After a decade of city living, your correspondent (a country mouse by birth and inclination) has just about got the hang of things. I don't now flinch every time a bus roars past me and would no sooner strike up a conversation with a stranger on the Tube than I would strip off in the middle of the carriage. But one aspect continues to niggle: lacking outdoor space of my own, I can't, in all conscience, get a dog.
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So I've joined BorrowMyDoggy.com, which matches time-poor owners with people who want to volunteer for walking duties. Would-be walkers upload a photo, then scroll through pictures of pets nearby and ‘favourite' the ones that catch their eye. Owners can then get in touch if they're interested. For a flat-bound dog-lover like me, it seemed the answer to my prayers. Should I opt for a sprightly West Highland terrier? Or a lurcher who loves having his ears ruffled?
In the end, I favourited dozens. But, so far, nobody has taken me up on my offer of walks on Clapham Common. The whole thing feels a bit like online dating. Was it something I said? Perhaps I picked the wrong photo? I daren't renew my advances- I wouldn't want anyone to feel hounded.
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Simon Jenkins: 50 years of saving Britain's buildings, from triumphs and disasters to the great country house we bought for £1In 1975, a new organisation was set up with the express aim of saving Britain's most beautiful and historic buildings from the wrecking ball. How has SAVE fared in the 50 years since then far? Simon Jenkins — who was involved as a trustee right from the very start — looks back on half a century of successes... and one or two painful failures.
