We went to Sam's on Friday evening and we had pizza for tea and I had cuddles with Elle and she made me an origami Christmas Tree and apparently on ITV the only programme they ever show is Coronation Street.
Then we went to bed early and got up at 5AM (!!) on Saturday. Gill came at six and me, Shirley, Ollie, Sam, Gill and Mummy all got in the big red bus and we drove to Birmingham (only stopping once cos Ollie needed a weewee). When we got to the NEC we needed to go to the loading bay but there were no signs anywhere so we went into this car park where this angry man with a hi viz and a walkie talkie was making all these cars and vans line up for something. So Sam drove up to ask him where the loading bay was and he shouted "GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!" and Mummy said "We're looking for the loading bay" and this woman at the front of the very long line shouts "Aren't we all" and Mummy said "God OK." And the man shouts again (even though he was literally right next to the window by this time) "I SAID GET TO THE BACK OF THE LINE!" and Sam said "OK CHILL YOUR BEANS" and so we went to the back of the line and about half an hour later we were finally at the front of the line and could finally go to the loading bay and bring our stuff into the hall. And Sam said later she thinks the man didn't mean to be rude but there were only two of them looking after a big line of cross and lost people. The show was due to start in about half an hour and we had an empty stand and what felt like hours of work. Sam, Shirley and Ollie found Louise, Dave and Penny in Mr Angry's line so she told them to follow her to the car park and then they came in on the shuttle bus carrying the rest of the stuff.
In the meantime I was setting the stall up with Mummy and Gill and then all the people who were helping us today came, Michelle, Mark, Bumble and Barney and Sarah, John and baby Betty and everyone helped set the stall up. We had to stick all our pictures on the wall and hang the bunting and the banner and the French flags. We laid our beds out at the front so us houndies could be admired. And we were all set up ready for the show starting. Our stall was ace, it was one of the double sized stands with three open sides and our friends Howard and Saffi the Bloodhounds were by us. Foster baby Betty had fallen in love with Howard at the summer show, and Doug the Pug was opposite (Mummy had a kiss off Doug the Pug, she said he gives good kisses).
Then one of the ladies from the press office came over and said Professor Noel wanted his photo taken with a Basset Hound for the official show opening photo. They said bring the dog who's best with other breeds so Ollie went. There was a giant Poodle and a big hairy black dog called Hagrid too. Then they were setting the photo up while they waited for Professor Noel to arrive and they said all the dogs had to sit next to Professor Noel and not run off. When Professor Noel arrived for his photo Ollie didn't want to sit and stay so Professor Noel held him instead and they got a lovely photo but now Ollie is a megastar and insists on being carried everywhere. (I made that up)
At the end of the day we didn't have to tidy up cos we were coming back the next day to do it all over again so we just left it all and went home. But there were massive queues for the shuttle buses so we had to walk to the car park. I did a flat Basset and played domino run with about 20 people. That was fun/embarrassing (depending on if you're me or Mummy).
That night we had a Chinese takeaway at Sam's and then me and Mummy had the best nights sleep we had in months but then we had to get up at 6. We had a lie in cos we didn't need to be there so early on Sunday. Me, Shirley, Ollie, Sam and Mummy got in the big red bus again and drove back to Birmingham. It was not stressful though cos we knew exactly where we were going this time. We went to the car park and Susan and Bessie were there too and the shuttle bus was waiting so we got on and it was only a little bus ride but it was fun, there were pussy cats on the bus and the bus driver told jokes over the loudspeaker.
When we got to our stall the other people who were helping today - Dave and Dena with Tegan and Dotty and Jez and Helen with Louie - were already there and everything we had put up yesterday was still stuck on the walls except a couple of balloons that had fallen down so we stuck them back up, meeted and greeted everyone and were ready and waiting for the public when the show opened at 9.30.
Then the press lady came over and said Michaela Strachan was opening the show today and she wanted her photo taken with some Basset Hounds so we was all very excited to go and meet her. Mummy did actually meet her in 1990 when the Hit Man and Her came to town but that was a veeerrryyy long time ago. So me, Shirley, Ollie and Louie went to have our photo taken and Michaela was lovely and sweet and she chatted to our parents and showed us photos of her cute puppy.
Then Michaela and the press lady went to open the show and we went back to our stand and to be honest me, Shirley and Ollie were all knackered after yesterday so we sat at the back for a bit and napped under our blankets and let the other four do all the meeting and greeting. Shirley and Ollie got up after their naps and were friendly and greety but I was just too tired so I said to Mummy to let the children come and stroke me while I'm sleeping and I promise I won't snap. I did a little snap at little Bessie when she climbed on me and woke me up but I did say sorry. Mummy said it was OK that I was asleep though cos people thought I looked cute anyway. Dena and Simon came to sit with us for a bit but then they had to go and meet Gill and Ziggy.
At the end of the show we took all our pictures and banners and stuff down and then when we had tidied up we put all the things that needed to go back into the big red bus into a big pile but there was way too much to carry to the car park cos it was really far so Sam, Shirley and Ollie went to get the big red bus and me and Mummy waited and everyone finished tidying up. Everyone else offered to wait and help load the bus but knowing what it's like getting out of the car park and into the loading bay we thought she might be hours so we said they should all go.
Nobody was allowed into the loading bay until 5.30 cos it's not safe or something but they wouldn't let people queue and wait so Sam had to drive back and to from one roundabout to the next for half an hour cos there was nowhere to park whilst stopping to phone Mummy to moan cos she wanted someone to vent to and Shirley had fallen asleep and Ollie said he's too famous to care. Anyway eventually she got into the loading bay and Mummy and me went out and Sam came to meet me and took me back to the car while Mummy grabbed all the stuff. And then we were all packed up and we could go home. We went back to Sam's and swapped our things from the big red bus to the little red Fiat and we kissed everyone goodbye and got in our little red Fiat and drove home. We didn't stop for tea cos we were tired and we just wanted to get home.
When we got home Daddy cooked Mummy some pizza and chips while I had my tea and Carly and Lotty sniffed everything and asked nosy questions. Then me and Mummy snuggled on the setttee and Carly wanted to snuggle too so she sat on my head and we watched Poldark and then we went to bed.
