WILD ABOUT YOUR GARDEN

In April 2008 I received a phone call from someone enquiring about having two Newfoundland’s groomed. I thought nothing of answering the caller’s questions, which I just assumed was a typical day’s enquiry from someone wanting their dog groomed. After the caller was satisfied with my answers, they said they would get back to me.

In the afternoon that same day, they called me back informing me that they were actually a representative from the BBC looking for a Dog Groomer within Milton Keynes to groom two Newfoundlands who were going to be part of a new wildlife and gardening programme. The new series is being presented by Nick Knowles (DIY SOS) together with his friends Ellie Harrison (from The One Show) and Chris Beardshaw (garden designer). The BBC asked me if I would be interested to which I replied "of course"!

I was told the new series (which at the time they didn’t have a name for but has since been called Wild About Your Garden) was due to be aired on BBC 1 in the Autumn and is a series about how we can all encourage wildlife back into our gardens. The reason they wanted the Newfoundlands groomed was so that they could keep the fur that we took from them and put it towards making a bee’s nest as the bees are becoming an endangered species.

I have to be honest and say that at first I thought it was a wind up. When I questioned the representative from the BBC as to why they chose me, they said it was simply because of how friendly and helpful I was when they made their enquiry and that they liked the look of my salon when they went onto my website.

They asked if they could come and visit the salon before filming and a couple of days later they arrived to have a look around. They seemed quite impressed with the size of my salon and said my website didn’t do it justice and were looking forward to the day of filming.

So, having roped in my friend Nikki Drinkwater to come and help me on the day, on Wednesday 30^th April 2008 Ellie Harrison and her camera crew turned up at 9.00am to start filming for the new series.

When Lucy and Wilson the Newfoundlands arrived, the first thing I did was to go and introduce myself to them. They were very big and friendly, if not somewhat rather smelly!

Filming started with the owner and the two dogs walking into my salon at which point the fun began. We got Wilson (who was the larger of the two) onto the grooming table and the BBC filmed us brushing him out, bathing him (at the end of which both Nikki and myself were as wet as Wilson) and then drying him. With my husband supplying endless cups of tea for the camera crew the whole grooming session took over 2 ½ hours and I have to say Wilson was very well behaved dog sitting through most of it without moaning or fidgeting too much. Perhaps he too was posing for the camera.

Lastly, my friend Nikki was filmed sweeping up the hair and placing it into a bag ready for the BBC to take it away for the bee’s nest and Ellie Harrison did her closing speech.

Nikki and I were a little bit disappointed that Nick Knowles hadn’t come to visit the salon so we asked if we could go to him at the house they were filming at to have our picture taken with him. The BBC agreed and a little while later both Nikki and myself found ourselves sitting in Nick Knowle’s trailer being offered tea and chocolate whilst waiting for him to finish filming.

I have to say Nick Knowles was completely different to how I had imagined him to be. He was really down to earth and friendly and was more than happy to pose for a couple of photographs with Nikki and myself.

In all my years of dog grooming, I never once imagined I would be approached by the BBC to be filmed whilst working but I have to say it was a very exciting experience and one I shall remember for a long time.