Angel

Before there was Dolly in our family, there was Angel. She was our first thoroughbred poodle, but our second family dog. Before Angel there was Freddy the half-poodle. The other half was, in my father’s words, a ‘travelling salesman’. Probably a Heinz 57 variety himself.

Anyway - Angel came into our family the year after both my father and Freddy died and the year before I left home and moved to the US. She would watch for me at the front window to come home from work every evening when my mum started cooking dinner. After I moved away, she still waited for me in vain for many weeks. Visits with her were precious when I came home to England, and 9 years later I returned to the UK and lived with her and my mum for a couple more years.

Angel had a very different personality to Dolly, but I loved her dearly. This ornament belonged to my mum, but I love hanging it on my tree now, along with other family ornaments I inherited from my mum. My Christmas tree is full of wonderful memories and I’m glad now that I put it up.