The Romiley Gazette

A true story

Text © Sheila Oliver

Illustrations © David Kelsall

All rights reserved. This book is offered without charge as part of a philanthropic series.

For Caroline

One Sunday, Crompton and Caroline went to stay with Baskerville and Fang, a chocolate brown Labrador and a golden Labrador. It was difficult to tell which was which. Caroline was making Sunday lunch, whilst they played happily in the garden.

Naughty Crompton climbed on the back of a Labrador and opened the gate. “Are you sure that is wise”, asked a little bird who was watching them? But Crompton didn’t listen. He was too excited about his adventure.

The three naughty dogs ran off through the play park, past the swings, the slide and the roundabout. The three naughty dogs ran down Bunkers Hill Woods. The three naughty dogs ran to Chadkirk.

The three naughty dogs had a lovely time playing at Chadkirk. They didn’t give a thought as to how they would find their way home though.

Suddenly, the three naughty dogs caught nose-sight of a smell. It was a lovely smell of roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, horseradish sauce which makes your nose twitch, carrots, peas, broccoli, Jersey new potatoes in butter and parsley and lovely gravy – to be finished off with rice pudding made with Jersey milk. And off they ran, up Bunkers Hill Woods, past the playpark with the swings and slide and roundabout and back.

Caroline opened the door to them. “Sunday lunch is served boys”, she said. She didn’t realise they had been on their great adventure, and unless she reads this book, she will never know about it.

But, just imagine children. What if they couldn’t find their way home again? What if the dog-catcher had found them? Worse, what if they had missed their Sunday lunch?

Text © Sheila Oliver

Illustrations © David Kelsall

All rights reserved. This book is offered without charge as part of a philanthropic series.

For Sasha

Pug came to stay with Caroline and Crompton for a few days in the tiny, cosy, stone cottage at the foot of Werneth Low.

“I can’t take Pug for a proper walk”, thought Caroline, “or his spindly legs might snap.” So, she took Crompton up on Werneth Low for a bracing walk and a bounce.

Then Caroline drove with Pug to a posh, Cheshire café. He was loved by all the ladies there receiving lots of attention. Pug dogs were bred as companions to the Emperors of China, so he knew how to behave in public, which is a very useful skill.

When they returned to the cottage, Pug and Crompton curled up for a snooze. Crompton was dreaming of the very big dogs he loved so much. Pug dreamt of his favourite meal. Filet steak served with warm artisan bread with oil, balsamic vinegar and butter; he came from Didsbury.

The next morning Caroline decided to take both dogs for a proper, long walk, but she was still worried that Pug’s spindly legs might snap.

Both dogs had a lovely time – running, sniffing, bouncing, weeing, sniffing, running, bouncing, resting, sniffing bouncing, meeting other dogs, playing with other dogs, sniffing, bouncing and weeing. Not necessarily in that order.

All three were worn out when they returned to the cottage, so they went to bed. The trouble was, Crompton and Pug were a type of dog bred over many years to have a cute, squashed face, but this meant they had trouble breathing and they snored terribly.

Walks make dogs happy. Remember children – all your life – there is nothing quite so much fun as being with a happy dog.

Mutt, Rescue Dog

A true story

Text © Sheila Oliver

Illustrations © David Kelsall

All rights reserved. This book is offered without charge as part of a philanthropic series.

To Muttley, with our love forever

“The family went to Windybottom Dog Rescue Centre. It was a very kindly place where the rescued dogs were played classical music to calm them down. ‘I’m not taking the first dog I see’ said Mum. ‘Put him back and let’s see the rest’.”

But the dog had made the decision for them, and he had become their new pet. Mutt, Rescue Dog.

Mutt, Rescue Dog, had been living wild on the streets of New Mills for many months. He hadn’t had much to eat, and he hated stone waggons which he felt, not unreasonably, were trying to kill him.

Because Mutt had been starving living on the streets, the family had to feed him up very carefully – only giving him boiled rice at the beginning. Mutt soon thrived and loved his food. If he wasn’t fed on time, he gave the family very frosty looks.

Mutt soon settled in to his new life with the family, and they loved him so much. One drawback was that when he saw a stone waggon, he tried to bite it.

One terrible day, the saddest of sad things that can ever befall a family happened. They were too sad to feed themselves, and they completely forgot to feed Mutt too. And, do you know, Mutt never mentioned to them that he hadn’t been fed. He gave no frosty and pointed looks at his empty bowl. He knew how sad they were and he didn’t bother them. Fortunately, the family had very good neighbours who came in and fed Mutt and fed them too.

Eventually, Mum and Dad had to pull themselves together and feed and walk Mutt. Whilst they were out they spoke to other people and they stroked other dogs. They started going back out and about, and they began to feel better. You might think differently, but I know that Mutt is the kindest, wisest, most beautiful, loyal dog in the entire World.

A note for grown-ups

Mutt, Rescue Dog is a story about a family who goes through something very hard, and about a dog who quietly helps them find their way back to each other.

We haven’t spelled out what happened to this family. Grief takes many forms, and children carry their own experiences of loss – a pet, a grandparent, a parent, a sibling, a friend. We wanted this book to sit alongside whatever loss a child might be holding, without asking them to relive a specific one.

If you are reading this with a child who has experienced a loss, you may want to gently connect Mutt’s story to theirs – or you may simply want to enjoy it as a story about a very good dog. Either way is the right way to read it.

A Crompton The Dog tale: Yorkie’s story

Illustrations by David Kelsall

Story by Sheila Oliver

Dedication

To Jacko, the real Yorkie.

Also by this Author

Crompton The Dog Deserves Respect

(more titles in this series to follow)

Although Yorkie was a small dog, he was unaware of this fact.

Yorkie lived with Grandad and Grandma, and he had trained them quite well.

Yorkie carried out all manner of important tasks around the house, and he did them with great diligence. Bath ducks were dealt with particularly severely.

Every day Yorkie stood up to and saw off persistent and determined interlopers.

When Grandma had had a bath, Yorkie often made himself useful by licking the water off her legs. Sometimes, when he had been doing something unmentionable – he didn’t know what unmentionable meant because no-one ever mentioned what it was – Grandma climbed back in the bath for another go.

Yorkie enjoyed life, especially having his tummy tickled.

Yorkie loved to post up on the doggy social media – Weebook. His posts (often on posts) let all his doggy friends know what was happening in his busy life.

Yorkie was a very friendly and amiable dog – most of the time. But sometimes, on a sixpence, he turned into a grumpy and biting dog. Grandad and Grandma had learnt to read the signs – the whites of his eyes showing being one.

Yorkie didn’t like the vet, and he made his feelings very plain. Lunging at him with a hurting, sharp thing; puffing something up his nose. And not once did the vet sniff his bottom – extremely rude behaviour, so Yorkie bit him.

Children, when you are out and about and see a dog you would like to stroke, please ask first. It might be Yorkie in a bad mood coming back from the vet. Better safe than sorry.

The Real Yorkie!

Jacko, on a visit to the vet.

Text © Sheila Oliver. Illustrations © David Kelsall.

All rights reserved. Shared freely and not for sale.

Dogs’ tales. Crompton and his doggy chums.

A very sad tale indeed of what can happen if children do not respect their pets.

Illustrations by David Kelsall

Story by Sheila Oliver

Dedicated to Memphis –

Crompton the dog lived with the Wikeley family. He was fluffy and licky, jumpy and fun. Crompton was really loved and cared for by the family.

But…. the Littlest Member of the Family (LMF) used to poke him in the eye and pull his tail, which upset him very much.

One day, Crompton could stand this no longer, and he turned round and bit LMF on the finger, which hurt a lot.

Mummy Wikeley was very cross with LMF, and jolly cross with herself for allowing the dog to be poked in the eye.

Mummy Wikeley couldn’t let this happen again, so Crompton had to leave the family and live with someone else. Everyone in the family was very, very sad about this, including Crompton.

Luckily for Crompton, he was sent to live with Caroline, who loved him and cuddled him, and took him for long walks on Werneth Low.

And Caroline and Crompton lived happily ever after in a little stone cottage.

Text © Sheila Oliver. Illustrations © David Kelsall.

All rights reserved. Shared freely and not for sale.