Beckie’s Christmas Letter
A BIG thank you to you all
December 2005 -- Issue 8
I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas. I hope you all have great fun.
Well this months newsletter isn’t full of useful information, it is just a note from me, to thank you for all the efforts you’ve put in when I come to shoe. I am very lucky to get spoilt so much by you folks, and I have made some really good friends.
Despite all of my—perhaps strict—rules with payment, facilities etc that I have tried to enforce, I have been delighted to see everyone take these things on board, and as a result I have a very smoothly running business thanks to all of you. It is very much appreciated.
So this edition is a thank you from me. Having over 100 customers means not everyone will get a mention—there is only so much space—but don’t take this personally, you are equally appreciated.
One of the things that makes my job so fun is having little helpers at different yards. So a big thank you goes to: George & Tom Howells, Forbes Bricka, George & Max Newton, Rosie & Fergus Ansell, Jessica Garment, Bill and Lorna Hutcheon, Lexy Spurr, and finally the youngest little helper, Rufus, who’s not yet two.
One thing from the last year that really stands out to me is the extraordinary commitment of Kim Marston with Smerf. Kim is a baker and wasn’t aloud the time off work to make my 9:15 am appointment. So instead of calling me and re-booking the appointment, Kim started her 9 hour shift at midnight, and worked all through the night in order to get to me, dead on 9:15 am. What a superstar. I’m still shocked to this day that Kim didn’t call me to change the appointment.
Some Food Related Thank You’s...
I have a few customers that obviously think I need to put on weight: Gill Mercer, Diana Howlett and Nicki Tregaskes won’t let me leave till I have cleared their houses of food. Thank you for all my treats, it always makes for a good day when I see you.
Also Betty Hills often brings me freshly baked jam filled cakes, still warm from the oven. What a treat. Thank you Betty.
Thank you to Sarah and Margaret Rogers who don’t seem to think paying me is enough and give me a box of chocolates at each shoeing. Thanks to you both; I’ve enjoyed them lots.
I’d also like to mention Kathy Parson, who doesn’t actually own any horses that I shoe, but works for one of my customers and is in charge of being there for the farrier. Every time I come Kathy brings me some tea and cakes. This is pretty special as Kathy is digging into her own pocket, and really doesn’t have to. Thank you very much it really is appreciated.
Tanya Bricka, who on one occasion didn’t have any squash offered me a pineapple Bacardi Breezer instead. I’ve now really got the taste for them, and Tanya brings one up each time. It is at the end of the day I must add, and Tanya’s best horse Drift is always shod before I’m aloud any alcohol. :-)
I want to take a moment to list a group of people who took my business card seriously when it said that “drinks and biscuits are always welcome.” I have appreciated being spoilt. All the drinks and treats have been lovely.
So thank you to: Julia Ansell, Penny Atvarniek, Vicky Bacon, Fran Bailey, Diana Bailey, Sam Baker, Tanya Bricka, Lorraine Bryant, Diana Clarke, Liz Cook, Lucy Davey, Ali Duffy, Sue Eves, Pam Finch, Jane Finn, Jackie Geraghty, Pam Gibert, Karen Green, Alison Hall, Sarah Harrison, Jackie Harrow, Lorna Hart, Tracey Harvey, Mel Hayman, Kim Hiller, Betty Hills, Debbie Howells, Diana Howlett, Tina Kelly, Celia King, Gail Kirby, Charlotte Lee, Michele Lindsay, Patsie Maile, Rosemary Martin, Sarah Mathews, Marie Medhurst, Gill Mercer, Teressa Mills, Allison Morris, Debbie Mousell, Fiona Munn, Amy Newton, Amiee Noon, Jackie O’Connell, Catherine Parker, Kathy Parson, Jackie Parsons, Lisa Pay, Donna Peggler, Sandra Pettifer, Laura Roberts, Laura Royall, Claire Rule, Lisa Setterington, Morgan Shirley, Libby Smith, Tilly Spurr, Paula Standing, Carol Stanley, Jackie Taylor, Jessica Tenk, Nicki & Geoff Tregaskes, Emma Walker, Amanda White and Mark Whitting.
2005 Awards...
Laura Royall wins the ‘Taking Things on Board’ award. After getting my rasp wet and muddy—and expressing my frustration—Laura converted half of her garage into a stable so I had somewhere dry to shoe. Thank you Laura; this really has made a difference to the quality of the job I can do.
Diana Bailey holds the record for wearing her horse Nero’s shoes out the fastest. We can just make him last 4 weeks, but sometimes he wears them clean off his feet before then. They really are like tin foil.
Minstrel owned by Jackie Harrow and Tamara Owned by Jackie Hands (ridden by Morgan Shirley) get the ‘Most Improved Behaviour of the Year’ award. They are both 4 year old horses with the attention spans of gnats. But have really improved to the extent they are both a real pleasure to shoe now.
‘Humour of the Year’ award goes to, Peter Hills and Geoff Tregaskes. I really enjoy coming to see you. You keep a smile on my face from the moment I arrive to the moment I leave. You are both great.
Debbie Howells gets the award for the ‘Yummiest Homemade Cream Filled Chocolate Cake.’ Words can’t describe how good it was. But thank you very much, it really hit the spot.
Laura Battershill holds the record for the pony with the smallest feet that I will probably ever shoe. I must be mad but I have become rather fond of Titch. I’m still not going to admit to how small they are incase it gives other people ideas. ;-)
So Gill Page, don’t start thinking that Tina or Tigger need shoes. They’re just fine as they are. :-)
Mandy Turrell and Mel Hayman jointly get the award for ‘Horses with the Trickiest Feet. Both Buddy and Chico have kept me up at night worrying about how I can solve their problems. Thank you for all your patience and confidence whilst I try and get them right.
More Thank You’s...
Reg Blackwell—who is a couple of years older than me :-)—took me for a lovely day canoeing. Thank you very much for that day, it was great fun. I might try bribing you to take me out when it warms up again.
Thank you to Jackie O’Connell and Sue Eves for having the two largest groups of horses that I do; 7 each. It is only topped by Mark Whitting, with his 11 Falabellas and 1 horse. Thanks to all of you for your business.
Many thanks to Sarah Mathews for all her efforts getting Hilda to stand still for me during shoeing. She is quite a complex horse to shoe, but with Sarah’s willingness to try anything for me, it is working out well.
Thank you to Lindsay Barnes who has let me experiment on her horse Williams feet. William struggles with crumbly asymmetrical cracked feet. Thanks to Lindsay buying every supplement and products under the sun, and letting me try different things out, his feet are improving hugely.
Thank you to Lisa Pay for being one of my main organisers at Happy Valley. Lisa is often in charge of remembering multiple appointments and always does a great job.
A big thank you also to Liane Richardson with Beamer and Paddy. Liane rides her two horses about 20 minutes to a yard so I can shoe them every six weeks, and in all weathers. Thank you for all your efforts they’re very much appreciated.
Thank you to Brenda Wickondon for supplying me with a few donkey’s to play with. It really is fun to have a variety.
Also thank you to Lee Warman for putting on a brave face over the last year when health problems were getting overwhelming. You astound me in how positive you can be. A breath of fresh air to see every 7 weeks.
Thank you to Mel Hayman, Ali Duffy, Debbie Howells, Jackie Geraghty, Paula Standing, and Lyn Ansells family, who caught wind of my Birthday at the end of November. Your cards and gifts were overly generous. Thank you very much.
Thank you to Silvia and Mike Hillman, for hanging on to their youngster, Remora, whilst I trim him. Good team work has resulted in him being very well behaved.
Also thank you to Tilly Spurr. Tilly forgot an appointment but insisted that I should have the full payment for the job that I would have done. Thank you so much, I had immediately forgotten the missed appointment and you went straight to the top of my most favourite customers list. :-)
Recognitions...
Well done to Megan Lambley, Victoria King and Sophie Hall who all survived a day out at work with me. You all worked really hard and all managed to take off at least one shoe.
A quick note to Jackie Carpenter and Lyn Bacon: I love our early morning chats when we put the world to rights. I will look forward to more of them next year.
Congratulations to Valerie White who with a lot of perseverance has transformed a scatty, flighty, quite dangerous mare called Lady, into one of the most affectionate chilled out horses I shoe. Valerie’s patients really stands out to me, as many people would have given up and would have not reaped the rewards.
I’d like to make a special mention to Mel Hayman. Mel is someone I met within weeks of setting up my own business. She has been a fantastic customer, but more than that Mel has become a really special friend of mine. Someone I hope to always stay very close to. So thank you Mel for all your support—and lovely Sunday Roast—it’s all been really appreciated.
Nothing to do with shoeing but... Congratulations to Laura Harrison who
has recently fallen pregnant. Best of luck next year as your life takes a new direction.
Really all I’m trying to say is thank you very much for everything you have all done. I really love my job, and the majority of that is because you all make it such a pleasurable experience.
I hope you have a fantastic Christmas,
Lots of Love
Beckie xx