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.

My reflections on a sunny September

Well it’s been a month since I first put paw to keyboard. A big thank you to all who read my blog last month. What’s been happening then? There’s been lots of coming and going here at Robinson Howell – I’ve had to do lots of enthusiastic greeting of new and old friends.

This picture is what the office looks like from where I sit

I’ve kept having to drag Rob and Sue away from their desks to take them for a walk and give them some fresh air and exercise. They’ve been working too hard.



Last month I told you about the cloud that was coming that all the computers were going into. It’s arrived and we’re apparently part of the IT Farm now. I’ve not been a farm dog before but I’ve met some – hopefully that will be fun.

Lots and lots of people wanted to come and work with us. There were 49 applications to be the new Information and Project Administration Manager . This involved lots of bits of paper, lots of reading and lots of umming and arring. I liked the ones who talked about me in their applications. Last Tuesday Rob, Sue and my friend Lindsey from Curious Minds spent the day meeting five of them. Rob & Sue said they were all brilliant but they decided on someone called Lyndsey. I gave her a good sniff and she ticked my ears really well so she’s all right by me. She’s not starting for month or so but we’re all already excited.

Spot On shows are just starting for the autumn so that means a few evenings out for Sue, sometimes I get to go along too but I usually have to sit in the car. They must be good ‘cos people always come out smiling. The Spot On Website is still new and more and more information will be on it soon, (Apparently when Lyndsey comes to work with us), but it’s got all the details of what’s on. There’s a sheep on the front page but it’s a boring sheep - I watched it for ages but it never moves – It just stands there on the right hand side.

The other thing that happened was the CreativityWorks Awards. I’m still really cross with Rob & Sue about this - I think there should have been a category for Most Creative Dog. I reckon I’d be in with a chance. How many other dogs in Pennine Lancashire can write a blog? Despite that there were lots of nominations and some really good people won. I’ve not met them all but I gave the nominations a good sniff when the post man brought them. Rob’s thinking hard about what to do next with the awards. There’ll be a big change next year and Rob’s looking for suggestions.

Schools are back. I can hear the kids playing at the school next to our office. That means a lot more Creative Partnershipping . We’re working with lots of schools - Some in Blackpool. It has been known for me to go along and help Rob by running along the beach between meetings.

I’m a Labrador; Labrador is in a place called Canada. That means I’m sort of Canadian. That’s why I should be going to Canada next week instead of Sue. She’s going to something called a “Contact East Showcase” to look for things to bring over for Spot On. She’s been before – It’s my turn!

Rob’s off away too. He’s going to Newcastle to a Creative Partnerships thing. Then he goes to Swindon. I understand that it’s a historic town on the edge of the Cotswolds - sounds like good walking country but what do I know – I’m only a dog.