LOVE LETTER TO BINKY

The Lion sleeps tonight.

My first dog was a basset hound called Blodwyn who was my best buddy growing up . She came into my life at around 4 years old. Then as a teenager we welcomed Derrick into our lives, an Airdale Terrier. Mum was left with Derrick as my brother and I finished our education and fled the nest. I missed him dearly but he became mums best buddy and would accompany her to work, patiently waiting in the car for her as she visited her clients. We also had lots or rabbits growing up so when I moved to London and my boyfriend at the time was not keen on me getting a dog we agreed that rabbits were okay. One rabbit soon became 2, Freestyle and Tank Girl followed shortly by the addition of two guinea pigs, Sir Winston and Squidget. Sir Winston and Squidget soon became techno legends when Kris Needs and I recorded their amazing squeaks and featured them on a record by our one record only band The Rabbettes. We released the record on my label, Sabrettes and donated the profit to a guinea pig hospital. We even got to perform the music live at Andrew Weatherall's club Sabresonic to a slightly stunned audience. Four giant rabbits and a writhing carrot brandishing machine guns firing blanks at the audience in time to the music. Can you imagine getting away with that now?!

Ten years on and I eventually got myself another dog. Droog the Wheaten Terrier who grew up with the rabbits and utterly adored them. He was a very special boy and I still miss him so much but we had 16 years of love and cuddles together.

When long term creative partner of more than 30 years, Andrew Weatherall and I switched from running record labels (Sabres Of Paradise & Sabrettes) to writing and producing music together under the name Woodleigh Research Facility, Andrew had no choice other than to accept that Droog came as part of the studio. It was Andrew who wouldn't let me have a dog all those years ago! He learnt to love Droog and would bring him in plates of raw steak everyday for dinner and occasionally Droog would perform on the odd recording.

When Droog gained his wings and entered the invisible at the age of 16 the studio was not the same and my heart was broken. I was convinced I would not be able to love another dog that much again so decided not to try. That was until a trip to Spain to help my friend Vince with his three Spanish Podenco hounds on the ferry, six months later. I met Vince at a Faust gig at Borough Wines in Hastings. He had these three beautiful and unusual dogs with him that almost looked part kangaroo. They were Podenco Andaluz. We got talking about the history of the breed and the plight of the Podenco in Spain, which is heartbreaking if you dare to look. It transpired that Vince was also a musician and used to play drums for a band called the Psychedelic Furs, so we had a few things in common. Inevitably we ended up going on an adventure, making music and saving Podenco's in Spain. We went with three and came back with five! Binky was about 3 months old when I saw her trotting along the streets of Lacala being walked by a volunteer dog walker from the shelter that had rescued her from living ruff on the campo. On her lead were the words 'adopt me', so I did. I saw no other option. She was adorable and alone and we instantly hit it off.

I had to fly back to London to perform a Moine Dubh gig, another label that Andrew and I had accidentally started, so paid for her to stay in kennels until I came back to bring her home on the ferry with Vince and the rest of the pack. We also rescued another Pod cross from the perera, often referred to as the kill station. There was room in the van so why not? She was a clumpy little thing and looked a bit like a baby cow so we called her Daisy and she now has her own 20 acres of land to run free across in Dorset.

On returning home after a 900K drive across Spain and a 20 hour ferry crossing I rocked up to work at the studio with Binky. With one eyebrow raised Andrew looked a little unsure as to how an energetic puppy was going to work out at Facility 4 Studio. It didn't take long. She won his heart and he won her respect. Enthusiastically and slightly annoyingly insisting on his attention that first afternoon, Andrew ruffled up his hair, preened his beard with a downward stroke then belly growled like the king of the jungle. From that moment on Andrew was the Lion and Binky always knew it. It wasn't long until the plates of raw steak were back in the fridge and the studio had resumed business as usual.

This year life took another turn and it was Andrew who gained his wings and entered the invisible. My partner, my friend, my brother. The Lion.

I was broken and still am.

Thank fuck for you Binky, my angel.

Nx

Written June 2020 for Nora Nose Best magazine