Newsletter – September 2026

Dear Irish Terrier Friends

Thank God for the rain and the cooler weather, this last month has had some frightening heat and it’s a shame that my poor darling Marybel ended up in the animal hospital, seriously dehydrated and I’m not quite sure how it happened. Maryb didn’t bat an eyelid and she could be running the place when we collected her 2 days later. She was in great form and seems to have had the run of the place from what I could gather. I think she should have been a stage dog as she loves showing off and she even knows what clapping is about.

We’re back at home now and very pleased to have the cooler weather, but very few summer flowers – I think these poor garden centres must be very worried as they haven’t been able to produce any summer flowers.
I can’t remember a time when one couldn’t buy summer flowers from the garden centres.

We have a very pretty new sandstone birdbath and Maryb stands up on her hind legs trying to drink from it, quite the wrong angle for getting your tongue in. The enormous wood pigeons try to bathe in the birdbath but I think I’ll have to find a paddling pool for them! They sit there looking sinister – they seem to be the only survivors of the age of the dinosaurs.

The garden is breathing again, the Plumbago has recovered from the drought and is in full bright blue Côte d’Azur – I thought she’d given up!

We’re a little worried at the moment about our puppy because she’s been limping for some time with a rather tough piece of grass which has got stuck in between the pads of her left foot. She’s had several visits to the hospital but they haven’t been able to remove it successfully – it’s such a shame because she’s a jolly little dog and she has to wear a cone round her head – poor little thing!

Talking of pets, my canaries continue to be an ongoing entertainment. The hen Celandine, named because of her lovely yellow colour, is now over 7 and poor old Freddy Patches gets pushed around by her, he’s only 2.

He loves to run sideways up the angled perch and just when he’s enjoying himself and almost at the end, ready to do a neat little jump, he gets pounced on by Diney (Celandine) – she’s quite a bossy madam.

We’ve had several friends staying much to all our pleasure and delight, but our current guests are our great favourites because they play with MB from dawn til night.

I was appalled the other day whilst taking her out, she lay on her back on the pavement in the middle of the High Street, rolling about – a child came to talk to her, we did laugh – is it a new game for me to learn?

The sea wall is still an amazing walk because you can walk along the wall, and off the wall – beach and fields and shops on the way home – all very pleasant and not too crowded now.

It has been a worrying time this last summer, because so many of my friends have been unwell with the problem of sheer overheating which is quite alarming. I can’t tell you how many old gentlemen, mopping their brows, are told by me to bring a sunshade along! I have a large sunshade which I absolutely love!

I’ve never forgotten how Libby would get the best out of rain or shine, by abandoning me and find her 2 old lady friends who would walk under a vast umbrella / sunshade with Sandringham printed all over it – she insisted on going between the 2 – getting the best of both worlds, she’d just walk away from me – they thought it was hilarious!

Marybel has enjoyed our many jolly visitors and she absolutely adores the granddaughters who take her out for extra long walks and she loves every minute of it. I’m not really able to do long walks now, but I can get down to the sea wall and smell the sea air and that has to be enough for me.

I could hardly believe the relief of having some rain at last, I think some of the plants were pretty on the edge and I gather that the trees in the New Forest have also been distressed and threatened by fire. How we always longed for a hot summer – I remember when the children were little and they used to play behind the breakwaters in Frinton to keep dry and out of the wind. I have pictures of them building sandcastles in their Mackintoshes.

They had the Fisherman’s Sports and I’m always reminded of the awesomely awful day when Julian (one of my twins) climbed up a ladder to the top of the dredger – my heart sank when I heard the announcement “John Julian is going to do his Swallow Dive” – it was one of those heart stopping moments when I saw him throw himself into the water from goodness knows how far up, probably 30 feet or more!

Please do remember the animals on Remembrance Sunday – the Animal War Memorial in London’s Park Lane has become an enormous attraction and so many people gather for the little ceremony. I don’t take MB up as it’s a long journey with a lot of standing around but we have friends who come regularly and it’s lovely to see everyone – hopefully Derek and Richard will be there to do the readings.

We’re waiting on confirmation of the date – as soon as we know, we’ll let you know.

Much love to you all as ever, with my special love to the dogs.