And they came, all eighteen of them, from every corner of the land, on a very special, sunny Saturday afternoon, at the end of June. It was our first-ever invasion of Rickmansworth, in the north-west of London, technically Hertfordshire.

Their mission was to participate in a massive sniff-fest…as there were so many new smells to be had in this new spot!

And to glean as many treats and scoff them as quickly as possible. Checking each other out, as well as all the other dogs that passed by as they gathered at the meeting spot, preparing for the circuit of the lake, they occasionally had to politely advise other dogs not to enter into their midst as this was a ‘Scottie and their owners only’ area.

Some came from as far afield as Peckham, as well as near Leighton Buzzard, Ipswich, Stratford and Dartford. They had come on trains, buses, cars and little Shana had even come on the back of a motor scooter! Such was the dogged determination and die-hard spirit of this clan of Scottish Terriers!

Arrivals completed, and individual greetings shared, they set off on the walk around the lake, most of them pausing to relieve themselves as appropriate on the route. Plenty of dog bins available here! Many passers-by looked somewhat flummoxed noticing first one or two Scotties who were the vanguard, with cries of ‘You don’t see many of those dogs any more do you?’ !

Then as they saw another three or four following up behind, began to wonder if this was a coincidence to see five Scotties….and then a little further down the path, a further five….and then the penny began to drop! “Are they all from the same family?’ one person asked…..and another “ Is it a doggie birthday party’ ? Another thought they were a group of Schnauzers, but the less said about that the better!

All the Scotties enjoyed the walk around the Lake, veering off into the grassy areas for the smells, and some having a little paddle to cool themselves on this sunny afternoon. Meanwhile, their escorts mingled, chatting and getting to know one another as there were several LSC members who had not attended a meet-up before. The walk completed, we all sat down for refreshments beside the café, and the dogs were showered with treats including the home-made liver cake (which John W has kindly shared the recipe for on the WhatsApp group).

Our youngest member, Lexi was there with dad Graham enjoying ice cream, and they were pleased to have found the Aquadrome having never visited before, and yet living very close by. It is a beautiful setting, tucked away on the edge of the town, and easily missed if you aren’t aware of its exact location.

And what about those who didn’t make it? Well, Laura summed it up: “Loved all the photos! Glad you all had a lovely time & hoping we can join you in the future! (These 2 have FOMO!)”

And if you attended, please let us know what you thought of the event? You can remark under this report using the Comment box. Thank you!

Here follows a selection of photos from the trasured Walkabout which were shared on WhatsApp at the weekend.

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  Paws down the best gig!