Friday, September 18, 2009

my first dog

a long time ago, far, far away my family had a dog.
his name was "mush".
there might be a good reason why he was named that but i don't know it.
he was a border collie off a farm.
he came to live with us as a puppy
in our home in altrincham (a suburb of manchester, england).

he lived in the coal shed outside, sleeping on the coal pretty much year-round.
he preferred that to living in the house!
mush took all sorts of childish unkindness from my bruvver and i and never turned on us.
(sorry mush!)

here he is with my not very happy looking mum.

i'm next to my mum.
my little bruvver david is on the right.

so i've always had a special place for border collies.

roving reporter margaret (based about sixty km south of the golden fish world headquarters) recently sent this clever piece of film my way. i hope that you enjoy it!!!!
here's the link.

by the way - there was a tremendous kerfuffle at golden fish world headquarters today as the blog got skermazzled and scrunched through some html glitch.
the result is that my lovely comments are lost.
i apologize for that.

11 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

I love those old shots!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

We never forget our first dog! Nor should we. Lovely post!

Rachel Fenton said...

Lovely colours on your blog, very calm and soothing. Did everyone's mum look like that in the fifties and early sixties? I have a load of b&w photos from my grandma's (grandpa was a keen photographer), and they all look just like that! We (My brothers and I) had a collie cross when we were kids, named Bess, after Dick Turpin's horse! She was also an outside only dog. She was the best dog ever, so much so that I don't want another dog. Dogs are better in childhood though I think. That said, I suppose I shouldn't prevent my kids having one...but would it pull them on their roller skates like ours did?

Golden West said...

That is a totally charming picture of you and your family. Thanks for the glimpse at your childhood. Your mother looks very put together with her gloves. She doesn't look so much unhappy as eager to get on with whatever she needed to do!

Totalfeckineejit said...

We have a Border Collie too Steven, lovely dogs. Altrincham is a nice place, didn't know you lived in England.Great photo!

Margaret Pangert said...

Hi Steven~ It looks like you and your bruvver are in a world of your own playing with the dog, and your Mum is looking askance! I know the feeling!
The video was hysterical! Some people have too much time on their hands.
Happy Sunday!

steven said...

hi jenn, i'm gradually acquiring some of my past as my mum and i exchange images from my previous life/lives. thanks for visiting. steven

steven said...

hi rachel - thanks for this lovely comment. i want my blog to be a place i like to visit. if it becomes a place that my bloggy chums like as well then i will be an even happier person!!!
i've looked at so many images from that time - so many different families and there is a tone of discontent, dissatsifaction, and then also of genuine bemusement. my mum is very much alive and reads this blog - which doesn't cause too too much circumspection on my part but let's just say that she had a hard life at the time this picture was taken. i love your story of bess pulling you on roller skates rachel. wickedgood!!!! steven

steven said...

hey tfe - born in stretford, manchester. lived in altrincham cheshire until i was eight. emigrated to the colonies with aspirations after fame, fortune, and eternal glory. the second was granted. the others are in the offing. steven

steven said...

oh margaret, my bruvver and i were often in a world of our own. thanks for empathizing with my sorry mother. she's a much more fulfilled person now!!!! thanks for your lovely comments margaret. steven

Lisa Ursu said...

What a beautiful photograph. Our Lucy is part Border Collie, and we couldn't love her more. She doesn't have a mean bone in her furry body, and is fiercely loyal. She is always so eager to please.
Thanks for sharing!