In 1976 an especially succesful Labrador litter was born as it contained no less than four future British champions, those were Sh Ch Balrion King Frost, Sh Ch Balrion Royal Mischief of Rodarbal, Sh Ch Balrion Black Ice and Sh Ch Balrion Wicked Lady. The happy parents were Sh Ch Sandylands Clarence of Rossbank and Balrion Royale Princess.

Balrion Royal Mischief of Rodarbal had a son in Sweden called Rodarbal Ruler. He was succesful in the show ring as well as a sire. It is interesting to note that there have actually been two Rodarbal kennels, one in Sweden and one in the UK. This is possible as Sweden belongs to the FCI whilst Britain does not.

Sh Ch Balrion King Frost became a world famous Labrador. He won 28 CC’s and several gundog groups. In 1978, he won best in show at SKC under Judy de Casembroot.

I look at King Frost every day. On my living room wall I’ve got a big framed photo of him together with Ch Fabracken Comedy Star and Ch Charway Ballywillwill. The photo, which was taken by David Dalton, is a numbered edition, mine is 70/200.

King Frost was bred and owned by Mr John and the late Mrs Glenda Crook who is here seen showing him to that magic win in 1978 at SKC.

The late Margot Woolley lived with her husband Brian and the Follytower Labradors in Bolton, Lancashire until 1979 when they moved to Axminster, Devon. I stayed with them while they still lived in Bolton for a summer in 1978 as their kennel boy.

 It was an eye opener in many ways, British and Swedish lifestyle is not quite the same and the doggy world is different, too – not in any particular dramatic way, it’s just different. Not hearing a word of your own language for months is an experience in itself and something most people never encounter. Another thing: Swedish politicians were never quoted on British TV. When some Swede had made a statement in the United Nations or where ever and it was reported here, you got the feeling the whole world stopped and listened. Or that was what I thought. From then on I knew better

 Margot was one of the driving forces behind the start of the North West Labrador Club where she was their first secretary; eventually she became the club’s patron. She was Scottish by birth and had grown up with animals. Her son and daughter were not interested in Labrador breeding so the Follytower affix did not carry on after her passing on April 12th, 2007. Brian passed away about ten years before her. Brian and Margot had kept Labradors since the 1940’s and had bred the odd litter now and then but it was in 1963 Margot decided she wanted to start showing. They went to look at a litter by Ch Breaduke Joyful out of Silsdale Glenarvey Quita; Miss Ward (Heatheredge) had on beforehand kindly sorted out the two best bitches for the Woolley’s. Margot is supposed to have said she just stared at them in total ignorance and passed the ball over to Brian with the words: you chose! He chose what eventually became Ch Follytower Silsdale Old Chelsea and the rest is history. Just fancy making up your first show dog and in Britain too, with all that hot competition. Not a bad start! 

The star of the kennel was Ch Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer. He won CC and BOB at Cruft’s in 1973 under Mr James (Wendover) and again DCC in 1974 under Mrs Docking (Ballyduff). In 1978 he was 9 years old and the kindest, most lovely dog you would imagine. He put the Follytower affix on the Labrador world map and produced many lovely Labradors. One of Stormer’s, or Sam to his friends, great sons was Sh Ch Sandylands Stormalong, BIS at Blackpool Ch show in 1976. Stormalong was a producer and is found behind a number of good Labradors although he left this world too early.

 The last Follytower champion was the black granddaughter of Kupros Moonriver of Follytower, Sh Ch Follytower Leonora. She made up at the same time as Sh Ch Follytower Pandora at Rocheby got her title; both bitches were campaigned and owned by Margot. A black dog, Follytower Rosy Outlook,was close to winning a title at the same time, and got 2 CC’s and 5 RCC’s. Before him, Leonora’s dam Follytower Willow, had been unlucky not to get her title and finished with 2 CC’s and – I think – 7 or 8 RCC’s. 

As a judge Margot Woolley travelled the world and judged in the Scandinavian countries on a number of occasions as well as in the rest of the world including Australia, USA and Britain obviously. She told me she first gave tickets in Bath in 1972, first time she paid Sweden a visit was in 1974 at Hunneberg outside Gothenburg. Her BCC and BOB was a chocolate called Curnafane Flicka (Ch Sandylands Mark x  Ch Curnafane Seamansal). The DCC went to an Australian (!) import called Lindhills Cattinda, bred in Sydney. In Britain she judged at Cruft’s as well as at the Labrador Club championship shows.

PHOTOS by Annika Lehtonen, Dalwood Labradors, Finland:
1) Brian and Margot Woolley in 1986

2) Kupros Moon River of Follytower, important brood

3)Sh Ch Charway Blackthorn of Follytower, sire of Sh Ch Cambremer Madonna and Ch Follytower Black Cypress

4) Follytower Brownthorn, daughter of Blackthorn and sister of Black Cypress

5) Follytower Willow, by Charway Ballywillwill x Kupros Moonriver of Follytower. 2 CC, 7 RCC's

6) Ch Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer, one of the great sires in the breed Photo by Anne Roslin-Williams

Some time ago I got an email with a request to write something about Sandylands Charlie Boy and would I please publish a photo of him.

The photo thing proved to be easier said than done because in spite of the fact that this dog is so well known I haven't been able to come across anything that shows what he looked like. As I never got the previlege to see him myself I am unable to deliver any description of what he looked like. Charlie Boy is behind the Jayncourt dogs; J Star-Extraodynar, J Star-Exelance - themselves both behind good winners and I'm sure there are also others with various connections.

First time I read his name was in 1975 when several of his children from one litter over here started to make a name for themselves. The late Brit-Marie Brulin, Puhs Labradors, had imported the black Keithray Marianne, a Mark daughter and littersister of British titleholder Keithray Marcus, in whelp to Charlie Boy. There were two really nice litter sisters being shown at Sto ckholm international in 1975 under Michael Boothroyd called Puhs Maya and Puhs Parvati. Maya won intermediate on the day and I think Parvati was placed 2nd or 3rd but later they both went on to bigger things. None of them became import broods.

From the same litter came the black dog Puhs Indra, see photo above. I did see the dog once or twice but his offerspring seem to have made a longer lasting impression on me as I remember them better than Indra. There were several nice ones, the first that caught my attention was a yellow bitch called Western-Sun who went on to win her title and tickets under visitng UK breed specialists, another was the yellow eye catching dog Cannons Be Good. One frosty February morning in 1981 I went to Tönsberg in Norway with Lennart Wumer (Rodarbal) to help out with some of the dogs. Inge E-son Thoor was judging and Eva Mjelde was there with a young Surprising's Mathias. He did very well and anyone could see here was a star in the making, later he went on to very big things.

Mathias then became an important sire. It would be a major undertaking to mention all of his winning offerspring but since I found a photo of groupwinning Minnows Tilda I thought she would illustrate a pleasant example of what Mathias was able to produce. Tilda was a granddaughter of Sandylands Poser by Poolstead Problem out of Sandylands Midnight Magic out of Sandylands Katrinka of Keithray, dam of Charlie Boy.

Would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR. 

One of the highlights of each year is when Dog World Annual arrives.

During the years quite a few have found their way into our home and it's still a magic moment to hold the latest edition in your hands. Then it's just you and the annual and maybe a box of chocolates, nothing else exsists..

In the 1978 edition, my very first own DW annual, quite a few Labrador breeders had a review. Sandylands had two full pages. Poolstead one full page, Mansergh, Mallards and Puhs half a page each, Follytower, Lawnwood and Mardas one third page each, Powhatan one quarter page. In the classified stud amd for sale advertisment pages there were also a few Labrador kennel included such as Fabracken, Ranfurly and Diant.

Some of the breeders used the services of special writers that wrote about their successes in the reviews. In 1978, Sandylands used mr Bryan Mitchell who amongst other things wrote: ' Sandylands is to Labradors what hallmark is to silver. Take away this remarkable kennel that has produced 48 British champions of the breed and Labradors would be so much the poorer.'

For Poolstead Mrs Mary Roslin Williams wrote the review and concluded it as follows:'The Poolstead Labradors are now world famous. Championship show standard puppies being nearly always available'.

 Other frequent prominent writers were Mr Tom Horner, Miss Lily Turner

and a few other names.

There are some lovely breed books around. Some are very informative but unpersonal  and some have it all. I don't have all the great books, not even those that have been written about my 'own' breed, the Labrador, but I am pretty content with the collection that I do have.

Most books that come into my posession don't look very beautiful after a couple of years. I am amazed at how some people are able to keep their books in such good condition as they look as though they've never been opened. My books don't look like that at all. I don't have Harold Clayton's pedigree books from 1972 and 1977 but the rest I do have. But what condition goes...well, they have certainly been used! For a number of years the 1982 and 1987 books were my constant night companions and after a while that shows. If I myself had written or produced something that had really looked used I think I would have felt flattered even if the money value obviously drops a bit.

Some books just take you, don't they. They lead you somewhere else and you can fairly easily and instantly picture what the author is telling you, be it a show, breeding plans or whatever. To me a really good book is about a story, you and the author are sitting down by the kitchen table and you listen to what the author has to say. If it's interesting and the story grabs you time stops to exist, if it's not time does exist and just a few minutes of reading make you feel you have been doing it for far too long and your mind is back on all the daily duties that constantly sorround us .

I have many favourite books and could go on writing about them for ever but since time for some reason feels limited - maybe because Christmas is waiting round the corner? - I've picked just a few.

Before I go on to the Labrador books I thought I would start with two about Terriers. The first is Elsie William's lovely book 'The Fox Terrier, wire and smooth' first published in 1965. The late Mrs Williams used to breed and show wires under the Penda affix, known world wide for its excellent specimens. I will not go into details but Mrs William's story certainly got me 'hooked' and even though I have read it several times, some chapters in particular, I still enjoy re-reading it from time to time.

The next on Terriers is 'The Skye Terrier' by Sine Threlfall. Again a very well written book with more photos than the one above and a bit more modern, being printed in 1995. Since we have Skyes, my partner breeds them, I've seen some of the dogs in the book myself (and lived with some of them) and have an insight that I for obvious reasons lack about the wires and smooths. Sine do not breed any more but used to under the world famous Acheo affix which has produced winners 'here, there and everywhere' and has also judged the breed at Cruft's on no less than three occassions if I am not mistaken.

There are quite a few books on the Labrador but since I love to learn about 'kennel history' nothing  compares to Richard Edward's masterpieces;

'The show Labrador Retriever in Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1945-1995" volume one and two, and  'Sandylands'. Richard must have put down his whole soul into these books, and I certainly wouldn't like to be without any of them.

I particularily remember when the volume two book arrived, it was hard to concentrate. I started to read about Follytower, but soon got curious about what had been written about other kennels and read a little here and a little there until I finally could settle down and read it from start to finish.

Also love the Sandylands book, who doesn't?? It's marvellous and you 'get to know' dogs way back that have all played their part in getting Sandylands to its present position. I was asked by the Labrador Club of Östergötland to hold a book club about the Sandylands book. We, 7 people (see photo above), met 6 or 7 evenings during the autumn of 2005. I sort of hold lessons chapter by chapter so had to be properly prepared, We discussed various issues that came to the fore as we progressed through the book. It was most interesting and I think we all learned alot.  All thanks to Richard Edwards.

In 1993, I asked Mrs Hepworth if she would allow me to do an interview with her to which she agreed and the published photos were some of the ones that she chosed to send. Since this kennel's dogs were behind several of the winners at Stockholm international last week-end I found it very appropriate to pay tribue to one of our greatest Labrador breeder. Having said that, Mr Hepworth continues to breed and show great Labradors in the UK so their presence is still being felt.

The three photos enclosed illustrate

1) Headstudy of the great brood bitch Braeduke Julia of Poolstead, the foundationbitch of the Poolstead kennel and whom together with Ch Poolstead Kinley Willow (the first Poolstead champion) is behind all Poolsteads.

2) The late Mrs R V Hepworth with Sh Ch Poolstead Pipe Dreamer, a black bitch she considered to be one of the best ever bred at Fernhill. Pipe Dreamer won best of breed at Cruft's as well as at the Labrador Club Championshipshow, on top of this she was also an important brood.

3) A litter of 8 week old Poolstead puppies. The similarity is astonishing which is part of the Poolstead trademark and what most breeders are aiming for.

The highlight of every year is the international show in Stockholm. The venue is the same, the parking lot is the same, and for the most part the same people. The difference is that exhibitors from all parts of the country join together here, clubs or groups of people have  pre-christmas celebrations with christmas titbits such as meatballs, ham and other tasty things.

 First time I attended this show was in 1975 when Michael Boothroyd was doing bitches and BOB. I was then living in Gothenburg and asked my Father if he would drive me (5 h drive, one way) and he agreed! Even I was pretty surprised I didn't even had to nag a little bit to get it my way. Sometimes life is easy!

Now, 33 years later, the venue is still the same as it was then - Älvsjö mässan. That is part of the success I think, people know what to expect and what to get in terms of where to park the car, what the floor looks like, and lots of other things that all play their little part when it comes to deceding whether to enter or not. If anything I think the show has actually improved with age and I love going to it. Of course we all want our dogs in the top spots but when it comes to this show that is not all that counts but also meeting our friends from far and near and, plain and simply, just BEING there. A bit like Cruft's is for most Brits I gather.

The judge for Labradors this year was Benny Blid von Schedwin (juniors and veterans) and Per Iversen from Norway doing all other classes and BOB and then also group 8. DCAC went to the black Follies Voyager, bred in Finland but Swedish owned. This was his 3rd CAC which meant he was crowned with a Swedish championtitle - well done! Best Dog was awarded to the yellow Ch Smart Fellows Saved By The Belle. He did exceptionally well at the world dog show back in the summer when he won a huge champion class under Erica Jayes as well as at the Labrador Club circuit show judged by Anthony Allen. For best bitch Mr Iversen chosed Ch Rossmix Zenato Ripassa and BCAC was awarded to Blizzami Lady Hillingdon, her first. BOB, and later a 5th place in the gundog group, went to Ripassa, photo on top. Many congratulations to all.

So - how did we do? I had entered Blondie (T Bit of Class) and Mandy (T Joie De Vivre). Since they were both entered in Open Blondie was shown by the very capable hands of Carina Ström (Ca'Krist Labradors) but didn't get a place, we hope her 3rd CAC soon will come her way. I showed Mandy and she did well - 2nd in Open with CC quality out of 28 entries and 3rd best bitch out of a total of nearly 60 I think. It was interesting to note that the first three placed bitches in best bitch competition - Ripassa, Lady Hillingdon and Mandy all have Poolstead breeding close up, in fact Mandy is out of Poolstead Pyracantha (P Peanut Crunch x P Pipit) and Ripassa and Lady Hillingdon are both granddaughters of Poolstead stock.  There is also a photo of Mandy below the one on top taken at the World dog show back in the summer.