Our 17th Fox Terrier Fun Walk

Fancy joining us on our 17th Fox Terrier Fun Walk?
It takes place on Saturday 22nd April 2017. We will meet at 11.00 at Brighton Marina, opposite McDonalds and from here walk along the Undercliff Walk.

All square* dogs welcome.

*Fox Terriers, Welsh Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Irish Terriers, Airedale Terriers etc.

Hope to see you there :)

Fox Terrier Fun Walk, April 2015

Fancy joining us on our next Fox Terrier Fun Walk?

Walking the Dog

In 2002, purely by chance, I met the illustrator David Hughes. I was walking my previous Fox Terrier, Watson, and he was with his, Dexter. We got talking about dogs, as you do, and on departing exchanged email addresses. And so began a brief correspondence about Fox Terriers and stuff in general.

After losing touch for a while, I emailed him last year and he told me about his forthcoming graphic novel, "Walking the Dog". He mentioned that it was semi autobiographical and loosely based around his daily walks with Dexter. The book was published earlier this month by Random House and you can read a preview of it here.

I was amused and touched to discover that our meeting was documented in the book. Here I am with Watson, looking his usual angry self.

The book is funny, dark, disturbing in places and probably not for the faint hearted. I laughed out loud in places, got rather muddled in the middle and admit that a lot of it went over my head. For me though, one of the joys of the book are the illustrations. I really wish I could draw like this.

New Forever Foxed Tea Towels!

I'm very excited about my new tea towels. They feature the Forever Foxed signature Terrier screenprinted in vivid green, blue and red outlines on a lovely white linen/cotton mix tea towel.

Currently available in my Etsy (US$)and Folksy (UK£) shops; better snap them up quick while stocks last!

Toulouse-Lautrec's Fox Terrier...

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's Post Impressionist images of the people in Paris around the fin de siecle. Did you know that he also painted and sketched dogs too?

I was intrigued to discover a letter that was recently up for auction in which Lautrec mentions buying a fox terrier.

The letter reads:

"I have just bought a Fox Terrier at the London pound. At the end of five days, the dogs are either killed or sold. The Queen wants it that way.

So for ten shillings I've got a
dog worth at least 5 Louis [100 Francs]. It would be very nice if you could send the errand boy to fetch it at the Gard du Nord tomorrow, Wednesday, at half past 5. Give it a drink, feed it and so on, and send it on again from the Gare d'Orleans to the following address: M. Victor, Cartage Contractor at the Langon Railway Station, Langon, Gironde, COD. In fact, I don't need to tell you who he is. Thadee will be responsible for enlivening the stay of this poor animal, who is named Judy, after Punch's wife. Inform Victor with a short telegram at Verdelais so that he will not fail to be there. I think I’ll be back about the 15th. I’m eating perfectly good grill[ed meat] and shall work a little, from a sense of duty. Salaam-aleikums to Thadee. Greetings to the friends and you".

The letter dates from 5th June 1894 and is written by Lautrec while staying at Morrell’s Private Hotel in London to his friend, Alfred Natanson.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out any further information about Judy the Fox Terrier. I wonder what became of her...