Around The World . . .  In Almost 30 Days

A trip to UK and Crufts Dog Show had been on the drawing board for some time.

At last, in March of this year, the day of departure arrived. Everything that could be planned and organised, had been planned and organised. My boss had been organised. The dogs who would be staying home had been organised: Valda Goodwin, my lovely next door neighbour would be caring for them. My show dogs had been organised: my dear friend Di Murray would be taking the five who were entered for Sydney Royal.

Di had stayed the weekend with me and would be taking the five show dogs home with her, after taking me to Bathurst airport for the flight to Sydney, after  supposedly me dropping my car off at my son’s place for safe-keeping.

Dogs in Di’s car, luggage in my car…we were ready to leave. Turned the key on my faithful little Barina….nothing happened. Not a spark of life whatsoever. The flattest of flat batteries!!  As the car was to be given a thorough cleaning (the first in its life!)  while I was away, I had left the doors open over the weekend while giving it a preliminary clean, hence the flat battery.

Clutch-starting didn’t  work. The Barina finished up half way down the driveway. Lucky for me that Di  was there with her car. A quick change over of luggage and off we went. I departed Bathurst airport, soggy-eyed with leaving Di and the dogs, for Sydney where I had some six hours to wait for the flight to Heathrow. But not to worry. I was to meet Liz in Sydney (Elizabeth Shaw of Danaliz Yorkshire Terriers in South Australia). Liz was also going to Heathrow but she was booked on an earlier flight. 

After making my laborious way from the domestic terminal to the international one, I went to where Liz would be checking in. I waited three hours without a sign of her before it was time for me to check in for my flight. Could not understand why I had not seen her, but thought I must have just missed her somehow. Boarded my flight OK….but the take-off was delayed by about one hour. An auspicious start! 

Got to Singapore OK, where it was hoped the lost time would be made up, but it did not happen. Further delays. 

I was running very late by the time we eventually touched down in Heathrow. 

Liz, travelling on frequent flyer points, had decided to avail of those points by travelling to Birmingham via Glasgow!!! I thought it was crazy, but went along with it, thinking that after I had travelled from Sydney to Heathrow on my own, I would be glad of some company.

Anyway, loaded to the hilt with luggage, I struggled down mile after mile of corridors, rushing for the connecting flight to Glasgow.

I staggered into the plane, they shut the doors behind me and brought me a glass of water before the ‘poor old dear’ ‘clagged’ on them. I was fully expecting to find Liz sitting in her seat wondering what had kept me. Wrong! Still no sign of Liz. I simply could not work it out. Got to Glasgow. Still no Liz.

Tried to use my mobile to phone home. No luck. Despite requesting Vodaphone to set it for overseas use, no go.  Remembered I had in my purse from a previous trip a British Telecom phone card, still in credit. I’d always joked that I would have to go back for a visit just so I could use up the card. Not a joke anymore. I was very pleased to have it as I had not yet acquired any UK currency. 

Phoned Valda to see if she had heard anything from Liz. No. Phoned Liz’s husband Danny. No answer. Very frustrating….and becoming quite worrying. Went to the counter of British Airways to see if they could throw any light on Liz’s non-appearance. 

No, they were not allowed to reveal any information on passengers. When I explained the situation to them, however, one very kind person searched their manifests and finally found that Liz was due to fly in the FOLLOWING DAY.  What? I could not believe this. 

I immediately blamed myself for confusing things. After all, a person who could travel to a dog show the week before it was scheduled, could do anything!  Blamed my travel agent.  Was ready to blame anyone and everyone at that stage.  But at least I now knew where she was. Left a message with the kind people at British Airways that I would meet Liz at Birmingham airport the next day. Caught my scheduled flight to Birmingham.

Of course, my luggage had not caught up with me, had it?  Nothing could have moved faster than I had that day!  My first stop was the lost baggage desk. Everyone was very helpful there, and quickly got steps in process to track it down and helped out with emergency kit, tooth brush etc. My next dilemma was trying to find out where our accommodation had been booked. Liz had handled all that and she had the tickets. I had no idea of the hotel’s name. The Information Desk personnel were most helpful and offered to phone around the hotels. We struck gold on the second call. Yes, they did have a booking for Mrs Shaw and Mrs Clarke. Praise be!  Another problem solved.

I was exhausted by this stage. Quick taxi trip to the hotel. While checking in, I struck up a conversation with Alice and Cecil, an Aussie couple with Border Collies, who had been visiting relatives for a few weeks prior to Crufts. It turned out that they knew my friends here in Bathurst, Jim and Phill, really well so that ‘bonded’ us immediately.

I informed the hotel staff that my luggage had been lost. Finally fell into bed in my undies, still in a state of disbelief at the chapter of events….and the holiday had barely started.

On going downstairs for breakfast the next morning, what should be there at reception but my luggage. Nobody had thought to phone and say it had arrived. Oh well, all’s well that ended well. A relief, to say the least. 

Also at reception  again  were Alice and Cecil, so we had breakfast together and decided to go to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) where Crufts would be held, and check out what was going on before I had to leave for the airport to meet Liz. From the NEC, which was still in total disarray even though Crufts was due to commence the next day, we caught the train into Birmingham and wandered around. On seeing signs pointing to ‘Markets’ we went there.  I had admired the practicality of the backpack that Alice was wearing and seeing a stall selling the same thought I would buy one. Proffered the stall holder a very old and crumpled five pound note which she promptly refused to accept as it was, in her opinion, a forgery!  That was the first of several currency problems along the way. Cecil asked another stall holder what she thought of the note. She accepted it without question.

It was soon time for me to leave Alice and Cecil to be at the airport in time to meet Liz.  While waiting at the airport for Liz, I went to the various people who had been so helpful the day before and told them how everything, luggage, etc., had finished up. They all recognised me, probably from the bloodshot eyes and weary demeanour!

This time, Liz turned up. She had her own tales of woe, beginning with the domestic flight from Adelaide to Sydney. It had been cancelled!!  In Adelaide, they told her she could go home for the night. No way! Liz said she wanted to go through to Sydney as that way she would at least be there in time to catch the international flight the next day. So hotel accommodation was provided for her and in due course she managed to depart Australia, only 24 hours late!

Crufts!

Sheer magic!  Acres and acres of doggy things, Yorkie things - oh, joy, oh bliss, which then faded slightly as exhausted feet and wallets started to scream in protest. Chaos and confusion as the crowds built up and movement was of the shuffling kind only. But how we loved it. It was all we could do to struggle back to our hotel each night and fall into bed, so weary, but so happy.

On the Friday, Terrier day, a ‘blind date’ had been arranged by Liz’s US friend, Carolyn Hensley, for Liz and Ito meet up with ‘Brit’ Graham Peers who would be showing his Cairns there. It was lunchtime before we managed to get ourselves to the Cairn ring. Well, didn’t Graham and his wife Hilary do us proud with the meal she had prepared? We dined extravagantly amid the Cairns and all the show paraphernalia. Graham has some lovely Cairns, and it was obvious that he thought the world of them. It was a great experience, all brought about through an email list!  Thanks, Graham and Hilary, and looking forward to seeing you again next time.

Yorkie day at Crufts. Mr Osman Sameja of the famous Ozmilion Yorkshire Terriers was judging.  Big rush for ringside seats (seating is always scarce). Jean McKean (‘Balbardie’) from Scotland was already there, with Grace, Sheena and Ian. Jean had kept seats for us. Thanks, Jean. It was beaut to catch up with them all again after so long.

Familiar faces started to appear amongst the exhibitors and spectators alike. Betty Whitbread (‘Brybett’), Wendy White (‘Wenwhyte’), Pauline Osborne (‘Polliam’), Veronica Sameja Hilliard (‘Verolian’) - so many people whom I had met on previous visits. Even some from Australia. Also there were my friends Marina and Felice Forte from Germany and with whom I would be staying in a couple of weeks’ time.

Judging started. Osman looking very debonair and professional.  He had some difficult decisions to make before finally making his major awards.

But, all good things come to an end, and all too soon Crufts was over for another year. 

After Crufts, a day’s R & R before we made our way to Liz’s hometown of Glasgow to stay with Agnes, a long-time friend of Liz. So nice to be in a home again, as compared to an impersonal hotel. Agnes was so hospitable and kind.  After a day or two, while Liz stayed with Agnes and caught up with many friends and relatives, I caught the bus for the two-plus-hour trip to Kirkcaldy near Edinburgh where I was met by Jean McKean of ‘Balbardie’.

Jean was the breeder of Ch Balbardie Precious Jazz, Ch Balbardie Royal Scot, and Ch Balbardie Blue Mink, all of whom I had imported to Australia between 1994 and 1998. Balbardie Blue Mink, of course, needs no introduction:  she is Heather, the mother of Makka and several other very beautiful offspring. I owe much to Jean for allowing me to purchase Heather.

We had much to catch up, Jean and I. Had a wonderful visit with her, with our jaws ‘bletherin’ twenty to the dozen.  Jean’s dogs (and mine, therefore) are descendants of the famous Eng Ch Blairsville Royal Seal, who she considers to be the best Yorkie ever bred. To this day, she is a great friend of his breeder, Mr Brian Lister.

But after several days this visit, too, had to come to an end and I was soon back on the bus at Kirkcaldy, heading for Glasgow. Having Scots ancestors only a few generations back, I feel a real affinity, almost a yearning, for Scotland.  Anyway, back to Glasgow, Liz and Agnes for just one night before Liz and I headed off in different directions, she to a friend’s place in England and me to Larne in Northern Ireland where I stayed with the mum and dad of my Bathurst-based Irish vet Tom McClelland. Gerry and Leona met me at Belfast and from there it was not far to their seaside home in Larne. To say they gave me the best time would be a total understatement. Just fabulous. My first visit to Ireland and I can’t wait to get back there again.

One morning  we were going to visit the Giant’s Causeway, a geological site of great interest, but before that we went to the local markets. It was not until we arrived home that night that I realised my mobile phone was missing, and this the day before Di and Phill would be showing my dogs at Sydney Royal, so obviously I needed the phone for updates from there. A search of the house and car revealed nothing. I decided to phone the phone….but first had to work out how to phone myself from overseas!!  Not easy. 

Persistence paid off, however, and the phone was ringing.  A lady answered.  ‘Are you the owner of this phone?’, she asked.  ‘I am’, says I, ‘where is it?’  ‘Down at the supermarket’, she replied.  ‘We’ll be right down’, I said.  So off we go, Gerry and I, to retrieve this wayward piece of modern-life which, apparently, had dropped out of my bag in the supermarket carpark that morning. Many thanks to the person who handed it in. I now have a sticker attached to it: ‘If this phone should chance to roam, smack its bum and send it home’!!! 

Four days in Ireland simply flew. Left the next morning, fully laden now with large suitcase, cabin bag, large hand bag and backpack, all very heavy, to fly from Belfast back to Heathrow, train to Victoria Station - my worst nightmare with three huge flights of stairs to climb. Thanks to Annie, a kind Scottish lady who helped me with the luggage, navigated me to the ticket sales counter and then to the train - indeed, the train door closed behind us, so it was a mad dash to get her off before the train departed for Margate. Pauline Osborne met me at Margate, accompanied by her two Bearded Collies Flossie and Tansy. It was great to be at Pauline’s once again. Linda and I had stayed with her in ‘98.

Keeping in touch with home during all this activity - Yorkie day at Sydney Royal was on and an excited phone call from Di, Phil and Jodie tells me that Sal had taken Best of Breed and Makka Runner up. Dusty had been Puppy of the Day. The Royal is another story - Jodi is writing about that.

Saturday saw us at the Open Show of the Yorkshire Terrier Club. More familiar faces, including Lin Harding this time. I met Lin at Crufts several years ago - a very kind lady. The trading table provided plenty of temptation. Liz and her friend Hazel had come across from Somerset to be at the show, so we compared notes on what each other had been doing since we parted company at Glasgow a week or so before. Osman reminded me that he and Pauline had arranged for us to have lunch with him in London the following Tuesday. Something to look forward to. Also, a day with Veronica had been arranged on the Monday. So much to do, so little time….!

While at Pauline’s I kept myself busy…..washing dishes and bathing dogs. See, Pauline, I said I would ‘tell on you’!! 

Had a lovely drive across to Veronica’s. More than three hours in the car but through some of the most beautiful Kent countryside. Veronica, as usual, was a laugh a minute, very much a ‘no frills’ person: we enjoyed her company and hospitality enormously.

The following day we were scheduled to visit Osman. It was almost two hours in the train to London, then a lengthy walk to his house - all this with Pauline carrying two puppies sired by one of Osman’s dogs. They were going to visit ‘grandfather’.  As usual, we had a great day with Osman and I was pleased to renew my acquaintance with his Crufts BIS winner, Eng Ch Ozmilion Mystification and his companions.

Back on the train to Margate and reunion with Pauline’s Beardies and Yorkies. One of the best things about staying with Pauline is the lovely long walks on the ‘White Cliffs of Dover’: Margate is not far from Dover and has the same white cliffs. Pauline regularly walks her dogs along the clifftops and on the beach of, would you believe, ‘Botany Bay’.  How strange it felt to be walking along the shore of Botany Bay, with its namesake thousands of miles away in Sydney.  There were lots of dogs there, with their families, and really enjoying the activities, ball-throwing, frisbees, swimming. Great fun.

All too soon that part of the trip was over, too. Back on the train to London where I was to meet up with Liz once again, before she headed for home and I went to Germany.

I was a little nervous about this next stage, because I can’t speak or understand any German, and Marina and Felice, with whom I would be staying, have no English. But I need not have worried. Their daughter Cindy spoke English very well and was invaluable as an interpreter.

Bit embarrassing going through the passport check at Berlin. The guy obviously could not reconcile the almost ten year old passport photo with the plump, weary, bedraggled creature he had in front of him. I wish I could have wiped the smirk off his face as he reluctantly waved me through. Waiting for me, when the luggage eventually arrived, were Marina, Felice, Cindy…..and Yorkies Baby Taz and Berlin Star. Now I felt at home!! 

Just a short drive from the airport to the flat where they lived. I was intrigued to see how familiar  Baby Taz and Berlin Star  were with travelling up and down to the third floor in the lift!  Quite blasé about the whole thing. What lovely little dogs. 

Settled in quickly with Cindy translating from one language to the other. Had lots of cuddles with Daisy, Julius and Quakka, as well as the two youngsters.

Went sightseeing in Berlin the next day. What a lovely city. Clean, spacious, friendly. I really enjoyed it.

The day after that, we were doing the first part of the long drive to Luxembourg, to a show, calling in at Paderborn to stay overnight with the Dawin family. What lovely Yorkies they had. Mr Dawin took us for a tour of the town of Paderborn, a truly beautiful place, almost, it seemed, to be built on water which, I was told, was a spring of vast quantity. Awesome! 

Early to bed that night as it was to be a 3 a.m. rise in the morning to get Quakka and Baby Taz bathed for the show and then another long drive to Luxembourg. The show was a bit of a non-event for our team, but we enjoyed it all the same. The American influence on the Yorkies shown there was quite evident -good toplines, movement, tail carriage, and particularly in the preparation of the topknots.

Back in the car again for the long drive back to Berlin. I tell you, hours of racing along the autobahn at 200 ‘clicks’ per hour is not for the faint-hearted. Cindy kept asking me did the ‘velocity’ bother me. I suggested she keep checking my knuckles: if they had turned white, then yes, the velocity was bothering me!!

Arriving safely back in Berlin, we (dogs included) met Felice at the local Chinese restaurant for a late dinner. I was highly amused at the dogs sitting on the chair at the table, quiet, well-behaved, and thoroughly familiar with the routine. Marina jokingly told the German-born Chinese attendant that ‘no, the dogs were not on the menu tonight’!!

Back to the flat, very weary after such a full-on weekend. I can’t imagine how Marina must have been feeling as she had done all the driving, all the bathing, all the showing. 

I packed my bags again, ready for the early flight from Berlin back to London and then to Japan. Somehow or other my luggage had increased enormously in weight. Can’t imagine how it happened, but it was all checked through and no questions asked. 

Prophetically, just as I was taking my leave of Marina and family, going through the passport checks, etc. - very stringent security checks there -  my mobile started to ring ‘Auld Lang Syne’.  Couldn’t find it: it was at the bottom of my backpack. It stopped. A few seconds later it played again. Still couldn’t get to it before it stopped. Drats!! 

While waiting for the boarding call, sat next to Andrea, a young German woman who could speak a little English.  Coincidentally, she was also on her way to Heathrow to catch the connecting plane to Japan. She understood her flight to Japan had been cancelled. I had not heard anything about it, so we were rather anxious and confused. Anyway, we agreed to meet and help each other along the way.

Finally boarded, only to be told there was a delay as four passengers had not yet turned up. Eventually they arrived.  Then another delay: too much luggage for the number of passengers, a further count was being undertaken. Still wouldn’t tally, so nothing for it but all the luggage had to be taken off and lined up, side by side, on the tarmac. Aall the passengers disembarked and told to identify their luggage. Finally, one and a half hours later, we took off. The joys of flying!

Heathrow. Andrea checks and, sure enough, her flight to Japan had been cancelled. Her’s was an earlier flight than mine: after a considerable wait, she was booked through on the same flight as me. Good. 

Flight to Japan was uneventful. Andrea and I helped each other through the various checkpoints, down long corridors and, finally, to the outside world. There to meet me was Mami, so pretty and so nice, the lady to whom I had sent Yetholme Sunshine Tryst last year. More language difficulties, but we coped, and how pleased I was that she was there. Straight to the hotel for a much-needed shower and then a meal and a sleep. 

Mami arrived at the hotel early next morning, taxi to the airport, then a 20-minute train ride to a place whose name I don’t know, then a 10-minute walk down narrow streets to visit the shop that sells only Yorkie things. A long-time dream of mine to go there! Such a lovely man there, and some of his Yorkies in their own corner of the tiny shop. Mami told him he had a customer, ‘all the way from Australia’. I think he was very surprised and very delighted. Before I even made my selection of things to purchase, he made me a surprise gift of the most beautiful Yorkie carousel which played Eidelweiss (sp?). I was amazed at his generosity and promised, in return, to put a link on my web page to his site. All too soon it was back to the train, then to the airport. I had a plane to catch  to Sydney this time and Mami also had a plane to catch to Fukuoka, about 700 miles to the south of Tokyo. 

It was at this airport that my luck with the overweight luggage finally ran out. I forget how many yen I was charged: 1200 or 12,000 - I don’t know - but weeks later when I finally plucked up the courage to do the currency conversion, it came to $128.00. I was not impressed, but at that stage I’d had enough and was ready to go home.

Travelled home alongside a couple from Melbourne who had been visiting their daughter in Japan. They, too, were ready to go home. Members of the famous Moscow Circus were on the plane, so the trip was quite enjoyable, plenty happening, and plenty to talk about.

Sydney at last. Took a while getting through Customs. All my bags were opened, but finally through and heading for the domestic terminal for the flight to Bathurst. Managed to get on the earlier flight which went to Bathurst via Orange.  I was amused at this. To travel halfway around the world, only to culminate the trip with a ‘milk-run’ domestic flight. 

But, wait…..there’s more!!  All sorts of dramas when I got to Bathurst, but I don’t think anyone wants to hear about it now. That’s another story.

You’d think after all of that I’d be ready to ‘untravel’ for a while, but No. Linda, Di and I are were off again in July to the World Dog Show in Amsterdam. I’ll tell you that story later.

Yorkie Yulefest 2002

We Had The Best Yuletide Festival Ever.

Click here to share the fun.

The Independent Yorkshire Terrier No. 2 is now on-line.

Click here to view.

Click here to share happy  Xmas 2002 holiday photos from Yetholme Yorkies’ friends and family around the world.