Shelley the Lifeboat Labrador (6 page)

I started my new job and there was some initial training to do but the company were very kind indeed and Shelly spent several days behind the main reception greeting all the visitors.

I had not made any money from the sale of the house.  I had agreed via my solicitor to pay Christine’s father a certain sum each month until I had cleared the deposit he lent us. (It was eventually paid and to this day I have kept his nice thank-you letter saying how pleased he was that I had stuck to my promise).  The divorce came through and I was now a single man again.                         

The new job was going very well indeed and I managed to get home most

nights other than when I was working in Kent. Shelley enjoyed her travels   every day knowing she was going to get a walk at lunch time when I stopped for my sandwiches.

Hove was fun, and Shelley had found a new pastime collecting the biggest stick or plank she could find that was washed up on the beach.  This caused a lot of fun to the many passers by.  Some were so heavy she had a problem carrying them, others were so long she could not get them up the steps past the railings.  Once on the promenade she was able to find the centre of gravity of the plank and with head down carried along at speed dropping it every now and then.  My main concern was the shins of the passers by causing many to scurry to her left or right to avoid a collision.  On reflection I can honestly say that we did not get one bad comment regarding her new found pleasure! 

I had a tennis racket and often used it to hit tennis balls along in front of the beach huts.  I did this early morning around 6 am when there were not many people around.  It gave Shelley a chance to run a long way returning the ball to me after each swipe of the racket.  On one occasion the ball bounced hard along the tarmac and over a stone wall.  All I heard in the distance was a thud and a yell.  Shelley had jumped over the wall by the lagoon to find to her horror a twenty foot drop onto the concrete below. She lay there motionless with the ball bouncing off towards the lagoon.  Running down the steps I was joined by another passer by who had witnessed the fall – we got there at the same time to find Shelley whimpering but alive.  After a few minutes she came around and stood up – with no visible injuries we made sure she was well.  What amused us was the way she walked to the lagoon – it appears she had landed on all fours bruising her pads in the process.  It was like watching two bowed legged cowboys walking into the sunset.  Not content with that she then jumped into the lagoon to retrieve the ball.  On the way back she stayed by me feeling a little sorry for herself!                                                    

The beach played an important part in both of our lives. I loved the sea; like both of my late parents.  At any opportunity my mother would go to the beach at Hythe and swim, sometimes several times a day. She was always tanned and looked very fit.  My father every evening on his return from work always joined her for a dip in the English Channel ‘come rain or shine.’                   

At weekends we always went to the same beach getting to know several local residents who were always there.  I never sat with them but was near enough to often have conversations. Shelley was always guaranteed a treat whenever they were there.

Whenever I went for a swim Shelley would run in after me and swim beside me or around me – I could hold onto her tail and she would pretend to rescue me towing me onto the beach.  I remember leaving her once tied up to my beach chair (one of the light fold up types).  Before I knew it people were standing up and pointing and laughing.  Swimming out to me was Shelley towing the beach chair leaving an assortment of clothing and towels floating in her wake.  She was a true water dog!

Always scrounging for food I recall one evening seeing her run along the waters edge past some beach fishermen.  She stopped and sniffed into one of their beach bags and retrieved their sandwiches.  There was little I could do other than call her and disappear into the distance with her following carrying a nice fresh pack of sandwiches. I never looked back until we had hidden by a row of beach huts.

I eventually sold most of my furniture which no doubt pleased my aunt giving her the garage space back. There was little point in keeping it as there was no way I would be able to buy a new property with the financial problems I then had.

I was doing very well at work and was promoted to Sales Training Manager. I still retained my area as a representative but from time to time ran sales    courses lasting several days at a hotel near Gatwick.  No problems bringing Shelley and during the day she spent her time with the chambermaids following them around. I have yet to find out what chambermaids did in the kitchens?

The hotel also ran training courses for Dan Air staff. As there was a large swimming pool outside it was used for practice drill to rescue passengers if an aircraft had ditched into the sea.                                                                 

One by one the trainee cabin crews jumped into the pool fully clothed and made their way to an inflated rubber dingy followed by Shelley barking and swimming around them waiting to be rescued. I did ask if there were any objections, but all seemed happy.

What was also nice was that one could leave her in the hotel room knowing that there would be no damage or no barking which was a real added bonus.

One night when we were away I came back to the room to find she had been very ill.  I found a grey paper mache tray on the floor up-side down with the name Rentokil on the side.  It was no ones fault - the pest control people had put a repellent under one of the radiator cabinets resulting in Shelley retrieving it and eating the contents.  I contacted the local vets and Rentokil and was advised to give her lots of water. I am glad to say all returned to normal after a few hours.  The hotel also accepted full responsibility and I was offered a free weekend of my choice as a result (which I have never taken to this day). Shelly also went back home with a box of goodies!

As time went on – we became a pair and many people living in the area got to know us – in those early days I kept my-self to my-self. If I did go out for a drink it was always to the same place a hotel called Langford’s in ‘Third Avenue’.

It was family run and the manager Roy Merrick was a wonderful person.  He had a dog of his own and it was one of those establishments that had a very good local clientele.  We were soon accepted (like in Southwold) and Shelley became part of the furniture with her regular place under one of the long seats by the window popping her head out from time to time to make sure I was still there.  I made some good friends – one person a chap called Guy Patterson whose father had been a Navy pilot in the war was always very sociable.  We got to know each other well and his parents were great characters.  Brian his father had some interesting stories relating to his wartime flying experiences and as it happened turned out to be quite a hero resulting in some medals for his bravery. Both Joyce and Brian Patterson were to become long standing friends of mine.                                                                                                              

Life in Hove was going well however; there was one problem, money and trying to save and get something sorted for the future was not going to plan whilst it seemed such a waste to spend money on renting when I could look at ways to save money for a deposit for a property of my own.

One day as it was nice and sunny I took a long walk to Southwick to have a drink in ‘The Schooner Inn’. This was the pub I went to many years ago when they were making the film ‘Oh What a Lovely War.’

It had not changed and the landlord was the same plus there was a great view over the harbour and old power station. Both Shelley and my-self were made welcome. I had some free cheese and biscuits, being Sunday he managed to scrounge a packet of crisps from a couple at the bar.  Suddenly there were two loud bangs and three of the pub regulars ran out leaving their drinks and drove off at speed.  As I was to find out later they were members of the local Shoreham Lifeboat crew. 

I had already taken to this establishment as it reminded me so much of Southwold.  Perhaps a move a few miles along the coast might be a good idea – it would be cheaper and the place had a nice character and feel to it.

I returned to Hove and the next day set the ball in motion.   

End of Chapter Eight

A NEW LIFE IN SHOREHAM – CHAPTER 9

I started to look for a property to rent in Shoreham and had to bear in mind that not all people were happy to include a dog.  I could understand as they at time can cause some problems (but I must say Shelley had not shown in her life time any destructive patterns apart from wooden planks on the beach). I saw several places, but they were not right and time was running out as I had to renew my contract for my bed-sit in Hove.

I met a couple called Ted and Joan in the Schooner at Southwick and they were very kind and offered me a temporary room at their bungalow for the sum of £10 a week which included meals.  I had to put some of my personal items back in Hove at my Aunts which was fine but sadly she had now had three strokes and was bedridden with every possibility having to go into a nursing home.

I moved in with Ted and Joan – they were a great couple Ted having worked all his life for the Civil Service in London. He commuted every day by train to his office near Victoria and on his return every evening had a couple of Gin and Tonics with Joan which sometimes extended into the late hours.  They had some optics for dispensing their favourite tipple mounted on the wall in the kitchen.   Shelley seemed happy and was at first given the outer conservatory to live in, but after a while her dulcet charms worked on Joan and she became part of the furniture.

I discovered that they did both enjoy their drink more than most and any excuse to have friends around ended up in another session for them.  I sometimes got involved but most of the time did my own thing.

I started to use the Schooner at weekends and met some great nautical characters. With the harbour, busy locks and beyond that the sea there was always something going on. The public bar had fishermen and in the evening these were often joined by visiting crews from the ships that docked in Shoreham Port.                 

It was a real hive of activity and every time one went in there was always someone new to meet.  Shelley loved it and made many new friends by showing how good she was at opening her packets of crisps.  For some reason she never seemed to put on any weight or get any bigger.  She was a very small Labrador with an endearing nature attracted people and there is no doubt she played on it.  Who says dogs are not intelligent?

I was walking back one evening when I heard a couple of loud bangs.  It was the Shoreham Lifeboat crew being informed that it was time to launch on a call (or shout as I was to find out later).  I carried on walking with Shelley and watched the boat launch and stayed until it returned. Those left back at the boathouse were chatty and I asked if I could come down and help.  I was given the name of the Coxswain Kenny Voice and told it was best to phone him.

In Southwold I had shown an interest in the inshore lifeboat and recall in my early days going out once on the Dungeness boat when I was doing a feature on them as a trainee reporter for the Kent Messenger.  I remember to this day the names of most of the crew, they were Oilers, Thomases, Richardsons or Tarts and all lived in a close knit community at Dungeness Point.

A couple of days later I received a call from Kenny Voice and he asked me to pop down to the boathouse to meet him and the Hon Secretary of the station John Harrison.

As Shelley was part of my life she came too and made quite an impression running up and down the slipway retrieving any sticks that were in the way.

After a couple of pints of hot tea over a long chat of what would be involved and what would be expected of me I was told that I could join the launching crew and make my way up from there through the ranks.  I was a lifeboat man! So I thought, and could not wait to tell all and sundry.                           

Back at Ted and Joan’s I explained to them what I had done. They seemed more concerned about being woken at night and me not being around in time for meals.  Mind you it was only a temporary stay and to be frank I had been there almost a year.  I felt it was time to move on and look for a new place with more independence.                                                                

Meanwhile my work selling medical equipment was going well and Shelley was enjoying her trips away. At times we stayed in some rather nice hotels. We also had our fair share of some rather unusual establishments.