Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Queen’s delight as she welcomes two new corgis
THERE probably haven’t been too many similarities between lockdown for Her Majesty the Queen and the experience for the rest of us.
But like so many of her loyal subjects, she has felt the urge to add some canine companions to her life.
The Queen has two new corgi puppies after being given them as a present during lockdown.
The delighted monarch – who has long been associated with the breed – has been kept entertained by the dogs while the Duke of Edinburgh is in hospital and as Buckingham Palace braces itself for the Sussexes’ bombshell Oprah interview, The Sun newspaper said.
She has been without corgis at her side for more than two years after her final one, Whisper, which was adopted following the death of its owner, a former Sandringham gamekeeper, died in October 2018.
At the end of last year, the Queen was left with only one pet dog, a corgi-dachshund cross called Candy, when Vulcan – her other dog of the same ‘dorgi’ breed – died.
An insider told The Sun of the new puppies: “Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into the castle while Philip is in hospital.”
It was thought the Queen had called time on welcoming any more puppies of the breed.
American horse trainer Monty Roberts, who is a friend of the monarch, told Vanity Fair magazine in 2012 he had offered to find one to replace a pet that died.
But he said: “She didn’t want to have any more young dogs. She didn’t want to leave any young dog behind. She wanted to put an end to it.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment. It is not known what the puppies are called or their gender.
The Queen has been devoted to corgis throughout her life. She has owned more than 30, as well as dorgis, black Labradors and cocker spaniels. Her first corgi, Susan, was given to her as an 18th birthday present by her parents in 1944.
The Queen had fallen in love with her father’s dog Dookie, a Pembrokeshire corgi, and wanted one of her own.
Susan became the founder of the Queen’s royal dog dynasty, and was even taken on honeymoon by Princess Elizabeth.
But Susan was not always wellbehaved. She bit a royal clockwinder on the ankle and was also rather partial to going for servants’ legs. Susan’s grandson, Whisky, apparently tore the seat out of a Guards officer’s trousers.
The Queen looks after her own dogs as much as possible.
During weekends at Windsor, the corgis would go, too, and lived in her private apartments.
Over the years, she would feed them herself, whenever her busy schedule permitted. She mixed their feed with a spoon and fork, from ingredients brought on a tray by a footman. If the Queen came in wearing a tiara, the corgis
would lie glumly on the carpet; if she was in a headscarf, they knew it was time for a walk.
Corgis are liable to bite people’s legs because their forebears rounded up sheep by snapping at their feet. At one stage, the Queen was forced to call in a dog psychiatrist when her corgis kept setting upon each other.
In 2003, as the royals were gathering for Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, Pharos – then one of the Queen’s oldest corgis – was savaged by the Princess Royal’s English bull terrier Florence and had to be put down.
In 2012, the Queen’s remaining corgis had a starring role in the James Bond sketch the Queen recorded for the London Olympics opening ceremony.
Monty, Willow and Holly greeted the secret agent, played by Daniel Craig, as he arrived at the Palace to accept a mission from the Queen. Monty, who was 13, died a couple of months later.
Holly was put down in October 2016 after suffering from an illness, leaving Willow as the Queen’s final corgi descended from Susan. However, the dog died in April 2018.
Both are said to be bringing in a lot of noise and energy into the castle while Philip is in hospital
A 35-year-old teacher has been banned from the profession for life after a “sexually motivated” incident with a pupil.
“Experienced” teacher Anu Tester shared a hotel bed with a Year 13 student, where he admitted “kissing and grinding” with her and inviting her to shower with him the next morning.
He was working as a teacher at a private school on the outskirts of Gloucester, the ‘inadequate’rated Wynstones School, but the sexual activity happened in Bristol after alcohol-fuelled celebrations on exam results day.
Details only emerged publicly on Wednesday, when the Teaching Regulation Agency published a report into his misconduct.
The panel heard how the encounter came after they exchanged messages on Instagram and Twitter, just as the end of the pupil’s time at the school was approaching.
In the report, the misconduct panel wrote: “Over the course of that evening and night, Mr Tester engaged in a series of kisses and prolonged kissing with Pupil A that were sexual and intimate in nature. He admits that he and Pupil A attended a hotel while in Bristol for the purpose of sexual activity.”
The school suspended him after finding out what happened and said yesterday that it is “deeply saddened” by the impact.
The pupil described them both as being “very drunk”. Mr Tester was suspended after she reported what happened to her tutor.
The panel felt he had “allowed his professional boundaries to become blurred” and that he “abused his position of trust”.
The misconduct report continued: “This was, unarguably, conduct of a sexual nature, which was readily accepted by Mr Tester. The only appropriate inference to draw was that Mr Tester was sexually motivated, which he admitted.”
The matter was reported to police but following an investigation, no further action was taken.
The panel agreed that an indefinite teaching ban was necessary, with no ability for Mr Tester to apply for a review at a later date, as is sometimes allowed with prohibition orders.
THE historic A and B bond warehouses in Bristol could be turned into 200 flats by Bristol City Council.
Around 1,700 homes, 600 of them affordable, will be built at a dozen sites over the next decade under major plans unveiled by the council’s housing company.
The locations, all owned by the local authority, include the car park next to the SS Great Britain and the A and B bond warehouses, forming part of the controversial revamp of Cumberland Basin to become Western Harbour.
The giant warehouses were built during the heyday of Bristol’s tobacco industry to store imported tobacco until duty had been paid.
They would be transferred to Goram Homes to work with a private developer and repay the market value of the land to the council.
Details of the authority’s land disposal sites, set to be approved by cabinet on Tuesday, are understood to be the biggest addition to the firm’s business plan, which was suddenly withdrawn at short notice from January’s meeting amid concerns from scrutiny councillors.
That original plan did not contain details of the sites now being named as Goram’s next tranche of developments, known as ‘pipeline 2’.
The iconic, Grade II-listed former tobacco warehouses could be turned into 200 homes in a refurbishment of two imposing buildings, mixing market value and affordable apartments.
A Bond is now used for storage while B Bond is home to the Create Centre.
Goram Homes says a programme of city-wide engagement will start this summer to develop a vision for Western Harbour’s regeneration, followed by a masterplan for the area.
It says the public will be consulted on any proposals for this residential development.
A Goram Homes spokesperson said: “As an organisation that is committed to delivering highquality homes, Goram Homes is pleased to have submitted our business plan to Bristol City Council which details our plans to create 1,700 new homes – including 600 affordable properties – in 12 new communities across Bristol before 2030.
“This represents an important stage in our journey and sets out our ambitions for the future.
“We are looking forward to discussing our plans and the delivery of the new homes with Bristol City Council.”
The company’s first pipeline comprises the redevelopment at Romney House in Lockleaze and the Baltic Wharf former caravan site.