Half term haircuts

It's half term for our children at the moment and yesterday whilst eating breakfast I remembered the three youngest were booked in with Ann for a haircut at 11 am. Ann who cuts our hair has a salon at her home and her husband Rob retired from farming a few years ago now. Rob is my husband David's Dad's cousin and I milked for Rob up until he retired. They had a high merited genetic herd and one of the first farms in this country to bring over and use Canadian Holsteins in their herd.

Rob and Ann now live in a bungalow that is within easy walking distance of the river Taw and a walk that I often take the children and dogs on by the river. Yesterday it was glorious here in the morning, so I decided to load up all six of the children and two of the dogs Millie and Henry. I dropped the three oldest Bert, Alfie and Florrie at Umberleigh next to Murchs Antique Emporium and Murch Bros. Murchs Antique Emporium and Murch Bros are two businesses at Umberleigh bridge that sit at the entrance to the walk alongside the river and the Antique Emporium happens to be owned and run by my husband's Uncle Pat and Murch Bros is my husband's second cousin Antony's business and he is an agricultural engineer. I told them to go for a walk and if I was not back before they came back, to go in and see Uncle Pat and take a look around the emporium.

I went off with Henry and the other three to get their hair cut, being not even a minute drive from where I dropped them. I arrived at Ann's and my appointment was for 11 am and due to a lovely older chatty lady who was also a relative of some sort to my husband, Ann
did not start on my three until 11.15 am. I had kept Henry with me due to knowing that Rob would be interested in seeing him. Rob regularily shoots and up until a few years ago always had his own gundog. The last one was Belle a lovely Springer Spaniel.

Ann told me Rob was at the village hall painting scenery for the pantomime they have each year in February for charity, but he might be back soon, as lunch time was approaching. Ann was cutting the second child's hair and Rob then walked by the door, seeing us he then came into the salon for a chat and I mentioned Henry and then he said, "Go get him, I want to see him." He walked out with me to the car to get him and Henry was quietly waiting sat in the back. I opened the boot and put his lead on and then I saw it. Rob was totally taken by him and hands straight on him. Dogs know friends and Henry happily let him stroke his head and put his hands across his back. He commented on what a lovely head he has and what a lovely looking dog. Henry is looking very fit and tight at the moment.

 Rob then told me to take him in the salon to see Ann. Henry meet Ann and she also admired him. I then let the two youngest go off outside leading him around their garden and chatted further with Rob and Ann, whilst she cut the hair of Thomas the last one to have their hair cut. Rob told me how he had watched a display many years ago of a Brittany working with a Falcon and how impressed he had been with them as a working dog.  Just looking at Henry he said, "I bet he can motor and cover the ground." I said, "Yes, you have to be brave with him and trust your recall and luckily he is very good." Rob was taken with Henry and I could see in that moment he missed having a dog about. I did mention he hopefully will be a father soon. Lol

By the time I left Ann's it was midday and I found the other children  looking around Pat's Emporium and our oldest Bert was talking to Uncle Pat, who had given him an old book about antiques. We then got Henry out and all went for a walk along the river Taw. The video is part of the walk. I must admit time ran on and we did not get lunch until gone 2 pm, but you got to get out with all the children when the weather is good, as today it's been a really dull old day, raining for the best part of it.

I'm going to share with you now something I find very funny although this might be quintessentially British humour, but I find it bloody hilarious. Last year I discovered a comedy character "Count Arthur Strong", he has been on Radio 4 for sometime, but now has been brought to the television screen. For some unknown reason the BBC show the series at an unearthly hour. It has no bad language that I have noticed and is not sexual. Our oldest two children love watching it on BBC iplayer. So if you are not already familiar with Count Arthur Srong  you can discover him here at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xwh7r 
and I seriously advise watching this episode http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0517t4d/count-arthur-strong-series-2-4-stuck-in-the-middle

Series 2, episode 4 'Stuck in the middle' is still available to watch on iplayer at this moment and this episode made we laugh so much, I coughed nearly all the way through it, because it was shown when I was struggling with the recent virus that has gone through us all and the slightest hint of laughing would find me coughing for the next five minutes. You might recognize the take off of the film  'Misery.' But be warned you may have to be British to get the full flavour of Count Arthur Strong or you may need to wear a pair of incontinence pants whilst watching him.Lol. 

Tilly and Molly before their haircut yesterday, with Dolly and me with what looks like an arm growing out of the side of my head