Spring 2013 - newsletter

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Newsletter www.yarmouth-greyhound-homefinders.co.uk

Publisher: Jules Wright

Issue Number: 24

Date: Spring 2013

Kennels Located At Hainford, A140. Open every day 11am - 2.00pm

Note From The Editor:

Note From The Ex-Editor:

Happy New Year to you. I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas and that all the dogs got some lovely presents from Santa.

Things in life change over the years and since both my children have flown the nest and are making their own lives in their own homes we seem to be doing even more things together as a family!

Firstly I would like to apologise to those of you who missed the Christmas Fayre at Hainford because the newsletter was not sent out before the event took place.

I do hope that those of you who did attend did enjoy it. We had a fabulous turnout of dogs and their owners and there were lots of “doggy” Christmas presents bought. There is a full report on the Christmas Fayre included in the newsletter.

We have been very fortunate to have been sent an article from Mary Alexander, she has provided a few talks in the past regarding Greyhounds in Art which have been very interesting and I’m sure that you will agree that this current article is no exception.

I hope you enjoy the winter edition of the newsletter. As always if you have any comments on the newsletter good or bad please don’t hesitate to contact me.

It’s very difficult to be in two places at one time and so I have been forced to make choices; do my husband, myself and the four hounds travel from London to Norfolk to be at the kennels or do we stay at home and be with the family? Being a true “family person” I feel that the right choice is to spend time with my family. Having just recently lost my Mum I realise how precious spending time with loved ones (and that certainly includes the dogs!) really is.

So, I’m handing over the reins (or should that be lead?!) to Julia. The newsletter couldn’t be in any better hands. I’ve enjoyed receiving all of your letters, poems, photographs and recipes over the years. Please continue to support Julia in the same way. After all, without you, there wouldn’t be a newsletter!

Jules

This isn’t “goodbye” as I shall be at as many Open Days and events as I possibly can....you can’t get rid of me that easily!

Illustration by Sadie Tattersall

See you soon, Lynda and Jake xxx

Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders, a branch of the Retired Greyhound Trust Registered Charity No: 269668

jewls.knights@hotmail.com 1 Bernard Close, New Rackheath, Norwich, NR13 6QS

Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Events 2013 Sunday 24th March............... New Year Open Day at the kennels 11am – 3pm Sunday 14th April.................. Spring Walk - Wolterton Park (Wolterton Hall NR11 7LY) Tuesday 7th May.................... Fakenham Races – All day Sunday 19th May.................... Stadium Track Walk - 11am to 3pm Sunday 26th May.................... RGT Greyhound Extravaganza – Newmarket Sunday 2nd June..................... Wings and Wheels at Henham Hall – All day Sunday 23rd June................... Late Spring Open Day at kennels inc Greyhound Show – 11am – 3pm Sunday 7th July....................... Summer Walk at Holt Country Park – 11am Sunday 14th July..................... Discover South Norfolk at South Norfolk District Council – 11am 4pm Sunday 28th July..................... Wells Next the Sea Fete – tbc Wednesday 7th August........ Sheringham Carnival – All Day Sunday 18th August.............. Summer Open Day at Kennels and Auction 11am – 3pm Sunday 25th/........................... All About Dogs at Norfolk Showground - all day Mon 26th August Sunday 29th September....... Autumn Walk at Burgh Castle – 11am Sunday 13th October........... Autumn Open Day at kennels – 11am – 3pm Sunday 24th November.........Winter Walk at Burlingham Woodland Walk (just off A47 near Acle) – 11am

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Saturday 14th December.... Christmas Fayre at Hainford Village Hall – 10am – 3pm

Co-ordinator’s Bit I cannot think of enough superlatives to use for the people who own our dogs and offer all sorts of help to us even to the extent of putting themselves out. I am sometimes given problems or situations that require help and there always seems to be someone willing to help me out in some way. Over the past couple of months, including Christmas, I had a number of situations that needed sorting out, for example a very stressed dog that was returned on Christmas Eve and was immediately taken home

by Michael and Martin who happened to be at the kennels at the time. The dog is settling with them now and getting better under their care. One of our dogs in kennels hurt himself and is at present at the home of a volunteer who is getting him better. I had two dogs returned due to the elderly owners being taken into care and both dogs have been extremely well looked after by two of our owners. (unfortunately one of the dogs was very ill and we had to make the hardest decision). Even when unable to help at the time people have put themselves out later on. I am totally indebted to everyone who has helped in every big or little way.

The big winners of course are all those dogs that have been given a better deal.

I am pleased to report that we found homes for 115 greyhounds in 2012 which included some that came back to us for various reasons. Thank you to everyone who gave a greyhound a home last year and I wish you and them a Happy 2013 This year started with homing Dodger, Kylie and Alivia in the first week so let’s hope that is a good omen for the rest of the year and that we can find lovely homes for many more Greyhounds Homed Since The Last Newsletter Somersham Ted (Ted): Toon Chaos (Guinness): Droopys Kimbo (Kimbo): Cannes Can (Boris): Glenske Lucky (Lucky): Rineen Sammyjo (Sammyjo): Hartwood Shadow (Shady): Kyleo Lass (Kylie): Droopys Alivia (Alivia): Ring The Bell (Dodger) Nightlight Black (Leon), Wonder Which (Walter): Ullid Nina (Nina).

There are probably one or two missed between writing this and publication.

Sadly we say goodbye to First Alarm (Silver): Teds Told Me So (Tolly): Moors Anyway (Oala), Ballywhisper Gem (Gem): Pacemans Glory (Glory) all very much missed by their owners.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.

Extracts from our Facebook page

Also thank you to everyone who supported the Christmas raffle (winners list on front cover) which raised £1400 for us.

Kiera Long Our gorgeous boy Harvey has been with us for a year now!!

My Abi, who I lost a year ago, was a Pets as Therapy dog and visited a nursing home, something she loved to do. I have heard recently that Devon, owned by Phil and Barbara, is now a Pets as Therapy dog and has started his visits. Jimmy, owned by Vicki, visits a hospital (see last newsletter) and Claudia and Marley, owned by Corinne, visit an elderly persons club and are much loved. It is brilliant to hear about these dogs and I know they really enjoy it and the people they visit get a great deal out of it. If your dog does anything similar please let us know.

I don’t want to sound like I’m exaggerating or anything but.....he IS the greatest dog in the world!!!

We have growing links with Barclays Bank, Pets at Home, Co-op (Bradwell and Hellesdon), John Lewis, PGL Joinery (Built our new kennel doors) and Rowan House, Buxton, all at different stages and we are very appreciative of all of them. Rowan House, some of whose clients volunteer for us, is to undertake a sponsored walk for homefinders so keep a look out for sponsor forms or let us know if you wish to contribute to that.

Deborah Cutler My parents are looking after our hounds while we are away- they just said that keira was intently watching them digging in the garden, then when they stopped to rest, she jumped in the hole, started digging like mad, then ran 2 laps of the garden and flung herself on top of the pile of soil looking pleased.You’ve got to love them!

Lynne Lilley Trigger’s adventure for today. Went to Kessingland Beach for a walk. Got his legs in a complete muddle going up the numerous steps to the high path, but got the hang of it eventually. Guess where he is now?

Where else? More sprawled than snuggled today. I love my hound dearly but there are times when I wonder whether his brain is actually connected to his legs!

Join our group - search for Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders on facebook.

We have been very lucky to have received an article from Mary Alexander. Mary has provided a few talks regarding the greyhound in history and art. I’m sure that those of you who have been lucky enough to attend her talks have found them very interesting.

Greyhounds and the Visual Arts Mary Alexander Greyhounds have been depicted in art for thousands of years - whether in ancient Egyptian bronzes, Roman mosaics, medieval tapestries and manuscripts, heraldic metalwork, art nouveau posters and jewellery, art deco icons of speed and streamlined modernity, and in the 1960s, as the ‘must-have’ accessory in fashion photography.You name it - greyhounds have been there adding a touch of status and glamour.

Of course, greyhounds also have a decorative attraction which appeals to a much wider audience than greyhound lovers and newsletter readers. I had an intriguing experience recently which really got me thinking - why are they so popular in design and could this appeal be used to spread the message about greyhounds as great pets too? I was walking through a Norwich department store when a large glass bowl on the counter of the jewellery department caught my eye. It was full of coloured resin pin brooches, glistening like lacquer, in a tangle of sinuous lines and striking shapes. And guess what - they were greyhounds! I bought three as presents and noticed that other women were stopping to browse and buy.

Annoyingly, when I returned a few days later they had all gone. Why were they so popular?

Whether standing, running or in their more usual laid back sofa-mode, the lines of a greyhound are always sinuous, lithe and elegant. There is a fascinating tension between the athletic, powerful body and the long delicate legs which always look as though they couldn’t support it. The large soft expressive eyes which communicate gentleness - all these characteristics offer endless design possibilities. Lines and shapes can be elongated, stylised and abstracted to create striking designs, whatever the artistic medium.

Art historians use the word ‘contraposto’ to describe the action of the body (human or animal) when the lower half twists in one direction, the torso faces in the other direction and the head and arms face the other way. Michelangelo often used this pose to suggest energy and motion. Many great artists, such as Van Dyck and Landseer, depicted greyhounds in contraposto poses to show their elegance and strength. For me, the artist today who so effectively captures the inert energy and the ‘essence of greyhound’ is Stuart Anderson.

In this small bronze (left) you can really feel and imagine the muscular body as the light ripples over the textured surfaces.

He captures the sheer magical beauty of the greyhound body and the languid pose which is so typical of the gentle creatures we know and love.

I believe that art has a bigger role to play in communicating the message of gentleness to a wider public. Too many people wrongly associate the racing scenes with muzzled faces as representing fierce temperaments, whereas nothing could be further from the truth. Coming back to the question of why those greyhound brooches sold like hotcakes (like Maureen’s cushions at the Christmas fair!), maybe there is an opportunity here to enjoy tapping into our ‘inner artist’ and raise some money at the same time. Art is a very powerful communications tool. Send us your ideas.

Letters We receive many letters cards and emails from owners telling us all sorts of things about their dogs (we do get letters from the dog also!). It is great to hear from you, even if it is a concern or for advice or sad news, it helps us to keep in touch with you and the dogs and we love to know how the dogs are getting on. We print some of the letters or stories and hope they are enjoyed and perhaps useful to you.

Hi Jules Terrorbasha Spot (known to his friends as Splash) here. I’ve been meaning to write for a while but you know how it is, what with sleeping, eating, walking, being adored and sleeping some more, there just aren’t enough hours in the day! I’ve just got back from a walk along the beach at Felixstowe, had a bowl of cold turkey, and your Newsletter dropped on the doormat so I thought I should let you know how I am doing.

I arrived here in Ipswich on April Fools’ Day last year and took to this retirement lark immediately, particularly the lying on something soft, including the humans in this house, who are very warm and don’t seem to mind.

Apparently there were a couple of puddles in the first few days, but I don’t remember that and it never happens now. My new people are ok really and do a fair job of looking after me, although I’m quite happy being friends with anyone who will stroke me and feed me treats! I have learned to use my big brown eyes to get what I want and if that fails I just do something to make them laugh, which is easy, and that does it!

Because I am so happy here I do get a bit enthusiastic with my lovely long wagging tail when the family get home, or come to visit, and this has caused a few problems. I am always wagging it too hard and hitting it on the radiator or the door. Unfortunately my people don’t seem to appreciate the artistic talent I use in spraying the resulting blood liberally around their house.

They spend a lot of time chasing me round, shouting and washing the walls! It’s a great game! I spend a lot of time with a bandage on my tail and have such fun pulling it off.

The vet says the only answer is to do something called docking. I don’t know what that is but my Mum said “not a chance”, so everyone takes me outside to say hello now and we come back in when I’m a bit less excited.

There are some very little people who come and visit, called grandchildren, and we get on really well. They cuddle me a lot and walk round with the arms round my neck, which I love. They are also just the right height for the odd biscuit or two to fall out of their hands into my mouth. Fuss and food, what more could a retired greyhound want? When my people go away the little people come with their big people and stay at my house to look after me. Me and Dizzy love that, as we get a little bit spoilt!

I do like shoes and generally like to take just one back to my bed. I’ve learned that chewing them does upset people a bit so I just lie on them now. I also like the little people’s cuddly toys, which are way nicer than mine.

They try to put them up high, but I am very tall and have great fun trying to reach them.

I go for my walks in a park behind my house and have lots of doggy playmates over there. They are all shapes and sizes and there are even a couple of greyhounds sometimes. I am very big and do scare some of the little dogs sometimes, so I just go on my lead if I get overexcited.

Anyway, I need a bit of a nap now, so I’ll say bye. Thanks for finding me this home. I think I’ll stay.

There was already another greyhound here, an old lady by the name of Dizzy (Bon Chance Laura) who was a little bit grumpy to start with, but I soon won her round and my humans say that she has started to get a bit more sprightly with me about and we have lots of little runs together now. I do the big laps and she joins in the last bit. We get on ok, and if she is fed up with me she just tells me and I leave her alone. Secretly I’m sure she adores me, after all, who wouldn’t?

I also live with something called a cat and have learned to be very careful around her as she has sharp claws and moves very quickly. Mum and Dad taught me not to chase her and wall live very peacefully now, although Dizzy and me won’t walk past her without Mum or Dad helping us, just to be on the safe side.

Lots of love - Splash (Terrorbasha Spot)

Dear Jules, Just a note to say that today is my lovely girl Zina’s (Toms Cabin Breeze) 8th birthday and thought you would like to see the enclosed photo of her wearing her party gear and the expression on her face when she saw the size of her birthday cake with sausages!!

She has been with me now for nearly four years and remains my best friend and greatest source of entertainment.

Lora Meredith - Kessingland

We have received a lovely poem from 8 year old Mimi Ronson about her greyhound Biscuit (Grab the Biscuit)

BISCUIT My darling dog is very dear but what he says is not quite clear My greyhound dog scoffs down his food and lies on the carpet like a chilled out dude My rescue dog just loves to lick his waggy tail goes FLICK FLICK FLICK! My greyhound dog knows how to sit I love him loads every single bit.

By Mimi Ronson - Age 8

Dear Jules, My name is Lola “Princess Belinda”, I have been with my owner for 2 years. I am very happy and everyone loves me.

I have taken to the bedroom where I can shuffle up to my owner’s bed. Recently when we had the really cold weather I even had a hot water bottle put in my bed.

Also I just love tea, in fact I heard my owner say she will soon have to get me my own teapot!

I just love going out to the coast, where I can run along the beach, but when it is really cold I would rather stay in the car. I was rather naughty one day when we arrived home from a day out and wouldn’t get out of the car for half an hour. Whoops.

Anyway bye for now. - Lola

Volunteer Activities We are very lucky to have lots of volunteers who do a variety of things for us. Therefore I thought I would start a column to record what our volunteers do for us. If you do anything on behalf of Homefinders then please let me know and I will include it in the next edition of our newsletter. It doesn’t matter how small it is.

Pat Glover and her friend Hazel decorated a tree for the Sheringham Christmas Tree Festival at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Sheringham. This raised £103.63 for Homefinders.

Dear Jules, Vinnie has been with us for three years. He really is so good. He has gotten over his hatred for most small dogs and is so laid back. I know they mostly are but he never whines or hassles us for food or to be taken out. He only takes his food when he is told - he has to wait. When we put biscuits in front of him he is told to wait until we tell him he can go ahead and eat. If he takes a biscuit in his mouth and you tell him to wait he even spits it out!!! I have never seen a dog do something like that!

A very low maintenance, but still a bit stupid, lovely dog. We love him but Marley still dislikes him though!

I would also like to thank June Barber for her donation of stamps.

Can you help?

We have the ability to use Yarmouth Stadium’s car park to hold a car boot on a Sunday at the beginning of September. Does anyone who has experience of running a car boot in interested in organising one on behalf of Homefinders? If you have experience and our interested then please phone David on 0845 458 3797.

Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Christmas Fayre We held our first Christmas Fayre at Hainford Hall on the 15th December. We had a fantastic turnout of greyhounds, their owners, volunteers and supporters.

David auctioning the Christmas cake

I’m sure those who attended thoroughly enjoyed it.

In total nearly £4,000 was raised by the following:•£ 1400 was raised from our first ever Homefinders Christmas Raffle. Thanks to everyone who bought and/ or sold tickets.

•£ 20 was raised from the auction of a Christmas cake which was made by Gill Duncombe • J anet Palmer, one of our pet owners presented David Jones with £200 that she had collected during a ‘greyhounds make great pets’ awareness day outside the Co-op in Bradwell.

David and Bob with Megan, Winkle and Bibi.

•£ 800 was raised from the array of stalls, with many people buying their “doggy Christmas presents”.

Faith-Marie Long draws the £250 winning raffle ticket.

Rachael Pegg, supported

by Kam, the deerhound, greyhound cross and Whiskey the greyhound, presents Coordinator David Jones with her cheque for £1,023, raised in the Great South Run.

My little girl eating a cake with Ronnie looking on, hoping some was coming his way!

Raffle winners £250 Mrs J. McCarthy.....Leiston £100 Mr A Baldwin.....Tharston £50 Rae Berrill....Norwich £10 Linda Johnson....Norwich £10 Jane Betts....Rackheath £10 Jan Mockett.... Beetley £10 D. Smith.....Hellesdon £10 Lora Meredith....Kessingland

Making purchases and checking out the many stalls

Whether a winner or not we thank everyone who bought a ticket.Your support is very valuable to us.

We raised an amazing £1400.

Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Veterans Races Boxing Day Morning

Division One, Race Eleven

The traditional featured race at Yarmouth Stadium, on the Boxing Day morning meeting, proved so popular with owners and trainers of the greyhounds, that two races had to be scheduled and even then not every trainer, who had eligible runners, got them included. The entrants had to be four years and older to qualify.

This race went to the form book when odds on favourite Smooth Ace, trained by Terry Hunter, beat Jackdaw Summer by one and three quarter lengths.

Division Two, Race Six The result went down to a photo finish when, Umera Fortune, trained by Irene Barnard beat Zoes Smile by a head, in the time of 29.66 seconds.

Trophy Presentation Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Kennel Manager Joanne Armiger made the trophy presentation to Smooth Ace’s owner Glyn Linder, holding the winner, Smooth Ace is Marge Hunter and on the left Homefinders Volunteer Barry Jackson. On the right, Homefinders volunteer Jill Dawson and Naomi Linder. In the front Joanne Armiger’s daughter, Ashlyn.

Trophy Presentation Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Chairman, Stephen Franklin made the trophy presentation to Andrew Perdicou, next to him is joint owner John Leggett, holding Umera Fortune. With them are kennel hand Oliver Vanner and Homefinders volunteer Lisa Pimble with one of her pet greyhound’s Lucky. On the right, with one of his pets Hetty, is Yarmouth Greyhound Homefinders Coordinator David Jones.

In Memory Goodbye to our lovely Boy Tolly Just before Christmas we had the sad decision to have Tolly (Teds Told me So) put to sleep it was very sudden, but he was in a lot of pain. Tolly had been with us for about 6 years and was a wonderful character, we will miss his silly dance and barking at 5pm for tea and if Leo (lurcher) was having a fuss, Tolly would come up to me to barge Leo out the way. He was great with people but you had to be on your guard with small fluffy dogs. RIP lovely boy.

Steve and Elaine and Leo

It is with great sadness that we have to tell you our beautiful Oala has passed away. After an x-ray the vet diagnosed Cervical (Neck) Disc Disease.

She had been in so much pain and it was a heart breaking decision to have her put to sleep on November 29th 2012, not quite making her 10th birthday.

The 5 ½ years she has been with us has been a pleasure.

She loved long walks then coming home and just chilling out. She was so loving and gentle.

We will miss her very much.

Alan, Gail and Nick Southerland, Beccles

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