Inspiring People

I wrote my book “Nadine Who?... and a dog called Shoe” - a little life in London, during the period of 1997-1998. I had no intention of having a dog…but fate took over, and Shoe who belonged to a friend of mine, chose me, realising what a good life she’d have!

From a child my life as an actress had been theatre and television studios, but Shoe my Doberman opened another world to me; I had the perfect balance. Now I walked in the beautiful parks of west London, intimate Holland park, where I knew (and still do) the locals, and regulars in the café, and the larger Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens.

When Dobermans were the "tough" dogs

In those days the Doberman was considered to be the tough dog, (now the Staffordshire terrier has taken over!) Because of this an extraordinary selection of people spoke to me, (I did wonder at the time whether it would have been the same if I’d had a poodle!)

I got to know the Shepherd’s Bush Green and street people, a lot of them with a can in their hand! And other fascinating characters wandering around.

A way of meeting people

Although the pub is a meeting place for the English, I feel more at home with the café society, having a coffee or an Earl Grey tea, sitting outside the various cafes in the parks with my beautiful black slim friend beside me, sharing a muffin or sometimes a Kit Kat.

When you have a dog it’s amazing the way the ‘reserved’ English and others talk to you.

Watching the world go by

This was the year of Princess Diana’s death, and when I saw Kensington Gardens erupting with grief I suddenly realised that I was living history…Close to Kensington Gardens is the area of Queensway, it appears to be always open with a multitude of bistros, Chinese restaurants and cafes. I would often sit outside one of these cafes watching the world go by. In the summer it is full of parading Arabs over here to escape their hot sun.

In the winter only the local Arabs remain; then the Scandinavians move in, to get away from their cold climate. Some people, especially Arabs were wary of Shoe, ‘the ferocious dog with the bad reputation’…but Shoe wasn’t aggressive, her main aim in life was to hunt for a picnic, and if she found one and they were eating chicken, that made her day!

A delightful slice of life

My book shows a slice of life in West London, with the beauty of park life, and the less beautiful street life…

To purchase the book go to:

www.shieldcrest.co.uk/nadine_who.html