Bird Plate

Dogs are a great medium between people, braking barriers of class and shyness.  Stan, my dog has instigated many a conversations with perfect strangers and even initiated a few romances over the years. My sight isn’t as good as it used to be, but I can always recognise a distant figure by their accompanying dog. The daily routine of the dog walk is one of Englands most established customs; come rain or shine we average a 1,000 miles per year. Two half hour walks a day, in my case, that’s a whole hour a day, out in the country.  The dog walk is just as beneficial to me as the dog, making me feel happier, healthier and more relaxed. 

We all have our regular routes; I live in Arundel and have walks that take me beside the river and the kingfishers, and busier walks alongside the castle moat, my local equivalent of the promenade, where dozens of locals stroll daily with their dogs, beneath a beautiful avenue of Lime trees. Trees that change continually and keep me constantly aware of the passing seasons. I also have Arundel Park, where we go for a chance meeting of other dogs and the opportunity for them to run and play off their leads. Finally there is the beach, where we can meet total strangers and that gamble of their unpredictable dog.