THE OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG

CLUB OF SCOTLAND

The Club's History, (1932 - .....)

By Lew and Margaret McWilliam

Chapter Five

By the time the war had ended and the club had managed to rise from the ashes, several changes had occurred. The President was Miss Davidson, Vice-President Mrs. Nicol but the Secretary and Treasurer was now Mr. John Ramsay. The Rev. W.B.C. Buchanan had stood down and was now on the committee along with Dr. McKerrow, Mrs. Maclay, Mrs. Muirhead and a few others. These were mainly the people who had managed to keep their dogs during those very difficult years and now, even they, were trying to acquire new dogs to replenish their stock. Only a few kennels now existed in Britain mainly Miss Webster's Pastleblue Kennels, Hastings; Mr. Tilley's Shepton Kennels, Somerset; Miss Flint's Newcote Kennels, Scarborough; and in Scotland Dr. McKerrow, St. Andrews and Miss Betty Davidson. Eskbank. At the 1948 S.K.C. show which the Rev. W.B.C. Buchanan judged, only ten dogs were entered in four classes - these consisted of puppy dog or bitch, novice dog or bitch, open dog and open bitch Mr. Tilley had won both challenge certificates with 'Shepton Home Guard' and 'Shepton Perfect Picture' whilst the reserves went to Mrs. Nicol's 'Shepton Brave Boy' and Miss Davidson's 'Pastelblue Topnotcher'. Miss Davidson's Eskgrove Challenge Tankard was presented for the first time to best puppy dog or bitch. Shortly after this came the news that the Secretary, Mr. Ramsay had died. Mr. Ramsay. a confectionery representative from Bearsden, had been subjected to gas poisoning whilst serving in the army during the first World War and subsequently had never enjoyed the best of health.

At the S.K.C. show, March 1949, Dr. A.C.R. McKerrow finally got to awarding challenge certificates, with eleven dogs across four classes he awarded the certificates to Mr. Tilley's 'Shepton Surf King' and Miss Davidson's 'Pastelblue Topnotcher'. At the A.G.M. afterwards Mrs. Nicol was appointed Secretary, a post which she held until 1960. Dr. McKerrow was appointed as President and it was agreed to alter the club rules to allow a club president to stand for office for up to three years and also to allow members from England to join the club for the first time. The Rev. Buchanan was again the judge at the October 1949 S.K.C. show. However, this time the number of dogs entered had risen to seventeen although there were still only four classes. Of the six Scottish dogs entered, Mrs. Nicol's home bred 'Paul of Squarefour' has highest placed with a reserve challenge certificate. 'Squarefour', perhaps one of the most well known affixes in bobtails, was chosen by the Kennel Club from the selection of names submitted to them by Mrs. Nicol, whose first choice was 'Woodburn' - the name of her home in Greenock. The affix 'Squarefour' was taken from the name of her son's Ariel motorbike. In March 1950, the championship show was moved back to Glasgow where Mr. A. Murray judged fourteen dogs over an increased classification of six classes. Nine of those dogs were Scottish and again 'Paul of Squarefour' took the reserve certificate. Paul later won his first certificate in November from judge Miss Knight Bruce at the L.K.A. show with his second the following April at Ayr show under judge Mr. James Garrow and finally his third at the S.K.C. show, March 1952 under American judge Mrs. Renner. At this same show Miss Davidson won the bitch certificate with her home bred 'Carrisma Mia' with the reserve certificates going to Mrs. Back's 'Pastelblue Precious Maid' and Mrs. Muirhead's 'Ackroyd of Stramongate'

At the 1952 A.G.M. Mrs. May Muirhead was proposed to take over from Mrs. Maclay as club President. Mrs. Maclay became Vice-President and Mr. Stacey, Dr. McKerrow, Mrs. Back, Miss Flint, Miss Davidson and Miss Tilley formed the committee. The Secretary Mrs. Nicol informed the meeting that the Ayr show had lost its certificates and, after discussion, the committee decided not to support the show with guarantees. It was further suggested that the Scottish club should affiliate with the O.E.S. parent club but the committee decided that the Scottish club should retain its identity. However, the idea of affiliation remained and several unsuccessful approaches were made by the Secretary to the O.E.S. club and the North Western club at this time. Furthermore, the membership had slumped to around ten members and the Secretary had intimated that she would like to resign her office at the earliest possible moment. Despite making this request at several meetings, she was persuaded to continue in office.

However, Mrs. Nicol was having great success with her dogs and her second champion 'Paul of Squarefour' was now destined for America where he would become a television celebrity on a weekly children's show., His litter sister 'Priscilla' won a challenge certificate at Blackpool under one of the breeds greatest judges Miss A. Tireman but 'Priscilla' didn't quite manage to follow in her brothers footsteps and make champion status. Nevertheless she was mated to 'Gordale Grey Guardsman' and produced a superb litter, three of which became champions. This established a Scottish record surpassed only by the famous 'Pickhurst Litter' in England which contained five champions. One of these three champion puppies was 'Shepton Rowena of Squarefour' sold to Mr. Tilley whilst Mrs. Nicol retained and campaigned the other two - namely 'Roderick of Squarefour' and 'Rosalinda of Squarefour'. The latter won her three certificates at the S.K.C. shows in 1956, 1959 and 1960 under judges Mr. Leo Wilson, Mrs. H. Hopwood and Mrs. W. Barber. However, her brother 'Roderick' gained his title five years earlier at two and a half years of age. He then went on to win a total of seven challenge certificates under different judges and became the most popular stud dog in Britain at that time. The World and his wife were now beating a path to Mrs. Nicol's new home at Romanno Bridge in Peebleshire where Mr. and Mrs. Nicol had set up new spacious kennels in a woodland setting.

In March 1957 the club was still bouncing along on its bottom and the committee, at a brief meeting in Glasgow, decided to invite back as President Mr. A.R. Davidson, founder member and first ever President. The Rev. Buchanan who had, for several years, been showing miniature poodles, made a rare return and offered the club a book on Old Enghsh Sheepdogs which was considered a classic and was generally unobtainable. The idea was that this 'collectors item' could be lent out to members at one shilling a week to help augment the club finances. A few new faces were now present at the Scottish shows such as Mrs. I. Lawson, Prospectblue, Mr. N. Harrison, Fernville, Mrs. M. Gibson, Beckington, Mr. A.S. Anderson and Mr. R. Cass, Scarborough, Mr. A. Little, Langholm. Miss Lloyd. Dalcroy', Miss Woodiwiss, Duroya, Mrs. Wilkinson, Reculver, Mr. and Mrs. Christie. Edinburgh, Mr and Mrs. Mather, Condorrat, and Mr. and Mrs. Leslie, Bathgate. At the 1960 A.G.M. the President, Mr. A.R. Davidson intimated his retiral after giving over thirty years to the breed. Mr. and Mrs. Nicol resigned their offices as Secretary and Treasurer respectively, although Mrs. Nicol reluctantly accepted the position as President. Mr. Muirhead replaced Mrs. Maclay as Vice-President and the committee consisted of Mr. Nicol. Miss Davidson. Mrs. Maclay, and Mrs. Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Christie were elected as the new Secretary and Treasurer.

Meanwhile a new Scottish champion had appeared - Champion 'Fairacres Bosun' owned by Mr. Andrew Little and bred by Mrs. Bloor. 'Smokey' won his three certificates including three best of breeds at Crufts, Leeds and L.N.A. all in 1960 under specialist judges. Shortly on his heels came Mrs. Nicol's 'Beanville Silver King of Squarefour', bred by Mrs. V. Keeling out of Champion 'Roderick of Squarefour' and 'Amberford Aclea'. He won his first certificate at the 1961 S.K.C. show under judge Mr. W.G. Siggers and his second from judge Dr. McKerrow who had been given the great honour of judging Crufts in 1962. This was indeed a just token of recognition to a man who had served his breed and club with distinction for over thirty years. Finally, 'Beanville Silver King' was crowned champion at the S.K.C. show in Glasgow, 1962 under judge Mr. W. Burrow thus making him Mrs. Nicol's sixth and final champion. However, a special mention must be made of champion 'Jane of Knockanlyn' as she became the last champion to be both bred and owned in Scotland. Mrs. Muirhead bred 'Jane' from her own 'Pastelblue Silver Jewel' and 'Roderick of Squarefour' in December 1956 and her first certificate was won at Blackpool 1960 followed by her second at Leeds in 1961 and finally, made up to champion in 1962.

Meanwhile the club had gone from 'bad to worse' with Mr. & Mrs. Christie keeping few, if any, records or receipts. The club was fortunately saved from extinction by the actions of Mr. Gordon Leslie who took over as Secretary of the club in 1965. Great credit must also go to Mr. & Mrs. Muirhead and Mr. & Mrs. Nicol who, although they had been members since 1939 and 1934 respectively, had managed to summon enough enthusiasm to carry on a few more years and help to formulate a working committee with the help of Mr. & Mrs. Little, Mr. & Mrs. Mathers, Mrs. Lawson, Mrs. Tidley, Mr. Ross, Mrs. Weston and a little later on 'ourselves'. By this time all the founder members were absent, some having finally retired whilst some had unfortunately died including Miss Betty Davidson on 16th February 1965. For almost forty years, this matriarch of the breed, vigorously campaigned on behalf of Old English Sheepdogs and the club in Scotland. Despite these losses, the club managed, over a period of time, to pull itself up by its own 'bootlaces' and it has now recaptured at least some of it's former glory.