A nearly perfect village and a sad farewell

Gail's friends Janet, Helen and Sue must have been so relieved I was able to accompany them all for last weekend's wee holiday in Northumberland.

I fear these nice ladies would have been barred from staying in the lovely little village of Warkworth, had I not been there.

How so?

OK, Gail thinks I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick, but to my mind the evidence all points to an unwritten rule that only dog owners are permitted to enter this particular village.

I mean, where else do you go to the pub for an evening meal and under every single table you see a contented dog, or perhaps two?

Was there a shop that did not have a water bowl outside the door?

And walking around the quaint streets, one had the distinct impression that any dog-free humans had been rounded up and taken to the nearest person pound.

But it was only when Gail visited the village church that I gained conclusive proof of my theory.

First, Gail took this photo, then she returned me to the car and entered the church alone to look round.

Inside the church, Gail was immediately accosted by a friendly lady vicar who'd seen me in the churchyard and said "oh but you can bring your dog in here too, we don't mind at all, everyone's got dogs in this village."

I rest my case.

I bet by now you are wondering why I have titled this blog post the 'nearly' perfect village.

Need I explain further?

And yes, the irony of an establishment that advertises itself as 'Bed and Brexit' offering 'en suite' bathrooms has not escaped this sharp wee WFT.

Finally today, we are mourning the loss of one of the brightest stars in the Blogville firmament, our beloved Diva Madi. Thank you so much dear Madi (and Mom) for all the fun you've given us over the years. What a life! Gail and I loved every single one of your blog posts and also appreciated all that you did to make our little corner of cyberspace into such a warm, friendly and supportive community.

We'll think of you every time we see a sun puddle, however small.