Wotcha. We was at Northampton Pets at 'Ome down at Riverside Retail Park yesterday doin' a Meet an' Greet to raise some dosh for Grey'ound Gap. Like wot we said at the last one we did, we've got an' 'alf decent gaff, but there's shed loads of 'ounds wot ain't, and want to 'elp to so as wot they do, 'specially this time of year like.

At just after 9 o'clock yesterday mornin' we all piled in the motor, pitched up at Pets at 'Ome, set our stall out, and lay - stood really - in wait for the punters. The Pets at 'Ome bods said we could go inside, but dad decided we wouldn't do that so as how we got more people. Trouble was, it was a bit brassy outside, and never really warmed up all day. Still no-one said it would be easy.


Our Stall

So there we was, us Beasts - all togged out in our festive collars from Anna (the punters thought they was dead good), mum and dad, and mum's grown up puppy Lucie. We was gettin' a fair bit of passin' trade already when we had company; a lovely lady called Josie 'ad came down 'specially just to see us - she said she'd been looking forward to it all week, which was nice. She's 10, and lives in Northampton, not far from were we was, wiv 'er mum and dad Ann and Norman. She's a bit poorly at the moment 'avin' torn her gracilis muscle, a common grey'ound injury wot's usually called "dropped muscle" (saw a fair few like it when I was in the game - an' unless you'd been on a winnin' streak recently it meant the end of your carreer, if not worse). Not nice, an' it means she can't 'ave a good old charge about. All the Beasts 'ope she gets better soon.


Josie

Josie does fund raisin' stuff too - when mum and dad was at the March for Greyhounds in London the uvver week, Joise was in Northampton raisin' money for Northants rescue.


Josie wiv me 'avin' a cuddle from 'er mum ('As to be done!)

Then a bit later Whisper an' Morgan and their mum Bernie turned up. They'd come over from Ketterin' to 'elp us out an' stayed pretty much all day. Whisper's a whippet and Morgan is a longdog - a saluki x grey'ound; very 'andsome fella, and dead good at this Meet an' Greet lark. 'Is mum reckoned 'he was shy wiv blokes. Really? Not from where I was standin' 'ee weren't. In fact, 'ee was doin' wot I do - straight at the punters 'til they 'anded over some dosh - an' 'ee weren't bovvered wevver or not they was blokes.


The Beastly Beasts, Morgan and Whisper, and mums

We 'ad more 'elp in the afternoon too when Abi and Paul turned up with Rory. 'Ee's done these before an' is dead good at it - anuvver one wot don't 'ang back.


Rory showing 'ow it should be done

As anyone wot knows me knows, I ain't exactly your wallflower type at these doos either; I believe in the direct approach. Wot I've found works best is to stand outside the door of the shop and stare at the punters while they're payin' for their stuff. Usually they clock you while they're 'andin' over the readies, and come an' see you afterwards; but if they look like they're gonna do a runna I just go and lean on 'em as they come out the door. What ever way I get 'em don't matter; they always give you stroke, and that gives the old man a chance to stick the tin under their nose - works every time.

The uvvers did their usual fings: Kai just stood and looked 'andsome an' pulled the women; Jack did 'is "I ain't been fed for a week" impression - that's always a good one wiv the punters; Monty was mister enigmatic; and Maple, well, she's gettin' betta wiv people she don't know, but a ways to go yet I reckon.

'Course, the 'uman puppies are the ones; they just love to come an' see us 'ounds an' give us a stroke. Jack's our man for the puppies, 'ee always 'as a snuggle up to 'em. I don't mind 'em, but I prefer the grown up 'umans 'coz you can lean 'arder on 'em. Anyway, 'coz it's Christmas, we 'ad some sweets for the puppies, and stickers they could wear to say they 'ad 'elped an' 'ound - we gave them to the grown ups too; 'an I'll tell yer wot, they all went away well chuffed.


I've Helped a Hound sticker

We 'anded out loads of leaflets too; some about Grey'ound Gap and some about wot 'appens to loads of our mates once they finish racin'. Loads of people said they thought wot 'appened to grey'ounds wos 'orrible - they ain't wrong. Someone mentioned thet geezer from up norf wot done over lots of 'ounds. Tell you wot - I wouldn't cock my leg up 'im if 'ee was on fire.

There was a fair few people what seened really interested in 'avin' a grey'ound to live wiv 'em, an' 'opefully some of the blurb will 'elp make the right choice an' get one. Loads wanted to know about cats - wot is it about cats? Truth is that we know plenty of 'ounds wot live 'em.

Course, not everyone knew about grey'ounds and lurchers, an' all the stuff wot goes on, but a fair few looked at the stand and took away blurb, so 'opefully the message was spread a bit wider yesterday.

Anuvver pack, 'uman one that is, I 'ave to metion in Jayne's. Jayne comes an' looks after us if mum and dad are out all day. Today she pitched up wiv all 'er pack, includin' 'er mum an' dad, wot meant there was seven of them; certainly made the stand look busy while they was there. Course, 'coz all the kids know us an' we got loads of hugs and stuff, an' they was all dead generous. Jayne's mum an' dad 'ave got a lurcher called Fleur, an' they was sayin' they might 'ave a grey'ound next; why not get one now? I bet Fleur'd love 'avin' a mate.


Whisper an' Morgan 'avin' a rest

So wot wiv accostin' punters, 'avin a laugh wiv Whisper and Morgan and Rory, and visits from Josie and Jayne and their packs, the time flew, and just after four we decided call it day an' 'eaded 'ome, where dad made us a really nice tea an' we crashed out - we'd missed over eight hours beauty sleep!!!

We would like to say thank you to Whisper, Morgan an' their mum for comin' to 'elp us; an' 'ope to see you on one of the walks an' stuff soon. An' to Rory an' 'is mum an' dad for 'elpin' out. It really was appreciated an' 'elped make the day.

An' it was great to meet Josie an' 'er mum an' dad; hopefully we'll meet 'em again soon too. We'll see Jayne next week some time I'm sure.


Rory an' 'is dad 'avin' a rest

An' of course we must thank the people at Pets at 'Ome for lettin' us do wot we did, and to all the people of Northampton wot came an' spoke to us an' put some dosh in the tins.

Now, I bet you want to know just 'ow much dosh that was don't you?

Well, we did do pretty well; it makes all feel dead chuffed, an' like it was all worth it.

Our grand total was: £336.28

It's back to bed for me now; just time to say Merry Christmas an' 'Appy New Year to everyone, 'specially those 'ounds wot ain't 'ad a very good year this year.