Holly&Lil for lap dogs? I don't think so! Miss Dylan in Cornwall! www.hollyandlil.co.uk

Uffa and Verity winning Inspirational guide dog owner of the year

Holly&Lil have been blessed over the years to be chosen by a few 'stars' as the place to buy their dogs collars from.  Be they for everyday... as with The Barking Blondes, Camilla Dallerup, Ant, Gok Wan, Marc the Vet, Mickey Rourke and Jonathan Ross to name a few... (and only the few that have been come out and supported us - hate to be vulgar and mention others who have bought privately)

   
And we have even proudly made 

'Best Lead at the Oscars' for the wonderful Uggie....

BUT

When the stars came out and joined more than 450 guests at the glittering Guide Dogs Annual Awards,on 10 December 2014: how proud were we to hear ....
''Verity wears Paul Costelloe and Uffa wears Holly&Lil''  
 and  fabulous they both looked too?  

Verity wrote to us '' Here are the official pics from the guide dog awards in Park Lane, London. Uffa looked amazing and lots of people asked where he got his beautiful collar from.''  

Verity selected a black bow tie with vanilla spots and a matching bow tie lead.  Hard to see on delicious Uffa but nicely modelled here by handsome gent Pointer Paddy

We had quite a time matching the collar to Verity's outfit - at one time we nearly went with and Orange Brightside and another more bejewelled collar (That Verity has decided Uffa will wear at an awards ceremony at the beginning of the year. Hopefully will have more pictures then)

The evening celebrated the life changing work of Guide Dogs, while also raising money that will enable Guide Dogs to continue ensuring that people living with sight loss can get to where they want to be in life. Guide dog owner Verity Smith was presented with the headline Inspirational Guide Dog Owner Award. A host of respected organisations and celebrities including Adrian Chiles, Arabella Weir and Audley Harrison were there to meet the finalists and present awards to the winners at the sparkling event. 

Veritys story This is the full video case study which was presented at Guide Dog Annual Awards.

Not only does Verity Smith compete at the highest level as an international dressage rider, she is also a successful singer-songwriter and campaigner. Verity had perfect sight until she was eight years old and was registered blind aged 16. Getting her first guide dog aged 27, Verity couldn’t imagine life without one now. “Uffa is my wing man,” Verity said about her black labradoodle guide dog. 

 

Uffa wearing black Bow Tie Collar and Lead

“He’s just brilliant. He loves his job and comes everywhere with me, including up on stage when I perform!” Having been around horses since she was a small child, Verity switched from show jumping when she lost her sight to dressage. She explains: “Dressage is the only sport where sighted and non-sighted riders can compete on equal terms.” Having represented Great Britain in the past, Verity hopes to compete in the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. When she’s not on a horse, Verity regularly performs as a singer across the UK and beyond as well as publishing a book the year - The Groper’s Guide, a humorous tale of life without sight. Verity said: “Changing people’s perception of what blind people can do through humour is really important to me.”



Your dog too can look as stylish as Uffa in a handmade in England Holly&Lil Bow tie.  They are not just for special occasions as your dogs can wear them happily on everyday walks.  Holly swims in hers all the time.  Just bear in mind if they play wrestle with other pooches - what is the first thing the other dog will grab?? Common sense needed as always.

Holly&Lil around the World

We have been very lucky to have been included in quite a few travel books around the World.  The Travel Writers are very meticulous in their research and come with a journalist and photographer to get it all spot on.  We are very grateful and thankful as nothing is more fun than a coach load of Japanese Tourists arriving knowing exactly what size they want!  We are so useless at speaking Japanese; though Alex is thinking of doing a course and Chelsea has picked up a few phrases.
Here are a few examples.

Visit Holly&Lil at our shop in London 103 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XB

or see our web shop http://www.hollyandlil.co.uk/

 

Visit Holly&Lil at our shop in London 103 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XB
or see our web shop http://www.hollyandlil.co.uk/

Flower Power - Animals at War

This has been a year full of flowers.  The moving and perfectly beautiful  Poppy tribute at Tower Bridge has moved people to think more of what innocence is lost and what pain and cost war makes a nation and its people pay. The blood red poppies spilling and sprawling out are just heart-wrenching.

Over the summer one of our clients Jess came and asked me to create a purple poppy for her dog Alfie.  Alfie is a stunning boy and we are proud to say he wears many a Holly&Lil.

o

I did not fully understand why Jess wanted a purple poppy harness?  But she explained a wee bit more to me;  she had seen this picture of a Frenchie.  ''It was this little Frenchie that inspired the collar too. He delivered ciggys to the soldiers in the trenches'' 

Jess  felt she wanted Alfie to honour him and all the animals that have helped us in wars over the years.  ''...purple represents the animals that died in the war while red is for humans. I think it was animal aid that started it.''

''I've been wanting to send you pics of Alfies purple poppy for some time. But wanted the photos to show the meaning behind our design. so i took him to the animal war memorial in Marble Arch and taught him about his ancestors lol''

The Animals in War Memorial is a war memorial in Hyde Park, London. It is located on Park Lane at its junction with Upper Brook Street, on the eastern edge of the park. The memorial was designed by English sculptor David Backhouse to commemorate the countless animals that have served and died under British military command throughout history. It was unveiled in November 2004 by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.

There are so many stories to read and research and I hope many of you will take the time to do so.

This is Jacks story an Airdale in WWI. (Thanks to The Telegraph)

In 1918, a detachment of the Foresters were at an advanced post, surrounded by the German Army, all communications cut off and with the supply lines four miles behind them. Their only hope rested on Jack’s fragile shoulders. A message requesting urgent help was tied to his collar, and he was dispatched to try and make it to headquarters. The Great War messenger dogs were taught to seek out cover amid the carnage of No Man’s Land. As Jack darted between craters, he was struck twice by German bullets. He made it, but only at a crawl, covered in blood and died of his injuries on arrival. The message, however, got through. 

Jack was one of some 20,000 dogs to serve on the Western Front, like many, he was recruited from London’s Battersea Dogs Home. Despite his heroism, he never received a medal. The PDSA’s Dickin Medal to honour the bravery of animals in war was only introduced in Britain in 1943. 

This is Robert Studleers beautiful Flora www.facebook.com/robert.stuhldreer

Ideally the army wanted lurchers, known as the poacher’s dog and perfectly suited to war, as well as airedales, collies, sheepdogs and whippets. By 1915 his training centre was up and running.  The thought of Gus or Holly being used breaks your heart.
Sometimes, however, the dog’s main role was simply to raise morale. To chase away the vast lumbering rats that surfed through the mud; or act as man’s best friend in the most inhumane of environments.  I am sure many of our dogs would have been marvelous at that!

  
Animal Aid started the purple poppy appeal and I hope next year we may be able to do a charity poppy and donate some money to them
www.animalaid.org.uk

Union |Rose

Chiswick House Gardens Dog Show Oct' '14

Chiswick House Gardens dog show Is traditionally Holly&Lils last outdoor show of the year.  And usually is a day of Sun and Fun... and this year it was with bells on.  We had to get there early to set our little stall up. 

We had decided to enter the dogs in a couple of events this year; just for fun.... Holly went first in Best Veteran... but failed to place.  I am so tempted to use talc on her next time to grey her up? Still we had fun trying - though it just feels WRONG to lose.  

At first the day was spent saying hello to old friends.  Many not needing new collars as their existing Holly&Lils looks so lovely still.

Lupin came and we took my picture with her and one of her best friends, Bessie Boo, who is on our H&L cards as well.  A real beauty and she has even been to Luskentyre and visited our weaver in her Holly&Lil collar.  What Fun!

Rachel came to buy a matching lead for her dogs Harris Tweed that she had bought last year - he still looks a dream in it and Rachel says she gets stopped a lot by people asking where it was from.  Tweed Collars

Gus fancied a few of the gals ... stunners in Pink Brightside from a year or so ago.  How gorgeous do they look?

Brightside and Safari collars

Sid did his best to steal the limelight from the head turners Micky and Rosie, in his bespoke Harness with Red Bow.

http://www.hollyandlil.co.uk/dog-harnesses-60-c.asp

 Rosie was looking far too gorgeous to be upstaged in her new Brocade collar however!

I do think we may have to invent a Mission Impossible blow up button - so the collars do not last so long; we started thinking we may have saturated the 'Chiswick' market!

But then the new customers came to Holly&Lillify their adorable dogs... cue some more delicious pics of dogs in our collars...

Ant, of Ant & Dec fame, came with Hurley and his charming wife Lisa to try on a few.  Lisa had been on our website and had plans for Cowspot and Red but fell in love with the Zebra and Orange once we got it on  Hurley and that is what she went for in the end.  Gorgeous boy!

http://www.hollyandlil.co.uk/silky-hair-on-cowskin--calf-leather-dog-collars-101-c.asp

  

This little girl went for Zebra too for her wee one.  She was thrilled to hear Ant had picked the same one!

Olives owners had thought of purple or lime for her - but once they saw how the Pink 'Girled' her up, whilst still being super funky, they decided that was definately the one for her.  She was such a sweet little lady. 

Brightside Collars

Cookie one of our shop regulars came and fell in love with the Charley Chau beds next door

Next up to show was my beautiful boy Augustus.  It was hard as Christine from Charley Chau was judge so she told Rageh Omar, from BBC news, that she had to excuse herself from judging.
Luckily Rageh adored Gustus so he was still placed third.... WE WOZ ROBBED!

Gus seemed hugely pleased with himself however. So pleased he ran riot after the show ended and collapsed with heat stoke - VERY SCAREY - but he seems fine now.

Megan, Cookies owner, came to say Hello to baby girl Holly Dog!

This wee boy is only 5 months so we told the owner to wait till at least Christmas for his first Holly&Lil.  But we tested out a few options.

http://www.hollyandlil.co.uk/silky-hair-on-cowskin--calf-leather-dog-collars-101-c.asp

Plum dog came to tell us about her book that is coming out soon.  And to buy a Blue & Turquoise Brightside.  Sweet gal.

So another lovely day and the end of our open air show season.  It was really lovely thanks to all the Chiswick House Garden Dog Show organisers.  A triumph!

See you all again next year.