I am friendly, empathetic, and a good listener. A Lancashire lad by birth, my parents bought Squires House in Pilling back in 1963, creating one of the original country house hotels. After attending Blackpool Catering College, I joined Trust Houses Forte as a management trainee at Leeds/Bradford...More I am friendly, empathetic, and a good listener. A Lancashire lad by birth, my parents bought Squires House in Pilling back in 1963, creating one of the original country house hotels. After attending Blackpool Catering College, I joined Trust Houses Forte as a management trainee at Leeds/Bradford Post House, then climbed the management ladder to the Swan Grasmere, Belsfield Windermere, and Waterhead Ambleside. After spending five years at the Prince of Wales and Royal Clifton Hotels in Southport, I served as the tenant of the Albert in Bowness-on-Windermere for 13 years. My son Richard is now Director - Estates of the Birtenshaw Group, which provides a creative and dynamic range of care and education services for children and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). He is normally based in Bolton but has responsibilities for the newly built Merseyside site. I have lived in Bowness-on-Windermere, in the central English Lake District, for over 50 years. Some may call it paradise, but with over a million visitors each year on the promenade, just 200 yards from home, it has its moments. 8.00pm is so different from High Noon! To relax, besides walking Sky, a therapy dog, in this amazing area, I enjoy the woods just over a mile away; she loves it, as it is a world away from the chaos of the village. I have a Lowrey Grand Marquee organ, which is a top-of-the-range machine, with more whistles, buttons, and sounds than you can play. It is very rewarding. My audience usually puts her head between her paws and goes to sleep; it is so relaxing for us both. Having retired from an active hospitality role, I work with Shared Lives, part of the Health and Social Care umbrella of Westmorland & Furness Council. My training is up-to-date, with specialised training in autism and dementia. In November 2019, a young autistic gentleman moved in with me, and together we have built the foundations of a strong future for him, as he has now started his second year at the University of Cumbria in Carlisle. I also have day respite clients, one of whom had dementia, and it was suggested by his wife (a judge at Crufts) that I should take Sky’s journey further. We applied to Therapy Dogs Nationwide (TDN) in August 2023, and the rest, as they say, is history. Sky is a ten-year-old Springer Spaniel lady whom I rescued in November 2022, and she loves the attention she receives whenever we are out. My aunt lived in a nursing home until her death earlier this year, and during our visits, Sky was adored by all the residents. I love to explore the “hidden” parts of the English Lake District, but I often venture further afield into the Yorkshire Dales, Scottish Borders, and Fylde Coast, and I hold a full, clean driving licence. Please get in touch if you think I could help you.