The SCHNAUZER LOVER
‘We help to rescue Schnauzers from puppy farms’
Hannah rochelle, 42, founder of enbrogue.com, is based in London and goes on Schnauzerfest walks with her husband Mark.
after getting our puppy, Grenson, I started following Instagram accounts that featured miniature schnauzers. they are such lovely dogs and we were new to it all, so I wanted to find a fun way of learning more about them. I discovered the schnauzerfest charity walks and we went on our first mass meet-up shortly afterwards.
they run throughout october up and down the country to raise money for the schnauzerfest charity, so there’s the bonus of knowing you’re doing it for a good cause. the money raised goes towards rescuing schnauzers from puppy farms and paying for any medical treatment they might need before being found their forever homes.
there’s nothing nicer than seeing your dog having a lovely time and the schnauzer walks are a good opportunity to get together with people who share the same interest as you. What’s funny is the humans tend to keep themselves
to themselves – we introduce our dog’s name rather than our own and ask questions about the other person’s dog, rather than them. It’s actually a really good way to socialise if you’re shy!
the numbers vary massively depending on which walk you go on.
I’ve been told the West Wittering one is huge, with hundreds of dogs. the three we have been on, which were in Kent, london and the Isle of Wight, all had between 30 and 50 dogs (and humans). We’ve taken my parents with us before; they don’t have a schnauzer but treat Grenson much like a grandson, and our best friends – who now have a miniature schnauzer after seeing how much we love ours – have also come along. and I’ve definitely made a number of friends through the events, who I keep in touch with on Instagram.
If you’re thinking about joining in the fun I’d say find a friend with a schnauzer, although other dogs are welcome. schnauzerfest has made me realise that I would love to rescue a dog through the charity one day. It’s wonderful to hear about the journeys of the dogs that our donations have helped to save. to get involved just follow the schnauzerfest Facebook page – and maybe think about getting a schnauzer!
✢ Schnauzerfest 2019 takes place on 12-13 October. Visit schnauzerfest.org for more information. >>
a bit nervous. “What if everyone else is super-sporty and we come last?” asked sas. I reassured her that the Parkrun ethos is more to do with taking part rather than winning, although secretly I was a bit wary.
I needn’t have worried – it was amazing, with so many different runners, of all shapes and sizes, and everyone was so welcoming it didn’t matter where we came in the race (we weren’t last!).
sas and I were so taken with it that Imogen and al decided to join us at the next one, and we’ve been going as a family ever since. sas ran throughout studying for her a levels and her application to Cambridge university to study veterinary medicine. Without running, she (and I) would not have emerged at the other end unscathed!
there’s something so uplifting and primeval about running in a pack – it
gives you such a buzz, helps me keep my pace up and always encourages me to go for a sprint finish.
the volunteers are so enthusiastic – it’s no coincidence that I ran my Pb (Personal best) at one of my favourite venues at Mersea Island, where volunteers clap and cheer you around the course. My local ones – Colchester and Chelmsford – regularly get 400-500 runners every week but the average number of runners per venue is around 200 people.
If I’m honest I never really look forward to going off to Parkrun but I absolutely never finish a race wishing I hadn’t run it. I feel on top of the world afterwards. anyone can join and it’s completely free, so get involved!
✢ Parkrun events take place on Saturday mornings around the UK. Visit parkrun.org.uk to register and find your nearest race.
‘There’s something uplifting and primeval about running in a pack’
‘My godchildren were convinced I’d shown the Queen my bum’
numbers. the important thing is to meet at a recognised starting place for everyone to simultaneously take their clothes off – otherwise it could be seen as public nakedness, which is a public order offence. to be honest, that was something I hadn’t even thought about when I first signed up! the silly thing is you don’t really think about how useful clothes are for keeping you warm. thankfully, when we did the ride it was quite a nice day, but when the sun went in it was pretty chilly!
hilariously, I mentioned that I was doing the wnbr at work and my colleague asked if she could do it too. It’s an open event but my response was, “I’d love you to do it too, but as your manager I’m not really sure if
I want to see your backside!” so we arrived at the race wearing clothes, then separated. Fast forward a couple of hours and she cycles past me yelling, “I’ve taken my pants off!”
It’s worth mentioning that there were loads more men than women participating that year – I’d say only about 10% were female – and I looked around me and thought how bizarre it was to see so many penises in one place! you know, in normal life you wouldn’t see that many, and certainly not at the same time. there were hundreds. I was overwhelmed!
I love the fact that I cycled naked through london. It’s been a great anecdote. my godchildren were quite small when I did it and they were absolutely convinced that I’d shown the Queen my bum, which is quite sweet. I mean, if you can cycle naked through central london
I think you can achieve anything. It makes you feel great about yourself, it boosts your self-confidence, it’s for a great cause and I’d encourage everyone to give it a try.
✢ WNBr 2019 takes place on 8 June. Visit wnbr.london to find out more details. w&h