The Lady Magazine

4 March 2016

Dear Readers, I have a confession to make: I am addicted to dog shows. I have often humiliated my border terrier, Duffle, by forcing him to take part in amateur competitions for which he was woefully underqualified. The low point (for him at least) was the Panto Dog Costume Challenge in a small village hall in the West Country. Tragically, his Pierrot costume didn’t even gain him third place – he was robbed! Like all pedigrees, he came with a Kennel Club registration and a distant connection to a Crufts champion. The chances of my bandy-legged old friend making an entrance in the big ring is slim – but we can all dream. After all, as Julian Fellowes tells us this week, what is wrong with happy endings? Certainly in Liz Hodgkinson’s case, she believes in happy endings as long as they don’t end up down the aisle for a second time. For those who want to guarantee a rosier future, I recommend a peek at our interiors pages this week. What’s not to love about an English cottage? Until next time, best wishes, Sam Taylor