If you have not already looked up the meaning in the dictionary – PARVENU is French in origin and it basically means "an upstart".  The word just appealed to my quirky sense of humour!

As you can see from the old black and white photograph of me with my family taken in 1953, my love of dogs goes back a long way.  Over the years we had a variety of mongrels and then we eventually purchased our first pedigree – a Corgi.  This dog had the most alert temperament, so I regularly took him to the local Obedience club in London and he won two medals, which I still have to this day.   That was in 1961. 

After I married and left London in 1969, I moved to Kent where I had Labradors.   I trained them to the gun and some weekends I would take them "picking-up" at a local shoot.   I also enjoyed competing with my dog Bryn in Working Trials (which is very similar to IPO and Schutzhund competitions) and he eventually qualified for his C.D. Ex. title [Companion Dog Excellent].  In the early 1970`s I was the Secretary and Founder Member of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Labrador Retriever Club.

I have owned Rottweilers since 1986 and during that time I have served on the committee of The Rottweiler Club; the Kent County Canine Association; and as Secretary to the London and South East Rottweiler Club [LASER].  I was also a delegate to the National Rottweiler Breed Council during that time and was subsequently elected Secretary to the Rottweiler Breed Council in May 2002, and served for four years.  

Having competed in Working Trials, Obedience, Gundog Working Tests and the Show Ring, with Labradors and Rottweilers, I firmly believe that maintaining the working ability in a breed ensures its strength and soundness.  I judge numerous breeds in the Working and Pastoral Groups in the U.K. at Open level and I have been fortunate to have judged Obedience at two Rottweiler Breed Club Shows. I am now qualified to judge Rottweilers at Championship level.  I have attended Rottweiler breed-specialty Shows in Australia, Belgium and several times in Norway and in May 2004 I was honoured to be invited to award CACs to Rottweilers at the Championship Show of the Norwegian Rottweiler Klubb.    I am now a Member of The Kennel Club.