Dog-ression- “What a weekend!”

Delphi Dog is now back from her foray into folk culture!

As you know she is the mascot for the Brackley Morris Men, for whom I have the honour to play pipe.brackleymorris

Me- Mayday 2009 -five o clock in the morning...must be mad!

Being one of the longest established morris sides in the country; we go right back to beyond 1600, it was right and meet that we should be asked to dance on the Brackley Market Place on the day which was to celebrate the 750th anniversary of Brackley becoming a proper Mayoral market town. Older than Aylesbury, ( 1529) older than Banbury (1606 ) and older than a few other towns around us.

So at 11 a.m.Delphi Dog donned her red white and blue Brackley Morris collar and hit the town!

Delphi Dog doing her dancing!

It was, as some of you elsewhere will have experienced, a very warm day. The dancers were parched, the musicians were parched…the mascot was parched!

I hadn’t quite realised just how much her hair had grown since her last strip. Her coat was fine for the very cold weather we had been experiencing in Northamptonshire the past few weeks but much too much for Saturday.

One chap jokingly ( we hope ) said, ” Why does your dog look like a Brillo pad?)

I am resolved to strip…this afternoon!

😉

It was a memorable day. Delphi has never before been so patted, cuddled and kissed! Well…not in public!

One of our younger members, Miles and DD

Delphi is now…resting….( as all good thespians call it ) between roles. Her next engagement will be St. Georgie’s Day ( April 23rd ) when she will be called in to double as the dragon in the Mummers play ( No…only joking!) It is also her birthday so there should be a great deal of patting and cuddling and kissing, then too. ( AND she hopes, Giving out of Goodies!)

Resting, after a hard day’s Morrising, comprises, lying on our bed snoring, lifting her head and growling occasionally at passers by ( the four legged variety ) just to assert her rights to access in the area around our dwelling. ( All good canine legal terms you understand.) Yawning, dreaming and sniffing the rather disgusting old hide bone that she has taken up onto the bed with her, known in this household as “The Relic”. (No..I can hear you wrinkling your nose…..it’s ok… there is a special ‘relic blanket’ laid over our very expensive and specially made Toile de Jouy bed quilt, which is regularly washed.( Much to DD’s disgust! )

So what did she do on Sunday?

Never one to rest on her laurels….DD went by invitation, to Fawsley Hall.

Fawsley Hall near Daventry

Stephen and I went to lunch at one of the local “Stately Home restaurants”, a beautiful 16th century manor house turned gourmet posh nosh place!

Fawsley Hall

It was a Christmas present in the form of a voucher for Sunday lunch for two, courtesy of one of our friends and the most wonderful experience. We shall return!

Thank you Elisabeth!

Delphi didn’t lose out…there was a doggy bag.

And then she walked around the ( Capability Brown ) parkland and the gardens and for her afternoon’s entertainment, they had kindly laid on sheep ….with lambs! Ahhhhhh,

I mean, Bahhhh. She LOVES sheep.

Of course she looks like one doesn’t she! Brillo pad indeed!

Normally the only lambs she comes across are staring at her from her dinner plate!

Jolly good job she doesn’t make the connection, I say! 🙂

Next post…? Back to ‘Business’.