Harry the Westie

I decided to write this week’s blog post about Harry the Westie who often appears on my social media pages and on my website.

Many people who see me with Harry often assume that he was around when I was writing and researching Little Dog and the Christmas Wish and some even think Harry belongs to me. Sadly he doesn’t.

In August 2014 I was looking for a Westie to be part of the Little Dog and the Christmas Wish book launch. I’d asked several friends if I could borrow their Westie for the day but the common reply was – ‘Mine is too old, too grumpy or wouldn’t cope with all the attention.’ At one point it looked like I would never find a suitable Westie for the launch, then one day I called into Collins Booksellers in Croydon to buy a friend a book and there behind the counter was Harry, Prince Harry is his full name, but as I discovered, he is also known as the Collins Croydon Bookshop dog.

Every day Harry helps his owners, Mark and Laraine, run the bookshop, his main task being to welcome and greet customers as they walk into the store. So that day I asked if Harry would be available to attend the launch and if his owners thought he would cope.

I was assured that Harry would float through the occasion, although I did make certain I visited him regularly so he knew me well before the launch day came.

Since then Harry has been beside me at many book signings and school visits and when the book was chosen as the theme for last year’s Myer Windows, Harry kept me company at many of the book signings too. One of the funniest highlights of my life was last year when Harry and I were interviewed on Sunrise outside the Myer windows. After a couple of minutes in front of the camera, Harry and I had to rush back ‘behind the window scenes’ so that I could lift Harry into one of the windows before the camera swung back. We made it, but only just and only because of a pocketful of dog treats which I rolled down into the windows behind the characters.

So at 11.00 a.m. on Saturday, November 19th in the beautiful Block Arcade, just along from the Hopetoun Tearooms, we will be launching the paperback version of Little Dog and the Christmas Wish and Prince Harry will be there as well to do what he does best –  meet and greet and accept the occasional tummy rub. If you would like to join us, please contact me through my website.