David Cropper

Just to give a bit of good news after Big J's bad news. The local dog charity, who raise so much to help rescued and abused dogs, put out an appeal for helpers to clear an old hunt kennels in readiness for the arrival of several dogs coming in from Ukraine tomorrow. A lady had travelled to collect them and bring them to safety in France. The call came out at 0730 Saturday, by mid morning 42 people were on their way to help. A lady had bought a property with a former hunt kennels tucked away in her wood, it was in a bad way, roof panels smashed by falling trees and generally left for years in crap order. She is involved with the charity so offered the kennels for the Ukrainian dogs. A local tree surgeon, a Scot, did amazing work, for free, other volunteers cleared up, strimming, shovelling all the debris away etc. I went up yesterday to grind out the stumps, my mate a chippy was there fixing up the doors and sorting out the fencing. It made me feel pretty good when I'd finished I must admit, the way I look at it is that without this charity I wouldn't have found and taken on Charlie. Dog people are pretty special in my eyes, not me, I'm an arse.

Woke up to find the car and van covered in sand! Sky is a strange colour, forecast is for 19/20 degrees and sunny, 13 degrees at the moment, 0800. Only saw this twice, once over here and once in Dorset in, I think, 1989 when sand from the Saraha blew over.

Nice, Mick!

Bit cynical there Mr Johnson. Good luck to them. If they are Walts, then they are going to receive a few harsh lessons and wish they'd stayed at home. I must admit that that chap's kit looked brand new. Does it really matter if they are Wannabes or ex Forces looking to help?

Not a joke but very true.

Still the same Doug. We took him for a ride this morning, parked next to a river in the car park, got him out, no lead as he is good without one, didn't like it as it was a strange place, then trotted back to the car. He'll never change hit that's ok with us. It on my morning walk he meets another dog, he's not got a problem with the owner, he knows that they are ok. If he meets someone on their own, he doesn't feel safe. All I can think of is getting another dog for him bit that's not really feasible. My wife is still not confident with dogs apart from Charlie. He's lying on my feet at the moment, I can't move, fat sod. That's the dog, not me.

If it was mine it would be in the freezer!

Very clever!

Everyone a winner!

This is my position in the pecking order. Wednesday I packed in at 1230 for my grub. Gets in the van, reaches for the Tupperware box holding my sandwiches, to find I'd picked up out of the fridge a similar box with last night's leftover cooked cauliflower stalks and a couple of small florets my wife saves to mix into the dogs dinner. When I rang her to say I'd no grub bar two tiny floretes, she was most concerned that Charlie didn't have any veg! Bleeding marvellous!

I've said it before, this is the best thread on this forum, boys. In these troubled times, it's a ray of sunshine seeing these beautiful animals living the "Good life".

I think I preferred it when you posted the jokes your kids gave you!

? Braille? Sorry, not a clue.

Wouldn't fit me now anyway! I knew a safety officer at Winfrith Atomic site in Dorset, I actually lived in Winfrith Newburgh village, and he'd been to Chernobyl before the meltdown. He was horrified and terrified at the lack of safety. Corner cutting, blatant breach of most obvious procedures and crap kit. Not a pleasant scenario to contemplate the future of any of us. Time to stock up the wine cellar, I think Mr Johnson.

French pharmacists are reportedly getting requests for Iodine tablets according to a ex pat on line newspaper.

I've just crawled out of my coffin as apparently I'm nearly dead, to reply to your usual poisonous diatribe. Where did you get the idea that I sit at home as I don't have a day job? I still work full time as you probably realise, but you must have thought that I'd rear up and give you a bit of sport. I can't even be arsed to get annoyed, you really aren't worth it.

Unbelievable! I assume you are an Internationally respected voice of geopolitics and you work part time in arb to give your overworked brain a rest? Or am I taking the piss? You're obviously wasted doing your day job.

Utter Bollocks!

This should make us all think. Very poignant.