Charlie’s Blog for March

Thank heavens for that! March seemed to take forever to get finished; I’ve been waiting for the official word on British Summer Time you see, hoping that it might finally signal the end of my moulting... it hasn’t happened yet.

So I’m still hairy, I’m still tired (totally confused by all this moving clocks forward – forwards to where?) and most importantly I’m still grumpy. But not so grumpy as to refuse to write my blog again, so here is my blog of thoughts on March.

The word of the month for March is ‘moving’. It’s nonstop here at Robinson Howell. They’ve published another edition of mailout, seen six Spot On performances in nine rural venues, been to Birmingham, Wigan, Manchester, Buckinghamshire, Lancaster, and Altringham... oh the list seems endless!

So what have they actually been doing in these places? Well, I had a quick word with the team and they said they have all been working, but I’m not so sure. I mean, Lyndsey and Rob said that they’d been ‘Plugged In’ to Whalley Abbey, apparently it was a mini conference with young people from two schools and arts providers in Lancashire. They called it a ‘Conversation’, (sounds like sitting around and talking to me). They came back with lots of flip chart paper all covered in notes and Lyndsey said she was tired from typing all day.... a likely story!

Lyndsey and Rob had already been out the week before with the dancers from Ludus again. All the way to Wigan to see four schools and ask the children and teachers about the project, they apparently did some dancing too! Doesn’t sound much like work to me!

Rob went to Birmingham for a Creative Partnerships conference. He went with ten young people from Peel Park Primary School in Accrington, as well as Cara (she’s the school coordinator). I like Cara, she has dogs too. And then he went to a SOC meeting... a whole meeting about socks! How exciting, I like socks. He insists it was a School of Creativity meeting, but I don’t believe him.

Sue started March in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire on a training course about leadership – that might be something about walking dogs on leads but I’m not sure. She’s been out on loads of busy adventures this month, the Arts Council asked her to go all the way to Altringham to represent rural arts at a market research event, and she’s been to lots of meetings about arts and culture. She started a new project for Manchester City Council, something about paths and journeys to employment – again, she’s just teasing me with words associated with walking. A few weeks ago she was on Radio Lancashire promoting some Spot On shows, I listened in and I was very proud.

Sue also had a meeting with the ANOB - what’s an anob? Something to do with how nice it is in Bowland and around Dunsop Bridge, I’ve been there and it is really nice– really good walks and lots of ducks. Anyway Sue came back with a story of another office dog who works in a really nice office that’s got its own wood burning stove and a place for walking boots – wow. There’s lots of them and they're available to rent. This dog is called Josh and he works for the Anob. I really think that me and Josh need to meet up. We could have a ‘conversation’ or something just as pretentious. (It’s the AONB: The Forest of Bowland, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Sue)

Speaking about Spot On, Lyndsey, Sue and Rob have all been out on adventures to see the performances across rural Lancashire. Lyndsey has been writing up her (not always successful) travels in her blog and she still seems to be having a good time. She learnt how to spin a plate at one event, and she learnt loads of stuff about Nell Gwyn (whoever she is) in another one. I just wish some of the venues were dog friendly so I could come and see what all the fuss is about. Sigh... I suppose someone has to look after the office while they’re all out having fun.

The last day of March and they’ve all left me again, this time for a creative facilitation day in Oswaldtwistle. They do give these things fancy names – just a way of disguising the fact that they’re all out enjoying the last day of March without their office dog. I suppose all this working now means that it must be holiday time soon. It’s definitely time for my holiday, and maybe even a doggy chocolate Easter egg? I’ve been really good... even wrote my blog on time this month and everything!

Charlie’s thoughts on December

The best thing about December was that I got presents and I got to go away for a week’s holiday at the end. This blog is not however about such things. It is supposed to be about how hard I work at Robinson Howell Partnership Ltd. Because of that Christmas malarkey though, it was a shorter month at work than usual. What did we do?

Sue and Lyndsey have been running around like puppies sorting out the next tour for Spot On. It’s quite exhausting watching them. Sue says it’s like doing a giant jigsaw with someone changing the picture on the box all the time. Not sure about this though – dogs are not good at jigsaws. Things seem to be in place and will apparently be on the website very soon.

Lyndsey’s been talking to my mate Stephen at Source Creative a lot about how they can make the Spot On website even better than it is now. That sheep is still on the front page but I think his days are numbered!

Rob’s been making friends with a thing called a Creative Partnerships Database – whatever that is. Well I say making friends.... I’m glad he doesn’t talk to me like that.

Rob and Lyndsey have started an evaluation project with Ludus. It’s in Wigan... maybe they’ll bring me back some pies.

We’ve had snow – lots of it and it looks like we’re going to get more. I like snow. It’s fun and I like chasing snowballs. It’s a good job that we do our computing in that cloud thing as poor Lyndsey couldn’t get in just before Christmas. Her bus still hadn’t come after she’d stood in the cold for an hour and a half. We’ve re-named it the Wuss Bus.

We had a competition before Christmas. People had to answer a question with a chance of winning a highly prized, beautifully crafted effigy of me made of fur. I think it’s called a puppet but I’m not at all sure about where you’re supposed to put your hand. Ooh Err! It was won by an extremely lucky person who works at the Arts Council called Claire Eddleston-Rose. I hope she looks after it. There was also a competition to win some tickets to see a Spot On event which was won by someone called Una who works for Brouhaha in Liverpool.

Like I said I went away for a week’s holiday at the end of the month. I went to Devon. There wasn’t much snow down there but it was a bit chilly. I’ve put in a picture of me and my mate Jess who’s a rather cute black Labrador. Black Labradors are the second best thing to brown ones. We did lots of running around together and took our people out for lots of walks in the countryside.

I’ve been thinking more about this dog union thing - a union for dogs who work in creative places. I’ve come up with a name - British Association of Rather Creative Canines (BARCC ) – now I just need a manifesto and perhaps some members. Let me know if you’d like to join, I’ll post the information on my Facebook page.

Speaking of Facebook Lyndsey has been asking me to come up with acronyms for the Robinson Howell Partnership page. So far we’ve had ‘Reindeer Hauling Presents’, ‘Really Hate Parsnips’ and (following the staff Christmas party) ‘Returned Home Plastered’. If you have any other suggestions you could post them on our Twitter page.

New Years resolution – eat more bones, form a canine union and take my work colleagues out for more walks.

Charlie's Thoughts on November

Is it me or is it just too dark outside?

Much has been happening at Robinson Howell during November, Sue and Rob have been out and about around the North West. Sue is busy going to see lots of performances that are happening through Spot On, she’s just started programming the new season and she seems very focussed on lots of pieces of paper which are spread all over the office. I have been helping her by making sure she gets plenty of fresh air every day.

Rob is out Creative Partnershipping a lot, although I suspect he is driving to Blackpool to eat ice cream on the sea front without sharing it with a certain Labrador. He’s been all the way to London without me too, he said he had a meeting, but I think he took in a show – he even went first class! He’s also been working with Paul Hartley on a project called Plugged In which is about young people doing five hours of culture or something like that. Paul has a dog too called Monty. He’s little and he goes to work with Paul’s partner Joe. She’s an artist and he’s very skilled at sitting on his bed in the studio so he doesn’t get any paint on him. We working dogs should stick together. Is there a canine union anywhere? Anyway, Monty said that if anyone wants to look at what Joe paints in her studio you can check out her website here

Lyndsey has well and truly settled in to the office, she has been reading a lot and Rob and Sue keep giving her folders of work to look at. She seemed to enjoy the editing of mailout, apparently she had to write a review about a Girls’ Guide to Rocking, but I’ve been watching her very closely in the office and she hasn’t rocked from side to side once! Even Lyndsey went out to visit the people who design our websites, and again I was left to man... errr... dog the office. She is learning to tweet and is spending a lot of time on Facebook – she says it’s for work but maybe you should check out what she’s been up to. She says on Facebook you have to search for Robinson Howell Partnership, and on Twitter you can go to it here, You can even be my friend on Facebook now, just look for Charlie Brown – there are a lot of us, so you can make it easier to find me by filtering the results and typing in my workplace which is, of course, Robinson Howell Partnership.

Speaking of new friends, I got an email this week from two dogs in Cumbria who’ve been reading my blog. They sent me a picture of themselves and they look like really friendly canines, perhaps they would join the canine union with me and Monty. I’m not sure if they have jobs like me but they certainly have someone to type their emails like I do.

We’re all looking forward to Christmas; the advent calendar has been dusted off and is ready to go up on the wall.

In the post this morning came a big letter addressed to Charlie Brown, Office Dog – that’s me. Sue helped me open it and it was an advent calendar for dogs – wow – I’m not sharing it. To be honest I don’t really know why I have to wait and just have one bit each day. It would be far more efficient for me to have it all at once.

Charlie's October round-up

I know, I know this is a bit late and I’m sorry to my followers who’ve complained. It’s still only November 5^th. I do have an excuse.

Rob and Sue went off to Northern Cyprus for the last week of October and left me in the kennels – Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the odd week there - I get to bark and sniff with lots of other dogs. But my typing’s a bit ruff and I need someone to help me put paw to keyboard.

So what happened here at Robinson Howell Partnership in October? Sue Started the month in Canada which is where Labrador is so I feel I’ve got an affinity with it. She went to a place called Moncton in New Brunswick and spent most of the time in dark theatres watching showcases – well that’s what she said but I’ve seen photos of her on a boat and at the beach. I like beaches – Labradors and beaches go well together. She went without me! She says she saw some good stuff and made friends with a man called Alan who she is planning an exchange with – maybe I’ll go along next time – just to check out the beaches.

I had to go into kennels again while Sue was away. Rob went up to Newcastle/Gateshead to a Creative Partnerships day. He calls himself an ‘ Agent’ but believe you me, he’s no James Bond! He says it was really good – a kind of open forum thing where they did lots of talking.

Just as soon as Sue came back Rob went off again, this time to Swindon – That sounds like a nice place too - I wonder if they have beaches? He went to a conference called the Magic Roundabout. I wonder if Dougal was there. He met lots and lots of arts officers and raved about a really creative school called Isambard which sounds like an odd name to me but...

Spot On Autumn tour carries on. Sue’s dashing all over the county to see Opera Singers, Dancers and big pigs. There’s still things happening and Sue says it’s all on the website.

The big news is that the new Lyndsey has started – I’m slowly building the size of the pack. I greet her really enthusiastically when she gets here in the morning and she seems pleased to see me too. I did do a bit of begging yesterday but it turned out she was eating Salad – yukgh – what’s the point of salad?

Hey – you know I said that Sue & Rob had been to Northern Cyprus. They went with the Blackburn People’s Choir and came back all smug and stuff ‘cos they say they’d sung for the President and first lady. I also found this picture of them singing to a dog which sounds much cooler to me. (The picture is copyright Katherine Palmer and the dog is clearly the best bit)

The Builders have been in here. I’ve really wanted to help with the tiling but was kept out of the way. You know what – It’s a dogs life round here.