It’s with great sadness and many tears that I say farewell to you lovely lot.

Many of you will know, through our out of breath chats whilst climbing the many hills Tony insists on taking us up on our walks, that I’ve had a rotten couple of years but was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity last year.

This has finally come to fruition and I am now, by the time you read this, on a tiny Filipino island in the Pacific.

It was a decision I took a long time to make and there was only ever one sticking point and that was The Pop, aka Mollie. She has been my one constant in the five and a half years that I have owned her and I did consider taking me with her but I knew that would have been more about my needs than hers.

Mollie made herself known to the club from the start, quite possibly the littlest adult Basset of the group, but certainly the noisiest, and maybe even the most energetic, covering three times the distance as the rest of us walkers.

And this is how she is at home too, as well as having the sweetest nature, being a great one for cuddles and head massages and knowing exactly how to make me laugh or get my attention.

I’ve only been without her for three evenings now and it has been the hardest three days I think I have ever faced; the first afternoon returning from work and not seeing her face the minute I opened the door or to have her rubbing her nose all over my trouser legs was awful.

I continue to pause before playing a video of her because I’m thinking “It’ll set my (absent) girl off barking”, the loud sigh I heard from her this morning when my alarm went off only for me to come to and remember that she wouldn’t be waking up beside me anymore.

The saving grace I have is that she hasn’t gone to Rainbow Bridge, but has gone on to live with two wonderful people who love her as much as I do, and who have been waiting patiently for the day that she would join them and their lovely girl; Speckles.

Mollie greeted Roger and Judy with such joy and much ‘helicopter’ tail wagging, so I know that she loves them too.

I wanted to say ‘goodbye’ and thank you to you all for making the walks such good fun, and for the ongoing connection that you will have Mollie the Pop.

I look forward to following your future walks on Facebook and for glimpses of Molls in your many photos.

Trudy x

(Ed: Frankie and I were walking Pablo and Nico along the Eastbourne seafront one summer evening when we chanced upon Trudy and Mollie, playing together on the beach near the pier. We chatted for a while and encouraged her to come to one of the Branch walks. Though interested, she thought that they might prove too much for her, as she suffered from M.E.

We were very pleasantly surprised when she and Moll attended our next walk. Both of them enjoyed it enormously.

Since that time Trudy has been a very active and enthusiastic member of the Branch. She has also been a great ambassador for us and I don’t think anyone has recruited more new members than Trudy has done on her various travels.

Her very sweet nature and joie de vivre have made her enormously popular with everyone. She will be much missed.

I know that I write on behalf of everyone in the South East Branch when I wish Trudy every possible good wishes for her new exciting life. Mollie’s continuing appearance at Branch events will be a pleasant reminder of her former ‘mum’.

Our love and best wishes go with you, Trudy.)