NDWA At Crufts 2008

Thu, 06 Mar 2008
The first day of Crufts 2008 is underway and as ever the crowds are thronging the halls and stalls at the National Exhibition Centre to experience what is known and the world's greatest dog show with around 23,000 dogs expected of which 1,165 will be from overseas, on the human side it is estimated that 153,000 people will visit the show.

The order of play for the four days is as follows:

Day One (Thursday 6th March) Toy & Utility

Day Two (Friday 7th March) Gundogs

Day Three (Saturday 8th March) Working & Pastoral

Day Four (Sunday 9th March) Terriers and Hounds

Further information about Crufts can be accessed via: www.crufts.org.uk

The NDWA team working on the stand on the first day is::

Mark Berrill Mansfield District Council

Cuthbert Jackson Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Zoe Martin Winchester City Council

Natalie McClellan Allerdale Borough Council

Hazel Millington Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

Alison Waine Swindon Borough Council

Also assisting on our stand is Elizabeth Jackson who is handling canine Blaze.

Also present is D4 dog who passes comment on the ways of the world from his doghouse, whether it is promoting responsible dog ownership, being safe around dogs or just barracking 'celebs' and their entourages when they sweep by!

Blaze's party trick is to 'put poop scoop bags into a dog waste bin (if only all dogs could do that!)

The stand according to Mark Berrill, NDWA Secretary was being well visited and our colleagues are busy promoting the role of Dog Wardens and the NDWA to all comers.

The only downside seems to be that to get in for 9am, some of the team spent two and a half hours in a bumper to bumper tailback!

If you do visit Crufts please go and see the folks and visit them on the NDWA stand, it can be found in Hall No2 and is located at Stand 118.

Should you wish to watch all the action from the comfort of your own armchair/dog bed, you can catch all the action via BBC2:

Thursday 6th March 20:00 - 21:00
Interactive programme 21:00 - 22:00

Friday 7th March 20:00 - 21:00
Interactive programme 21:00 - 22:00

Saturday 8th March 20:00 - 21:00
Interactive programme 21:00 - 22:00

Sunday 9th March 17:00 - 18:00
19:00 - 21:00 (Best in Show)
Interactive programme 21:00 - 22:00

DAY TWO

The second day of the show was much busier than the opening day and the team were kept very busy promoting the association.

Today the team consisted of:

Mark Berrill Mansfield District Council

Cuthbert Jackson Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Zoe Martin Winchester City Council

Natalie McClellan Allerdale Borough Council

Hazel Millington Wirral Metropolitan Borough Councill

Also assisting on our stand is Elizabeth Jackson who is handling canine Blaze

D4 Dog had another busy day interacting with the public and any dogs that stopped to check out the talking dog!

Cuthbert Jackson repoprts that with the increase in visitors in the halls today, D4 Dog was kept on his toes (or should that be paws?)

Saturday sees the return of Sidney the dog, I wonder what breed people will think he is this year?

DAY THREE

Crufts opened at 8.15 am and visitors and exhibitors were soon teaming all over the halls and stalls. As it is the weekend, it has to be assumed that more people will be attending with their families and friends than perhaps in the week?

Today the team consisted of:

Sue Bell NDWA President

Barty Briggs Rutland County Council

Mark Berrill Mansfield District Council

Cuthbert Jackson Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Natalie McClellan Allerdale Borough Council

Steve O'Brien Breckland District Council

Also assisting on our stand today are Fiona, Christopher and Elizabeth Jackson who are handling canines Blaze and Sidney.

New of the day is that Cuthbert has been adopted by two NEC cleaning ladies who are concerned about his welfare, as he spends hours in the dog house, phyiscally if not literally! The ladies keep checking on him and bringing him cups of tea and in true cleaning lady fashion, they simply go to the front of the queue and get his drinks for him!

D4 dog is doing his part for our friends, the charity Support Dogs too, when visitors finish talking and interacting with him, some put a donation in to the Support Dogs collecting tin which will be used by Support Dogs to continue their important work.

The team are also working through the 7,000 poop scoop bags we have brought to the show to promote responsible dog ownership for visitors and exhibitors alike.

Apparently Prince Michael of Kent visited the show yesterday, but due to palace protocol, as he was visiting in a private capacity, the visit could not be announced. Anyway he still visited Crufts and probably did exactly the same things he would have done if he had visited in an official capacity?

Controversy surrounding how a Chihuahua travelled to the show from overseas was cleared up. The dog was brought from Paris via the Eurotunnel in a car so it had entered the United Kingdom legally and correctly!

The show is absolutely packed now (1.30pm), all the walkways around the show seem to be crowded with people, when you walk down any of the connecting stairways all you can see is a sea of heads below you, luckily Crufts is a show that has something for everyone.

D4 as usual is attracting lots of interest and yesterday so many people were listening to his unique outlook on canine life that they were blocking access to a neighbouring stall! The stall holder came over to D4 and put a muzzle on him in a good natured sort of way! Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view he would have needed a much bigger muzzle to shut D4 up!

The stand has also been visited by our friends from Deed Not Breed Mel and Mark who as usual are continually raising awareness of the danger and resultant effects of breed specific legislation.

At present no 'celebs' have been spotted visiting the stand although at this mornings press briefing it was claimed that a star from Coronation Street was visiting the show.

Blaze the dog was filmed yesterday pciking up litter and poop scoop bags and putting them in to a litter bin.

Whilst the team are hard at it working on the stand, I think that I will spend some time looking for 'celebs', last year the highlight was Ben Fogle and entourage sweeping past the stand!

DAY FOUR

Day four seemed to start even earlier with the crowds pouring through the turnstiles and well on their way to the rings and stands even at 8.15 am.

Working on the stand on today were:

Sue Bell NDWA President

Mark Berrill Mansfield District Council

Denise Dervey Allerdale Borough Council

Cuthbert Jackson Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Natalie McClellan Allerdale Borough Council

Alison Waine Swindon Borough Council

Also assisting on our stand today as they have in the case of Cuthbert, Elizabeth and Blaze for all four days, are Fiona, Christopher and Elizabeth Jackson who are handling canines Blaze and Sidney.

The people working on the stand were kept busy answering queries about working as a dog warden or simply answering questions about what should they do regarding a dog related problem they may have.

The team also managed to hand out the 7,000 poop scoop pags, kindly donated by Martin Stimpson of PMC bags. NDWA is very grateful that Martin supports our ongoing committment to promoting responsible dog ownership.

Over the four days, NDWA and D4 raised £137.00 for our friends at Support Dogs.

President Sue Bell said 'without the support of members who give up their free time to work on the stand, NDWA would more than likely not be able to run one at Crufts.'

'The contribution of everybody who has helped out over the years is very much appreciated, the hard work of Mark and Cuthbert are also as ever very, very much appreciated' she continued.

If you would like to help out at Crufts 2009, please contact NDWA Secretary Mark Berrill or any member of the Committee.

See you all at Crufts 2009!










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