by John Periam
It was not long before we pulled up outside the veterinary surgery. I had phoned earlier and John Baber’s wife who was also receptionist. She said not to worry and to come any time I wanted. We sat in the car together for about ten minutes where I hugged Shelley crying onto her soft coat whilst talking to her.
She knew that it was time to part and I carried her into the waiting room which was empty. The walls had images of dogs on large posters given to the practice by one of the veterinary drug companies. The table in the centre of the waiting room had copies of many regional magazines on show. Do you realise that publishers of these magazines reckon that each copy is read seven times. It is the interest in the many properties that are for sale that none of us can afford alongside adverts for up market kitchens and furnishings that make them popular. It bought back memories of our first visit to the vets in Suffolk – how well I remember the surgeon’s words – he was so right Shelley did turn out to be a wonderful dog and without any doubt we had a relationship that none could have bettered.
John came out to greet us and carried Shelley in putting her on the small examination table. The surgery was clean and tidy with lots of cupboards containing drugs and instruments. He was a very understanding Vet and had looked after Shelley all the time we had lived in Sussex. He had a thorough check over and as expected did advise me that she was suffering very much now with pain caused through her back legs. Her heart had enlarged and she was producing a lot of fluid on her lungs which was causing her to bring up a lot of bile. It was time for her to be put to sleep and John explained just what would happen; which I knew from my many years of selling to veterinary practices. I had seen many a dog owner myself crying in surgery waiting rooms and now it was my turn.
I don’t know why but I just broke down running out of the surgery to my car where I sat howling buckets. John’s wife came out and had a chat to me saying not to worry and if I wanted to I could drive home and they would look after Shelley. I came back in with her and gave Shelley a big kiss and hug – she already had an initial injection so was very sleepy. I left getting into the car and drove off through Hove. I remember stopping at some traffic lights seeing the couple in the next car alongside me looking in amazement as I cried uncontrollably.
Driving along the front I stopped by Hove Lagoon and walked around finding a bench to sit on where I tried to take stock of the situation. There was a chap with a radio controlled model boat and he came up to me asking if I was well. I explained what had happened and he assured me all will be fine later. He and his late wife had lost several dogs over the years saying it wouldn’t be long before he reckoned I would get another one.
I drove into Shoreham and parked my car. Gay who lived in the flats came up to me and gave me a big hung. She could see I had Shelley’s collar and lead but no dog and had put two and two together. I went up to the flat and burst into tears on seeing her rug and toys – but decided to keep them there.
I could not sit in alone and went out for a walk calling in to the Royal Sovereign where Ron gave me a comforting drink and Judy his wife came and sat with me. It did not take long for the ‘bush telegraph’ to start up and before I knew it Peter Lowe from the lifeboat came in and said he would spend the rest of the day with me (taking time off work). Harry was very comforting telling others as he went around his normal walkabout from pub to pub. Peter was great and made sure I had a drink keeping his eye on me all the time.
Someone found Molly telling her and she tracked me down joining me for a comforting chat. She had been through the mill herself when she lost her dog several years ago and they had to send out a massive search party to find her. Friends just seemed to come out of the woodwork and before I knew it the afternoon was turning out to be a mini wake for dear old Shelley.
My boss Keith phoned me and told me to take a few days off work and if I wanted to, was to drive up to his house and spend some time with his family.
Brenda came down in the evening and was very supportive offering to take me out for a meal – which was the last thing I needed. I stayed out until closing time and then Peter came back to my flat with a couple of other friends and we had some more beers whilst listening to some nice jazz. I must have fallen asleep as when I woke up it was about 4am and they had gone switching of the lights and music.
Next day was terrible waking up with no Shelley around and feeling slightly worse for wear. I was totally lost and did not know what to do with myself. I got in the car and drove to Brighton where I had a walk around and went to the cinema – something I had not done for a long time. It proves how much I have must have enjoyed it as I still can’t remember what the film was!
Over the next few days things began to get better. The postman bought some very nice warm letters from many friends. I returned to work in a very empty car which still had Shelley imprinted all over it. I kept expecting her to pop her head over the back seat, give the odd bark and be there when I returned from making a call to a client. She was not!
End of Chapter Thirty Six
THE FUTURE – A NEW FOUND LIFE - CHAPTER 37
I shall never forget the last day I took Shelley down to the lifeboat station. It has stayed etched in my mind. Attachments to pets are different from those to human beings – I don’t know why. It just develops once the initial friendship has been made and seems to get stronger the more time you spend together. I had to make up my mind what to do, not only about getting another dog but about what I wanted to do with my own life.
It was not too long before I was knocking on the door of a local pet rescue centre and I soon acquired a new pal who I called ‘Solo’, again named with links to jazz. He helped to fill the great void left by Shelley and so we carried on with life together. There were lots of new adventures and lots of new friends to be made. Following Solo there was Gerry then Butch. Now there is Bobby the Labrador with his pal Mickey the cat.
My interest in the RNLI has always remained. I stayed a crew member at Shoreham for several more years and then moved on, still keeping my contacts with some of the friends I had made there.
My career took a total change later in life. This was due to the development of my photography which followed on after the ‘Red Arrows’ incident in Brighton. It gave me an opportunity to gain access to places that others could not visit and meet new people at the same time. Attending Airshows was more of a purpose than a pastime and I travelled around the country when the opportunity was there visiting many of them. I was able to get media accreditation for some of the events due to seeing several of my images published.
My veterinary experience also helped me get into the local ‘All England Show Jumping Course’ at Hickstead. I started to see many more of my equestrian images published and before long started to write features for magazines linked to the images taken. This has improved to such an extent that I am now writing for several magazines on a regular basis.
The Shoreham Airshow returned this time run by the local Royal Air Forces Association branch. My friends at Shoreham Airport helped me assist the small team in promoting the show. Now 23 years on it is one of the largest airshows in the country and has raised over one and a half million pounds for the RAFA Charity. From humble beginnings the team there under Don Bean MBE have developed a massive event which now takes up a lot of my free time. As Press officer I deal with all the media and write the programme whilst working with Don and the team in a variety of things to make it the success it currently is.
I eventually met Cindy and we were married in 2001 and I moved out of my small flat and now live in Felpham, on the West Sussex coast. All those years of being single have shown me just how wonderful it is to have such a nice and caring wife who supports all I do.
My photojournalism increased and I stopped selling medical products and decided to take it up full time. I have not looked back since. It has not been easy but it has been fun.
The RNLI now use me to take photographs for their image library at Poole in Dorset. I still get the cha
nce to go to sea on lifeboats often visiting the Shoreham Lifeboat station. One of my images taken in 2008 on the Selsey lifeboat made a Royal Mail postage stamp, which was a great honour.
I know Shelley would have been very proud of me. It was her friendly and warm attitude to others that made many friends for me in those early days in Southwold. Her fun around the different lifeboat stations and her wagging tale in the water as she swam around the bottom of the empty slipways looking for a stick stays with me to this day.
My time with Shelley had been one of the happiest periods in my life. We had done things that many others had not done – met many people – seen many places – shared affections and had been there when we needed each other. Her small wet paw – her cold wet nose – her wagging tail – her friendly warm lick was now a distant and loving memory. Shelley had crossed the ‘Rainbow Bridge’ and was with her many new friends floating on a soft cloud looking down on us all.
I still see her now in my thoughts and have many wonderful pictures to remind me of those precious days together as a Lifeboat Dog. I know I was right when I befriended Solo and took him into my life. I was giving him a home that was needed and had Shelley been around to see him I am sure she would have told me in her own inimitable way that I had made the right decision. Shelley taught me a lot and I was able to pass that experience onto looking after all my other dogs that followed.
You were a true ‘Lifeboat Dog’ and thanks to you I am still around many years later enjoying life the way you wanted me to enjoy it. You helped take some of the many pressures of life away from me often making me smile when I was low. I know it has benefited me health wise, giving me an opportunity to tell others about you and that is the purpose of this book. For that I thank you!
End of Chapter Thirty Eight
(THE END)
IN MEMORY SHELLEYS ABSENT FRIENDS
Grace Young, Derek Young, Bill Periam, Marjorie Periam, Basil Periam, Brenda Burns, Brian Patterson, Joyce Patterson, Bob Gilby, Roy Merrick, Tony Catt, Graham Beames, Rick and Daphnie Bath-Jones, Biddy Denney, Jack Henderson, Dave Wainright, Carol Wainright, Jack Silverston, Kenny Voice, Geoff Tugwell, John Baber MRCVS, Harry Richardson, Molly, Ted and Joan Charnley, Peter Dickerson, Peter Clarke, Geoffrey Crockett, Paul McKeown, John Bayliss, Kath Matthews, Sid Page, Veryan Hamments, David Coughlan MRCVS, Maureen Coghlan, Professor Clifford Formstone MRCVS, Professor Geoff Arthur MRCVS, Ronnie Scott, Archer Ryland, David Hooper, Lewis Compton, Guy Meadows, Blaster Bates, Barry Rickby, Harry Moran, Lee Silcox, Ken Day, Chris Pearson, Andrew Pearson, John Hobbs, Minn at The Kings Head, Leslie and Joan Walker, Robert McGowan, John Brown, Adele Boysons, Jeremy Hands, Don Goodall, Frank Harris, Gordon (Griff the cartoonist), Peter Clarke, Ernie Cousins, Barry Curtis, Peter Lowe, Diana Marr-Johnson, and many others who I have not included in this list plus all the RNLI crew members who have given their lives at sea in saving others.
John Periam
January 2013 (Updated)
My thanks go also to my ‘Proof Readers’ that have supported me and for advice when needed. John Ray, Keith and Mary Mason, Tony Hiron’s. Many thanks also, to Allan Fowler of ‘Digital Media Consultancy and Services’ for helping with design and layout. Errors will still slip the net and for that I apologise.
Writing a book is not an easy task, and there will always be comments good and bad about the way it is written. As the author I have to be prepared to accept that. I have no regrets in what is written and it has been fun bringing back many memories in the process.
The saddest thing of all is the number of friends I have met through having Shelley who are no longer with us. Life is so short and I am lucky in having shared my life with so many great people. As the saying goes ‘Time present is time past and time past is time gone by’. Something we should all remember!
I do hope all of you that read this book will get as much pleasure out of it as I did writing it. That is the least I can expect!
Please not forget to support the RNLI along with the many Dog Charities that exist. They all need your kind support.
Keep Happy – John Periam – January 2013 (when this book was amended).