After a decade of city living, your correspondent (a country mouse by birth and inclination) has just about got the hang of things. I don't now flinch every time a bus roars past me and would no sooner strike up a conversation with a stranger on the Tube than I would strip off in the middle of the carriage. But one aspect continues to niggle: lacking outdoor space of my own, I can't, in all conscience, get a dog.
* Subscribe to Country Life magazine and save
So I've joined BorrowMyDoggy.com, which matches time-poor owners with people who want to volunteer for walking duties. Would-be walkers upload a photo, then scroll through pictures of pets nearby and ‘favourite' the ones that catch their eye. Owners can then get in touch if they're interested. For a flat-bound dog-lover like me, it seemed the answer to my prayers. Should I opt for a sprightly West Highland terrier? Or a lurcher who loves having his ears ruffled?
In the end, I favourited dozens. But, so far, nobody has taken me up on my offer of walks on Clapham Common. The whole thing feels a bit like online dating. Was it something I said? Perhaps I picked the wrong photo? I daren't renew my advances- I wouldn't want anyone to feel hounded.
* Follow Country Life magazine on Twitter
-
Alan Titchmarsh: 'It’s all too easy to become swamped by the ‘to-do’ list, but give yourself a little time to savour the moment'Easter is a turning point in the calendar, says Alan Titchmarsh, a 'clarion call' to 'get out there and sow and plant'.
-
Rodel House: The Georgian marvel in the heart of the Outer HebridesAn improving landlord in the Outer Hebrides created a remote Georgian house that has just undergone a stylish, but unpretentious remodelling, as Mary Miers reports. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
