2009
News
We
have Snow! 18th December 2009
 

Top
Left - Millie at 4 3/4 Months
Top Right - Harvey
at 3 3/4 years
Bottom Left - Amy at 2 3/4 years
Today
we woke up to loads of snow, which is very unusual for us here
in Norfolk. It was the first time that Millie had experienced snow
and at first
she wasn't sure if she should eat it or roll in it. It wasn't long
before she realised she couldn't eat it all so she decided that
galloping about and rolling in it with Harvey & Amy was much more
fun!
These pictures show just how funny Bernese can look
when they are covered in snow, it gives them a a kind of ghostly look!
1st
November 2009 - Amy Has A Wonderful Litter Of Eight Puppies
Today
our Amy (Malynncastle Ambriel at Pasturegreen) had a wonderful litter
of eight puppies; 5 girls & 3 boys, sired by Champion Jaybiem
UTwo JW ShCM and all born naturally with a little help from Philippa
and our fabulous vet Paul Jarman. This is our Amy's first
litter and what a wonderful job she did. Considering she wasn't due
until 4th November we were a little surprised when she started having
contractions at 3am this morning. Eight big puppies all delivered
naturally without the aid of a C Section
these
days
is
not as usual
as it
used to be. We will excitedly watched these lovely pups as they develop
over the next eight weeks and hope that there is a super girl just
right for us to keep.
Introducing
Our New Bernese Puppy Millie
We are thrilled to
introduce our new Bernese puppy Millie who has come to live with
us from the Fortonpark kennels near Blackpool.
Millie sired by Monalou Dutch Courage and out of Fortonpark It's
A Star is a complete sweetheart and we are very grateful to her breeder
Julie
Baldwin for entrusting Millie to us. Millie is related to our Amy
on her Mother Dolly's side as she and Amy share the same Father
CH Fortonpark It's Otto JW, making Amy, Millie's half Auntie. Millie
is also related to our Harvey also though her Mother's side as both
her Grandmothers; CH Fortonpark Frankly My Dear & Fortonpark Frankly
My Love were from the same litter as Harvey's Father CH Fortonpark
Frankie Goes
To
Meadowpark, therefore making Harvey, Millie's great Uncle. Millie
was born on Monday 20th July and is now eight weeks old, these are
some of the first photos taken of Millie but better ones will be
added to our site as she learns to sit still and pose for the camera.
   
Family Holiday Up On The North Yorkshire Moors
 To
celebrate Mervyn's Birthday we had a very enjoyable week up on the
North Yorkshire Moors
staying at Hill Farm Cottages in
Beckhole and were lucky enough that Philippa's younger sister Ursula
was able to join
us
for
a long
weekend.
Chloe thought
it was amazing to have her Auntie stay in her room and entertain
her for three whole days and
was very upset when it was time to wave her goodbye at York station.
It was wonderful to have Ursula staying with us as she was keen to
panda to the girls so it gave both of us a much needed rest.  It
was Ursula's
first time to Yorkshire
so we
thoroughly
enjoyed
showing her all our favourite places and some of our walks which
of course included a ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway
from Pickering
to Whitby. Runswick Bay where we actually had two very enjoyable
days of our holiday; one with Ursula and with
the girls in the cafe serving
us many
rounds of delicious sandwiches and cakes we had a great time. A nice
meal up at The Lion on Blakney Ridge even if one of the Restaurant
staff
was
extremely
rude, probably would have had several more meals if I hadn't been
offended and a visit to  The
Chocolate Factory at Hutton Le Hole to stock up
on
their
fabulous
handmade chocolates. It
was all
too
soon
to say
goodbye to Ursula and spend the rest of our holiday by ourselves.
Whilst we were away we visited our friends the Instones from Staubach
and
enjoyed
a nice few hours talking about Bernese. We also visited Amy's breeder
Lynn Keegan from Malynncastle and got to see Amy's litter sister
Daisy. The icing on the cake was the last day of our holiday when
we traveled
across to Blackpool to collect Millie from Julie Baldwin at Fortonpark.
This was our first holiday without our Sophie and we missed her a
great
deal.
There
were many
times we remembered things that Sophie
loved about our holiday's in this area and things she didn't like
so much. I especially missed
her watchful eye over the girls and her inpatientness when boarding
or getting off the steam train, her love of exploring Runswick Bay
beach often finding something nasty to eat and sharing an ice cream
even though Sophie had no idea about sharing ice cream just trying
to
achieve
eating
it
in
one whole mouthful.
Lying
under the table on the stone floor of the Birchwood Inn hoping for
crusts of our Beckhole Butty or paddling in the river. We had always
thought of scattering her ashes on our favourite walk but
when the time came we felt it would be like leaving her behind, so
Sophie remains on my office desk and probably will for a very long
time to come.
A
Buzzing time was had at Kelso,
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Scotland
Working Weekend 1st & 2nd August
2009
So
for the third weekend in a row we packed up the van and headed off
for another long weekend away working
the dogs, this time it was up to Kelso for the Bernese Mountain Dog
Club of Scotland working weekend, considered by many the best working
weekend of them all. We left early on Thursday morning and arrived
at the Border Union Showground in Kelso around lunch time. The afternoon
was spent setting up camp and having a natter with lots of our carting
and show friends. Friday
was soon upon us and we spent most of the day with Abbie's Godparents
Linda & David Biggins from Greybern in
Harlow, who were staying near Kelso in a holiday cottage so that
they to could enjoy the weekend as part of their annual two week
holiday. After a lovely walk with them it was action stations go
as we helped each other wash all the dogs, five in total, in readiness
for the Championship show the following day. When all the work was
done and the dogs were clean and dried we said our goodbyes and traveled
up to Berwick Upon Tweed to visit our Meg who was out of our Sophie's
second litter. It was lovely to see her again, especially as we believe
she's in whelp and to meet her family again. She is so quiet and
calm even with the four children and our Chloe running about, a
situation that a lot of dogs would have been stressed in. Saturday
we were welcomed by rain but Agnes Wilson was full of hope that the
sun would soon come out. Amy got a 2nd in Graduate Bitch and in the
evening it was the yearly Bernie Bash. A great evening of food, fun,
fancy dress and entertainment in a true Scottish way. Us girls donned
our fancy dress costumes, Abbie went as a black cat, Chloe as a plum
princess fairy and Philippa went as a bumble bee, perhaps
it'll be the last time I do fancy dress as I had thought that there
would
have
been
a few
more? On the Sunday we were part of the opening parade in our traditional
Swiss costumes with Harvey & Amy pulling their carts. Later on Mervyn
& Amy
got a 3rd in the Best Carting Turnout with Harvey and Philippa getting
a 4th in the same class. Harvey then went on to get a 3rd in the
Waggiest Tail, something he's very good at and our young handler
David who lives with Meg, took our Amy in for a few fun classes and
got 3rd in the Junior Handling and 4th in Bitch the Judge would most
like to take home. Mervyn worked Amy on the Carting Course and got
a 2nd passing the Beginners course for the third time, so he now
moves up to the Intermediate level and Harvey after a mad round on
the course still managed to get a 5th on the Advanced level. It wasn't
long before it was all over and time to pack up our tent and head
off home back to Norfolk.
Amy
Achieves her Gold Kennel Club Good Citizen Award at
Southern BMDC
Working Weekend 25th/26th July 2009
On
Friday we traveled down to Billingshurst, West Sussex for the Southern
BMDC Working
Weekend, held on the fields behind The Blue Ship pub, it was a long
journey
with hold ups on the M25 and shortly after we arrived we had to
take shelter and wait for a thunder storm to pass by before we could
set
up camp. On the Saturday the weather was dry and warm and we worked
the dogs in the carting and obedience competitions. Amy
achieved her Gold Kennel Club Good Citizen Award, which we're very
proud about
and
both dogs enjoyed a few fun classes in the afternoon. On the Sunday
it was our Chloe's 3rd birthday, which she spent most of her time
playing with her new presents rather than wanting to be part of the
dog activities with us. Mervyn
& Amy won the Best Decorated Swiss
Carting
Class, with Philippa and Harvey
getting
second
place
and later
on
Amy won
Best
Condition
Bitch and Chloe & Amy got 4th in Best Six Legs. It wasn't long
before it was time to pack up camp and head off home in the rain,
another
weekend
our
tent
got
packed
up
wet
as until then the weather had been dry so just typical the heavens
should open as we were loading the van. 
Our successes over
the weekend were as follows:
Amy: Kennel Club Gold Good Citizen Award
1st Best Condition
Bitch
1st Decorated Cart Swiss Theme class (Sunday)
2nd Laddettes for Bitches
2-5 years
3rd Beginners Carting Course
3rd Have
a Go Obedience
3rd Decorated Swiss Carting Class (Saturday)
3rd Best Carting
Turnout
4th Best Six Legs with Chloe
3rd Best Family Group
(Harvey & Amy (Bern's) + Mervyn,
Philippa, Chloe & Abbie (Humans))
Harvey:
1st Lads for Dogs 2-5 years
2nd Decorated Cart Swiss Theme class (Sunday)
4th Advanced Carting Course
4th Handsomest Dog (Saturday)
4th Best Condition Dog
5th Best Carting Turnout
5th Triers Obedience
5th Handsomest Dog (Sunday)
Harvey
wins Intermediate Carting at Central BMDC Open Show 19th July 2009
We
have just returned from a most enjoyable weekend. On Saturday we
showed at Working
& Pastoral Championship Show at The Three Countries Showground
at Malvern where Harvey
got a 5th in Limit Dog. We then traveled up the country to Overseal
near Burton Upon Trent to camp overnight for the Central Bernese
Mountain Dog Club Open Show/Carting Day on the Sunday. The weather
was kind
to us when we set up camp on the Saturday and the rain stayed away
until the night. On the Sunday we experienced a few nasty showers
but all in all it was great weather for the dogs as not too hot.
Harvey
got a 2nd in Post Graduate Dog and Amy got a 2nd in Post Graduate
Bitch in the open show and then later on Harvey won the Intermediate
Carting
with his third pass and Amy got a 2nd in the Beginners carting
missing out on 1st place by ½ a point with her second pass. Sophie
would have
been very proud as she won the Beginners Carting at the same event
last year. The weather wasn't so kind to us when we packed up to
go home and loading the van became a bit of a headache as we were
having
to battle with the rain. The pictures show Mervyn working Amy in
the carting competition but as is so often the case there are no
photos of me working Harvey.
A
tribute to Sophie - Click here to see her page.
SBMDC
Championship Show 14th June 2009
Despite having just lost our Sophie a little over a week ago, we had an
enjoyable day out at the SBMDC Championship Show held at Leatherhead Leisure
Centre,
Surrey. I
felt a tinge of sadness when I saw Sophie's name in the catalogue but
being surrounded by friends and remembering all Sophie's funny ways
was a real tonic, as were all the kind words people had to say and
showing
off our lovely new sign written van with a huge photo of Sophie pulling
her cart. It was also lovely to see a whole group of our carting friends
too who'd come down to watch the proceedings for a short while. It
was a busy day, what with setting up our little camp and showing Harvey
& Amy
and then packing everything up again. Harvey
got a 3rd in Breeders Dog and Amy got a 3rd in Graduate Bitch and 4th
in Post
Graduate Bitch.
Despite
the
weather
being rather warm the dogs kept nice and cool in the van and didn't
seem to suffer from the heat. I was proud of them as they too have
been suffering
from the lost of Sophie and I'm sure that the outing
had as good effect on them as it did on us.
Sophie
- Lintock Opium at Pasturegreen 27th August 2003 - 6th June 2009
Our
Beloved Sophie, Lintock Opium at Pasturegreen died suddenly on Saturday
6th June at 11pm from Lymphoma, cancer of the Nymph
Glands. We had been totally unaware that she was ill and she had
enjoyed carting the previous weekend at Wellington and showing at
Bath Championship
show the weekend before. She showed no outward signs that anything
was amiss having eaten her tea only hours before a major tumor burst
on
a vital blood vessel. It was only then that she began to pant heavily
and her gums went white. It happened all so suddenly.
As I type this I can barely see the screen for the flood of tears. I
don't know how we're going to manage without her. Everywhere I look I
can see things of hers or things that remind me of her. She lives on
in our Harvey, and pups Meg, Arran and Hector. She had such a promising
future ahead of her in the carting and really loved life.
Our only consolation is that she didn't suffer even at the end and died
peacefully. We will never forget her as she was our 1st Bernese and our
introduction into everything Bernese from carting to puppies and much
much more.
Please enjoy your dogs, hug yours dogs and love them everyday as if it
might be the last as one just never knows when suddenly it might be.
Wellington
Carting Weekend 30th & 31st May 2009
Cor
what a great weekend we've just had at Wellington Country Park. We
arrived late Friday
afternoon after having a hell of a journey down
having got held up by various
accidents and of course on the dreaded M25 on a Friday afternoon. Our
new tent, dog tent and toilet tent all took a fair while to set up
as they were all new and we're weren't 100% sure how everything
fitted together. At 2pm on Saturday and Sunday we were part of a
parade with
the other carters in the main area with our decorated carts and had
a sizable crowd of at least a couple of hundred. The
sun was hot
but
all
the dogs
managed
without any problems. Amy & Sophie were hitched up to try working as
a brace which I was surprised was a lot harder to do than it looked
and Sophie also got a chance to work the Advanced Carting Course, which
she did really well. Now all we need do is pass the Intermediate
level one more time before we can actually compete on the Advanced
course with Sophie and Harvey. Harvey tried his hand at reversing with
his cart but more training is required in this area, even though
Sophie
managed
to
reverse brilliantly
having never done it before. Saturday night we all enjoyed a BBQ professionally
cooked by Dave and Wendy and then Lee did a funny and entertaining
job of playing quiz master. It wasn't long before it was time to
pack up camp and head off home, all of
which
took
much
longer
than
anticipated
much to the amusement of the other carters!
Carting
Success at BMDC of GB Garden Party
 On
Sunday 10th May the BMDC of GB held their Garden Party at Roade Village
near Northampton. The weather was lovely, not too warm, with a nice
breeze at times to keep the dogs cool and the rain thankfully stayed
away. It was Amy's first carting competition and we were thrilled
she
passed her first carting course with a 3rd especially as she'd only
seen the course for the first time a fortnight earlier. Sophie and
Harvey
both passed
the intermediate level on the carting course for the second time
with Sophie's 2nd place being only one point less than the 1st place
and Harvey achieved a respectable 4th. It was baby Abbie's first
Garden Party and seemed to take it all in her stride. Chloe
was wearing her new Swiss Costume which Granny Georgina had kindly
made for
her. The day went so very quickly no sooner had we arrived and unloaded
the van then it seemed that it was time to pack up and leave. The
committee did a sterling job ensuring that the day was perfect and
it really was.
Mervyn enjoyed working Amy for the first time in the carting, obedience
and agility and did a great job which I was very proud of, it just
goes to show he must have been listening to all the advice I'd given
him? Amy just missed out getting placed in the obedience but got
a 3rd in
Agility
and Harvey won the waggiest tail class without
much
effort as he's never happier than when he's out and about, so his
tail is continually wagging and he also got a 5th in the Obedience.
Our results
for the day
were as follows:
 Amy: 3rd
Beginner Carting, 3rd Beginner Agility & 4th Prettiest Bitch
Sophie: 2nd Intermediate
Carting, 5th Best Carting Turnout & 5th Biscuit Catching
Harvey: 1st Waggiest
Tail, 4th Intermediate Carting & 5th Have a Go Obedience
Family Holiday up on
the North Yorkshire Moors
 During
the first week of May we all enjoyed a lovely family holiday up on
the North Yorkshire
Moors staying at Hill
Farm Holiday Cottages,
in Beckhole, where we've stayed for a number of years
and who always give our Bernese
a warm welcome. Our holiday coincided
with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Steam
Gala where the brand new A1 Steam Train,
Tornado was making an appearance, also visiting was the streamliner
Sir Nigel Gresley.
After taking
two trips on Tornado with the dogs during the week, Mervyn surprised
me with a footplate ride on the Tornado which was an amazing experience.
During
the week we enjoyed many walks across the North Yorkshire Moors with
the dogs
having great fun running about, paddling in
rivers and enjoying Runswick Bay beach which is a popular place
for the
dogs
and us humans
too. The
dogs enjoyed getting really muddy, wet and sandy during the
week knowing that it wouldn't be long before they would be washed
once again in readiness for another working event.
   
Pasturegreen
Bernese Start Hydrotherapy
 Amy,
Sophie & Harvey have in recent weeks started hydrotherapy to improve
fitness
and muscle tone. We are most fortunate that we have a new hydrotherapy
pool nearby at Lime Liegh Kennels,
Hingham, Norfolk, owned and run by Eileen Barrett. Eileen is fully
qualified in hydrotherapy
and
our
dogs have
taken
to their
swimming
without any problems. I think this is ultimately down to the repore
that Eileen builds up with each of her swimming dogs. Here is Amy
enjoying a swimming session with Eileen.
Amy gets 3rd at Crufts 2009
What
a great start to our 2009 show season with Amy getting a 3rd in Good
Citizen Bitch at Crufts 2009 under Andrew Brace. It was
a long day but well worth the effort. We were up at 3am, leaving the
house in 50 minutes (Not bad when you have a 2½ year old and
a 10 week old to get ready, not to mention toileting all the dogs
and getting
showered and dressed one's self). We arrived at the NEC at 6am which
is such a nice time to be at Crufts as it's so quiet. It was lovely
to catch up with all our Bernese friends and we thoroughly enjoyed
watching all the action from the ringside before it was our Amy's
turn. Now
that Crufts is all over for another year it's back to trying to
qualifying the dogs for next year's Crufts.
 Baby
Abbie's Early Arrival!
Well
what is it that they say about best made plans? Our Sophie
was due to give birth
on Boxing Day/27th December & our baby was due
on 9th January but instead baby Abbie decided to put
in an early
arrival and was
born
on 27th December instead, much to her parents surprise!
Abbie was born at 7.55am after
a 6 hour labour at home weighing in at 7.5lb.
Chloe is delighted to have a new baby sister and our
three
Bernese; Sophie, Harvey & Amy have taken Abbie's
arrival in their stride.
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