.

The room was very posh and although I had to share with Buster the adventure would be fun.

Three sleeps

Mum and dad left us to get on with talking to our neighbours and finding our way around for three sleeps.

We were well looked after despite Buster being quite defensive and not letting anyone near.  He seemed a little scared of being away from his normal comforts but I managed to bound around and keep his spirits up.

We could run around in the big compound in turn with the other guests and I went for a walk every day. I even got a brush and a wash. Buster wasn’t up for a pampering, so I tried to ask for double… I’m not sure if the groomer understood though

Around the country club

The country club for animals even has it’s own pool.  Situated not far from our room is a 5m long 3m wide indoor pool kept nice and warm for us to play in.  

Hydropool with cover on

We didn’t manage to go for a swim this time but we have asked mum if we can come back and play.  

It has murials on the walls and a washing area –  just like the humans swimming pools I have seen in pictures.

This pool is used mainly for Hydrotherapy. This is the use of warm water as a controlled form of weightless exercise. 

It is an ideal aid to the recovery and rehabilitation of injured animals or simply a great form of exercise for healthy dogs.

The pool is fitted with jets to provide variable swim resistance and massage.

I think Buster will enjoy getting his first swim and easing those aching bones. All the time I have known him he has not gone into water deeper than his middle.  His feet have always stayed on the bottom.

Going home

On the morning of the fourth day mum and dad came back for us.  We were glad to see them and have a hug. 

I managed to stand in something rather pongy though on the way to the car and I stunk the car out all the way home.

This resulted in the obligatory bath for both of us and a frantic run around the house to get dry.

Since returning home and back to the daily routines I have needed my cuddles topping up. I did like my holiday and really do want to go for a swim. Will let you know how we get on.

Mum says she will be writing more about the Posh Pets Country Club on the other site Keep Trade Local in the next few weeks.

Thats all for now

Charlie and Buster