How many lives do you have? One? Two (the one at work, the one at home for example)? Three (work, home, involvement in amateur dramatics or the church, say)?
I have had multiple lives in Chandler’s Ford but will focus on two: before becoming a dog owner and since then and before becoming a writer and since. Chandler’s Ford has influenced both.
I’ve lived in the area since 1988 and in my current home since 1993 but it has been since becoming a dog-owning family in 2005 I’ve really made friends here.
I know more people now than I did in the entire time I was in Chandler’s Ford without said pet. That wasn’t because I’m unfriendly (honest!) but dog walkers do just chat to one another in the way a lot of non-dog owners don’t.
Becoming a writer
Becoming a writer has also enabled me to make more friends, both locally and whenever I attend writing festivals such as the annual one at the University of Winchester in the summer and I enjoy visiting the Cathedral too. The tribute to Jane Austen is nicely done (Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books).
What I Like about Chandler’s Ford
Chandler’s Ford is lovely in that we have, amongst other things, Hiltingbury Recreation Ground, the park at Fryern and Hocombe Mead for exercising dogs. It is a relatively green place in which to live. Not only that but it doesn’t take long, especially by car, to get out into open countryside from here.
Both of my dogs have loved living here. My first dog was Gracie, a lovely Bearded Collie cross, who, was one of the most laidback and placid dogs I have ever known.
A friend of mine, impressed with just how relaxed Gracie was, once asked if she was on the doggie equivalent of cannabis! Her own dog, a highly excitable black Lab, was, according to her, on the doggie equivalent of speed!
We adopted Gracie from the RSPCA’s Stubbington Ark. Gracie loved going to Hiltingbury Rec, as does her successor, Mabel, who we adopted from the re-homing older dogs charity known as the Oldies Club. Mabel also loves the Hook Road woods and lots of lovely walkies around the area as a whole.
Mabel – border collie, our calendar girl
Our current dog, Mabel, a border collie, is the party animal in that she will socialise with other dogs in the park in exactly the way Gracie would not.
Mabel loves to play round up. Bruce Springsteen may have been Born to Run but Mabel was Born to Herd and she is very good at it as a fair number of spaniels and terriers from the park would testify if they could speak.
Mabel cottoned on long ago that most spaniels and terriers don’t mind a game of chase but occasionally gets ideas above her station and tries rounding up one of the local whippets. This is always good for a laugh for the whippet owner and myself (and probably the whippet as well!).
Mabel has also been a “calendar girl” in that she was Miss September in the Oldies Club charity calendar for 2014.
We first moved into the area in 1988 into South Millers Dale from West End Park, Southampton. It was at the time of high interest rates and my husband and I were both working full time. I was a secretary for a firm of land agents in Winchester so there was no time for a dog and it is true what they say about not missing what you’ve never had.
It was only when we adopted Gracie in 2005 (with me now at home as a full time mum) and settled down to a nice life with a very lovable dog we realised it was the dog that completed our family. Mind it was just as well we did not have a dog in South Millers Dale as that property had stairs and both of our collies have had hip dysplasia in varying degrees and neither would have appreciated the nightly climb upstairs.
We have our late mother-in-law to thank for our current property in that she saw a For Sale board up and told us about it, insisting we may as well try for the place as “the sale may have fallen through”. To our great surprise, on ringing up, we found the sale had literally just fallen through (the agents hadn’t had time to take the Sold sign down), we viewed the property quickly, made an offer that was accepted and all within the space of a couple of days.
The previous resident of this bungalow had no family so left the proceeds to Marie Curie. We are in fact only the third owners of our home (built in 1955) and it was with our purchasing the property that it was put on to the Land Registry system for the first time. We were given, once the sale was through, the pre-registration documents for the property and were fascinated to discover Hiltingbury Recreation Ground had once been a huge sand pit!
Not that either of our dogs would’ve minded that. While loathing water with a passion (neither were keen on drinking it either, Mabel especially prefers a weak tea, watered down!), they did like the sand whenever we were on holiday so would have had a field day in a giant sand pit. I dread to think just how much digging they would’ve done.
Gracie was a champion digger on the quiet and her favourite trick on hot days was to dig out a space under our winter flowering jasmine so she could keep cool. All you would see were a pair of doggy eyes staring out at you from a great big shrub! We sadly lost Gracie to cancer in 2012 and decided it was appropriate to bury her ashes under that same jasmine. We think she would have appreciated that.
It is also thanks to one of the friends I met in Hiltingbury Rec walking the dog that I now write for Chandler’s Ford Today given he was the one to tell me about it! (Many thanks to Richard Hardie).
And in some of my grown-up fairy tales (short stories and novels) I have used Hiltingbury Lakes as a landmark albeit under a different name. Whenever I picture a body of water to flesh out a physical description of the fictional world I’m inventing, it is always the Lakes that I have in the back of my mind as a starting point.
There are some great walks around here, whether you’re a dog owner or not. Hocombe Meads spring to mind and walking up to and around the Lakes is lovely, whatever the season. I also like the wide variety of bird life in the area and regularly see sparrowhawks circling above me as I walk Mabel around the Recreation Ground.
Birdsong sounds on a spring morning in English countryside
How do I see my multiple lives developing further? I hope to make progress with my fiction and in trying to get work out there will have to engage with others. Mabel and I will continue walking around the area and no doubt will continue to talk with other dog owners and dog-friendly people.
It is rather ironic that it is my husband who is the local boy while I effectively married into Chandler’s Ford, but whenever he is out with the dog, Mabel is recognised for herself and he is recognised for being Mabel’s owner/Allison’s husband. You quickly get to know the regulars who are out and about here.
What I don’t like about Chandler’s Ford
Bugbears? People who park on pavements but don’t leave enough room for pedestrians to get by and the fact there isn’t enough time given on the Hursley Road/Hiltingbury Road traffic lights for said pedestrians to get over the road. (Mabel and I usually get to the half way point before the beeper stops and we’re not slow).
I also dislike litter louts, especially in the Recreation Ground, but must say the grounds people from the Council do a great job here. I wish traffic queues were less as there are certain times of days when you can really “feel” the fumes in the air (I’m asthmatic so may be a bit over-sensitive here) but the amount of traffic that comes through Chandler’s Ford has increased tremendously over the years. I’m not sure that does anything for the area.
But to finish on a positive note, I love the fact that Chandler’s Ford has lots of trees. Clearing the leaves up every autumn (and not into the road, another bugbear) makes a good aerobic workout!
We have the benefit of a suburb combined with a green environment. My knowledge of trees and their types isn’t great (I can just about recognise the old oaks in our garden. I’ve seen pictures of them taken about a century ago and they were mature then) but we are lucky to have them.
One side benefit is they can help cut road noise which we discovered when we had to take out some of our smaller trees at the front and there was a short period when there was nothing to take their place. We noticed a significant increase in road noise which was “hushed” almost immediately we put some new small fir trees in at the front.
Conclusion
Am I glad to have moved into Chandler’s Ford? That is a definite yes from my family, myself and our dogs.
Chandler’s Ford has done many things for me but I’ll finish by putting the question to you. What has Chandler’s Ford done for you?
Note: Don’t miss Allison’s next post on Friday 6th March 2015.
Visit Allison Symes’ website: Fairytales with Bite
Read interviews with Chandler’s Ford writer Allison Symes: Part 1 and Part 2.
Read blog posts by Allison Symes published on Chandler’s Ford Today.
I grew up with a strayed dog, but now we have a cat (and a lizard).
I always find dog walkers and their community fascinating. My parents in law have two large dogs, and walking in the wood with them and chatting with dogs and their owners meant that our walks could never be a ‘short’ walk.
Quite a few writers on this blog are also dog owners and I would love to hear their dog walking stories in Chandler’s Ford.
I have two questions:
How long does it take you to know the name of a dog you meet in the wood?
How long does it take you to know the name of a dog’s owner you meet in the wood?
Hi Allison,
Gosh,there’s a lot to this post! Multiple lives? Lives, like regrets, I’ve had a few 😉
I’ll limit my comments to the subject of dogs (otherwise I could go on-and-on!)
My partner, Nicky, and I went many years wanting to have a dog but – like you I think – our lifestyle just wouldn’t support it, as we were both working in full time jobs which couldn’t flex around regular walks and feeding times. That changed when we moved to Shawford some years ago and we adopted two ex-racing greyhounds (we’ve since moved again to Fair Oak).
I’ve always liked walking – and dogs – and I signed up to join what was then a new group called the Hampshire Countryside Access Forum (HCAF), with a focus on walking with dogs.I was fortunate to be involved in a research project with The Kennel Club, University of Portsmouth, and the former Countryside Agency (which was subsequently subsumed into Natural England). The other partner was Hampshire County Council who I later went to work for (in a position which had nothing to do with dogs, or walking).
It was a fascinating study, looking at the psychology of walkers with dogs. If you’re interested, the final report is at:
Understanding the psychology of walkers with dogs: new approaches to better management – TP1682.
I left HCAF after several years, but was pleased to see they went on to do more work with dog owners, walkers and other users of the countryside, the latest of which is at New approaches to managing dogs in the countryside.
Our own household routine is geared around the dogs. Gone are the skiing or beach holidays of old, and it’s doggie cottage holidays in the UK instead nowadays.
Mark,
It sounds like open data meets dog walkers. 🙂 Well done!
Hello, Mark.
Great to hear from you and thanks for commenting on my post.
I had never heard of the HCAF. Thanks for mentioning it. My husband is always looking for suitable countryside walks with our collie. I tend to walk her during the day, my husband does the early evening and weekend afternoons with her, and this site could well be of huge interest.
The pyschology report looks fascinating. I recall a BBC 2 Horizon special a while ago that looked into whether dog walkers could really understand the different types of barking their animals use and confirmed what every dog owner knows – yes, we can!
We too go for doggie cottage holidays in the UK and tend to focus on the Scottish Highlands. The beaches are sandy, there is no restriction of dog access here and plenty of dog bins are provided. The only beach town we came across with any dog restriction was Nairn and even there they had a second beach were dogs were welcome all year! Also there are lots of forest walks of differing abilities and as long as dogs are kept on a lead, there’s no problem.
So thanks again. Your comments are much appreciated.
We much prefer the more friendly attitude to dogs shown by most Scots (or at least those who manage access to the beaches and other areas suitable for dog walking and playing).
Social anthropologist Kate Fox, in her fascinating book Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behavior, mentioned pet rules and petiquette.
She discovered that the average Englishman would avoid social interaction with other human being, but would have no problem engaging in lively conversation with a dog – even a strange dog to whom he has not been introduced. “Hello there! What’s your name?? D’you want some of my sandwich, mate?..’ She thinks that the English are capable of Latin-Mediterranean warmth and hospitality – yet they tend to express these qualities through their interactions with animals.
Her book discussed class and she discovered the type and breed of pet seems to be a more reliable class indicator.
“..the upper echelons prefer Labradors, golden retrievers, King Charles spaniels and springer spaniels, while the lower classes are more likely to have rottweilers, alsatians, poodles, afghans, chihuahuas and cocker spaniels.”
I wonder how much you agree with her statistics.
(pp. 234 – 238)
I have not read Kate Fox’s work but can confirm that, yes, it is not uncommon for people to talk to dogs other than their own. I do so! Certainly talking to Mabel, and using the right tone, calms her down when she’s scared. Dogs generally react well to people talking to them. It’s the attention they love (just like children really! And also like children they love playing in mud and can cause trouble if not given enough exercise!).
Not so sure about the class distinctions though. Crufts will be on the TV again soon and rottweilers are often featured and their owners seem upper class enough! (I love watching the flyball and agility contests on these shows).
Sometimes I think that it would be nice to have a dog to take for a walk, but then think it wouldn’t be so good to have to go for a walk whether I wanted to or not. I’m not really a dogophile, so can’t really ever see me owning one.
I know that most dog owners are responsible, but I do get annoyed (and sometimes slightly scared) by people who allow their dogs off the lead in public spaces. I’m sometimes slightly worried if I am out on foot or cycle that the dogs will run over and bark and/or jump up at me. I can think of two recent occasions when a loose dog has barred my path and refused to allow me through – and ignored calls from its owner. Sorry, but if your dog is that protective, don’t let it off the leash in a public place.
Another bug bear is dog mess. People are generally good at cleaning up from roadways, public paths etc. But the same rules apply when out on a footpath in the countryside. Your dog = your mess. Take it home with you.
Hello, Ruby, and thanks for your comments.
I agree with your comments about dog mess 100%. I should add that the dogs themselves want a clean area in which to play and walk. It is all down to owner responsibility.
I can’t blame you for being annoyed at people who let their dogs off the lead in public spaces (I’m particularly thinking of pavements here and I have seen one or two dogs off the lead here, which to my mind is dangerous).
I only let mine off the lead in the park as I know she will come when she is called (even if sometimes it takes a bit longer than I’d like!). I also know she will never jump up. It is mainly younger dogs that do this and again it is the dog owner’s responsibility to sort this out. The dogs themselves are generally just being over-excitable but they are unaware that they could cause injury. They need to be trained out of jumping up at people.
I’m glad to say all my dog walking human friends are responsible and you’ll be pleased to know that I, and these friends, always clear up after our dogs, wherever we are walking them. Nor will we let our dogs be a nuisance to others.
A lot of annoyance would be saved if only every dog owner did this!
With best wishes.
Allison
I like living in Chandler’s Ford because it is full of nice people. It helps me put up with even the most stupid of dogs some of them keep.
There are no parking meters.
There are shops enough for most things.
So far the council has not spent our money on a piece of hideous sculpture and pretended it is artwork.
Bugbear – Hedges, tress, branches, shrubs and bushes which overgrow the garden and take over the footpath. At night you get slapped in the face by wet leaves or something prickly. Oh, and the dog poo of course.
Thanks for your comments, Mike.
I’m never sure if it is the dogs that are stupid. I assume it is the owners! Dogs can only do what they’re trained to do. And it is up to us dog owners to show our pets what we do and don’t want them to do. There are some very good dog training classes about with details advertised in vets’ surgeries and so on so there’s no excuse I feel.
I took my first dog, Gracie, to Armchair Dogs. It was just as much to train me in how to handle her as it was for her to learn! Since then I’ve applied what I’ve learned to Mabel and both dogs responded well. I think I did too!
Love the hideous sculpture comment! Let’s hope the Council keep their excellent record going here. I don’t think there is ever money enough to spare for such sculptures!
I agree with you about overgrowing plants. It can make life awkward when walking at times.
Allison
Which hideous sculptures are you referring to? I’m curious…