Christmas and New Year
For Christmas we went to London to see our son, leaving Morwenna and Jenna to spend Christmas with Kim, her mother and Talisa, Kyra and Rex. They had a great time and were joined by Judy with Lily and Leo on Christmas day so Kim had her hands full.
We drove back from London on Boxing day and picked the girls up from Kim in the afternon, enjoying a buffet lunch with Kim, her Mum and our friends Jen and Pete.
On Friday 29th, Jen and Pete (with Albert) came to stay and on Saturday, we all went to Tiverton for a potter round and coffee at the Duck and Bean. Kim arrived Saturday evening and we were set for our New Year’s celebrations. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t brilliant so the dogs didn’t get much of a walk on New Year’s Eve but they made up for it with the excitement of pass the doggy parcel.
Finally, on New Year’s day we managed to take the dogs for an off-lead walk near Eggesford and they enjoyed playing in the forest – their equafleeces were invaluable as it was still very muddy underfoot and ours do tend to enjoy a roll.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
And as promised – the Christmas presents for Talisa and Kyra and for Morwenna and Jenna. Special treat jars upcycled by JKUpcycles https://www.facebook.com/JKupcycles
November / December
Not sure why I haven’t managed to update the blog for so long – I think it’s probably to do with the getting ready for Christmas – it seems to take so long now and as well as the usual stuff we have friends stay for New Year and we each have to buy each of the others a present costing no more than £5 from a charity shop – great fun but time consuming. Our friend Jen has already made the pass the parcels for the dogs – we did this last year and it was hilarious as whover had the parcel got mugged by the dogs – we will have 5 Goldies so that’s a lot of dog trying to get to the parcel!
Anyway, what have the girls been up to?
We had a meet up with Morwenna’s family for a change – saw her Mum and siblings and Summer who is Sennen’s sister (we lost Sennen at 14 weeks the September before we got Jenna).
We took the girls to Broadsands beach when we were exploring other possible places to move to – Dawlish, Paignton and Brixham but in the end we have decided we really like Exmouth so hopefully next year we will get another buyer and finally move
We then had Jen, Pete and Kim stay for the weekend and took them to Abbeyford Woods and Okehampton.
In early December we met up with Jay and Callum who we hadn’t seen for ages – they have Harry who is Jenna’s brother and Jeff who is her uncle. Despite it being wet and muddy we all had a great time.
We are now all ready for Christmas – the girls have had the obligatory Christmas picture taken and their presents are all wrapped up ready for them – I’m really pleased with the present for them and for Talisa and Kyra – I’ll put a picture up after Christmas but I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise by showing them now.
October
October – the month we were supposed to move. Six months after getting an offer on our place and after a lot of legal issues (5 people in the chain and a buyer who changed solicitors halfway through), on the day we were supposed to exchange it all fell to pieces. So we have unpacked and will try again, probably next year. In the meantime none of this has stopped us being out and about with the girls.
At the start of the month we met up with Sarah who has Gladys and Nellie, and her daughter Katie at Cockington court.
We then went away for the weekend with Kim (with Talisa and Kyra) and Jen and Pete (with Albert). We stayed in a airbnb in Weston Super-Mare and spent time on the beach, travelled to Nailsea by train and bus (lots of shopping for Kim, Jen and me, lots of waiting outside shops for Pete and Chris) and finished up at Brean down for breakfast and a run on the beach on Sunday.
We tried a new dog field (Hazelmere) and a new pub for lunch (Hunter’s Inn, Ivybridge) with Kim and met up with Kate (with Finn), Kim (with Talisa and Kyra) and Judy (with Leo and Lily) at Charwell dog adventures – one of our favouite dog fields followed by Sunday lunch at one of our favourite pubs – the Manor House Inn at Rilla Mill.
For Jenna’s birthday, we met up with Jen and Pete (with Albert) at Exmouth for a run and breakfast.
And finally, there was the end of season doggy swim at Shoalstone sea pool. As ever, Jenna was enthusiatic while Morwenna needed a little persuasion (she swims happily once she gets in and bounces on the edge wanting to get in but just needs a little help)
23rd – 29th September – New Forest
We spent 6 days in a lodge near Fordingbridge in order to get a bit of a break and to see family and friends who live in the Southampton / Winchester area.
The lodge was brilliant – see info under self catering – and well set up for dogs with an enclosed garden, free run of the rest of the grounds and the common up the hill behind us.
1st – 8th September
On the 1st, we visited Sidmouth to meet friends for coffee, stopping off for a run at Core Hill unleashed dog field.
Then on the second we travelled by ferry from Dartmouth to Greenway to meet our friend, Patsy at the end of the Dart 10K swim- an incredible achievement. Patsy has Iona (Jenna’s sister)
Then from the 4th – 8th September, we took a trip to a fabulous dog friendy cottage in West Wales. The girls loved the Scentral bark dog field on the site and being able to run free on our own little patio – details under Brechfa forest barns on the self-catering page.
We spent time in Carmathen, walked in Brechfa forest, took a steam rail trip and went dolphin spotting at New Quay – see details under Wales walks, attractions and beaches.
The wether was fantastic and we were very glad that we had taken the cooling coats and cooling mat.
17th – 18th August
The 17th of August was Morwenna’s 5th Birthday so we met Kim with Talisa and Kyra at Exmouth for an early morning run and birthday cakes.
In the afternoon there were presents and more cakes and Morwenna has definitely fallen in love with her new baby Goldie.
On the 19th we again met up with Kim, Talisa and Kyra, this time at Charwell park adventures in Callington. We had 1/2 hour in the splash field and 1/2 hour in the ball mania field, then went to Tavistock for a wander around and lunch.
Mowenna is not always the brightest and when they all have cakes, biscuits, ice-creams etc she is often slow to react as you can see below.
Unusually for her, when Kim was putting their cakes out, Morwenna went straight for hers before the rest had theirs in front of them.
3rd July to 11th August
I didn’t think we had done much in the last month until I checked my diary and realised that we had tried 8 dog friendly cafes and 2 new dog fields.
Some were places we had been before but not for a while – Roadford lake for example, which has a small enclosed dog field and lovely walks as well as a dog friendly café.
We started with a visit to West Bay in Dorset to meet my friend Sue, having lunch at the Ivy house cafe in Groves Garden centre.
Then we met up with Kim, her daughter Abbie and Talisa and Kyra at Drake field Tavistock followed by a wander around Tavistock and tea at Bob’s East End cafe in the market.
We brought Talisa and Kyra back to stay with us while Kim was in Maastricht for an Andre Rieu concert and while they were with us we took them to pooches paddock for a run and then to Homeleigh Garden Centre for coffee where they settled down well.
We have had several trips to Exmouth – some with Kim, Talisa and Kyra and some just us, and then we tried the enclosed dog field at Cranbrook, stopping for coffee on the wat back at Bernaville nurseries.
Finally, we met up at Patsy’s (she has Iona, Jenna’s sister) with Kim, Talisa and Kyra and Sarah with Gladys (Morwenna’s half sister) and Nellie (Jenna’s sister) for a walk down to her lake. The dogs had a great time and were exhausted afterwards.
25th June – 2nd July
Things have been a bit hectic recently including getting the motorhome serviced, through it’s MOT and habitation check so we hadn’t been anywhere new until the end of June.
We spent 4 nights at Uphill Marina and touring park which was featured in Motorhoming with Merton and Webster. Fabulous site next to a nature reserve with lots of walks and walking distance of a beach, lovely pub, very dog friendly cafe and with a bus stop outside.
We even saw a crocodile.
Sunday 2nd July
We tried a new dog field near Holsworthy – massive space with a lot of different activities and plenty of picnic tables and water stations for the dogs.
1 – 3rd June Hillhead caravan club site, Brixham
A fabulous weekend at what was a rather empty campsite considering it was half term week and the Torbay Airshow. The weather was gorgeous and we used the bus to get around. On Thursday, Patsy (with Iona) and Sarah (with Gladys and Nellie) joined us for the afternoon. Paignton on Friday and then Dartmouth and Dittisham on Saturday – bus to Kingswear and then ferries to Dartmouth, Greenway and Dittisham. A lovely lunch at the Royal Castle in Dartmouth and back to the site just in time to catch the red arrows flying over Torbay.
My birthday weekend: 12th – 14th May
Kim (with Talisa and Kyra) and Jen and Pete (with Albert) came to stay for the weekend after my birthday. On Friday afternoon we took the dogs to Fingle Bridge where they had a good run in and out of the water, followed by coffee at the Fingle Bridge Inn.
On Saturday we took them to Sidmouth for a run on the beach and we walked into town to have ice-cream at Taste which is dog friendly. We then took them on the Seaton Tramway to Colyton, walking into Colyton to have lunch at The Gerrard arms which is dog friendly.
And then on Sunday we took an early morning trip to Exmouth beach.
It was a fabulous weekend and the dogs all had a fantastic time.
20th April to 3rd May
We visited friends who have recently moved to Sidmouth and discovered that Sidmouth does actually have some sandy beaches, especially at low tide.
At the end of April we stayed at Dornafield site near Newton Abbott with Kim and her girls. The weather was mixed – beautiful on the Saturday when we went to Teignmouth, not so good on the Sunday when we joined other Golden Retrievers from South Devon for a meet up on Exmouth beach but the girls love the water whatever the weather.
Then on Wednesday we met up with others from the Cornwall and Devon Golden Retriever group at Widemouth bay in brilliant sunshine.
14th March – 9th April
On the 14th March we met up with Kim (Kyra and Talisa), Sarah (Nellie and Gladys) and Patsy (Iona) for a walk and lunch at Cockington court. The dogs had a lovely, if somewhat muddy time.
Then on the 19th we met Kate and Callum (Finn) and Kim at the Field of dreams near Launceston – one of our two favourite dog fields.
On the 25th we met Jen and Pete (Albert) and Kim at Charwell Dog adventures – our other favourite dog field and finished with lunch at the Manor House Inn at Rilla Mill.
We took the Motorhome to Roadford lake on the 29th to check it was ready to go away but unfortunately, the weekend we had planned to go was so wet and windy that we abandoned the idea and instead Kim came to stay with us.
We have had lots of visits to Exmouth beach – by ourselves, with Kim and her girls and with family. Morwenna and Jenna particularly enjoyed spending time with Sam who was indefatigable at throwing the ball.
We then spent the weekend at Kim’s and experienced Plymbridge woods for the first time – a brilliant wood which we definitely want to explore further.
We finished the weekend with lunch at Sarah’s before we all went to the doggy swim at Shoalstone sea pool. Jenna was an enthusiastic swimmer but Morwenna needed a little encouragement.
27th February – 4th March
We went away for a couple of days to Sennen Cove – staying at the Old Success Inn which is very dog friendly and just across the road from the beach. They provide beds, bowls and towels for the dogs and a lovely goody bag including dog beer which the girls loved.
We stopped on the way down at Lanhydrock which has a 3 pawprint rating with lots of walks and a dog friendly cafe.
The girls had lots of runs on the beach and we also took them to Falmouth and Penzance.
Then last weekend Kim brought Talisa and Kyra to stay and we took them to Meldon reservoir on the Friday afternoon, then to the Cornwall and Devon Golden Retriever meet up at Saunton sands on Saturday. Unfortunately they had picked up a bug from somewhere and first Talisa, then Kyra, then Morwenna and finally Jenna all came down with it. They are all on the way to recovery and despite us having to postpone our spa visit as we didn’t want to leave them, it all worked out ok in the end as we found, and managed to book a 4 days trip in June to a site I have wanted to try for some time.
Cornwall and Devon Golden Retriever Valentine’s meet up
This year the meet up was held at Charwell Dog adventures at Callington and we had the use of all 3 fields which are interlinked. As always, the Splash field proved particularly popular and in total, there were 131 Golden Retrievers there. Afterwards, we went for lunch at the Manor House at Rilla Mill – fantastic food and very friendly.
3rd – 6th February
We rented the 3 bedroom barn at Newlands Farm near Odiham, Hampshire for 3 nights with our friends Pete and Jen (with Albert), Kim (with Talisa and Kyra) and Pauline, Kim’s mum (with Rex, the Pomeranian),
After a long journey, broken at Cartgate services, we met at Fido’s fun for a run to work off some of the dogs energy and then headed to the Golden Retriever pub in Bracknell for lunch. It was National Golden Retriever day so what better day to visit!
The Barn was beautiful and we were able to let the dogs loose as there was no livestock in the field when we visited.
On Saturday we headed to Farnham and Morwenna and Jenna had their first ever puppuccino at Starbucks there.
On Sunday we visited Winchester and Rex, who by now had firmly established himself as leader of the pack had his first puppuccino.
We headed home on Monday, after a leisurely breakfast, again stopping at Cartgate services but I think we will be back as we were made to feel very welcome.
20th – 23rd January 2023
Kim came to stay for the weekend with Kyra and Talisa so we could enjoy a spa day at a local hotel. We took the girls for a walk at Abbeyford woods and then on Monday met Sarah with her two girls Nellie (Jenna’s sister) and Gladys (Morwenna’s half sister) for a run at Hounds unleashed and then a potter around Endsleigh Garden Centre followed by a beautiful drive back in the sun across the moor.
Early January 2023
Our friend Kim went away for a few days so left her girls – Kyra (Jenna’s mum) and Talisa (Jenna’s gran) with us. They all get on well together and as our car was out of action we took them to Bude in the motorhome.
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Goldies on tour 