Walking With Wallace
by
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‘Walking with Wallace’ is about a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the walks he and the Brigadier have in the beautiful South Northamptonshire countryside, where they discuss the meaning of life and other important issues like the origins of the Universe. The book is largely factual though Wallace’s thoughts have been subjectively interpreted by the Brigadier. The science of their discussions seeks to be educational, particularly for younger readers. The two have been together for some thirteen years, so know well what the other is thinking. They first met in Birmingham, in the late 1990’s. Wallace was lying between his two sisters, on his back, with his chubby legs in the air, well aware that he was the centre of attention, for he was a remarkably handsome puppy. The Brigadier had looked at other Staffies, but had no hesitation in choosing him and quickly agreed a date (and steep price) to take him home. There are now just the two of them living in a large family house. For, since the traumatic death of the Brigadier’s late wife, Sara, his children had left home, married and had their own children. So Wallace is his closest companion. He sees more of him than any other living creature. Wallace is a loving, loyal and intelligent companion for the ageing Brigadier. He seems to enjoy the philosophical debates the Brigadier instigates on their walks and holds strong views on most things, including the selection and direction of their walks together, though he would reluctantly acknowledge, after some lead pulling that the Brigadier has the final say on such matters.. Chapters 1 and 2 outline three of their philosophical debates mainly about the origins of the universe and related issues. Chapter 3 is largely about Wilson and his genes, the Brigadier’s first Staffie. Wilson had spent his early life in London with Jamie, one of the Brigadier’s sons, before coming up North to join the Brigadier and his Wife, Sara, whom he loved almost as much as he loved Jamie. Sara had died from a devastating brain disease. Wilson died from cancer soon thereafter, some two years before Wallace arrived. His ashes, in a box on the shelf in the breakfast room of the Old Rectory, led to a discussion about genomes and the makeup of life. Wallace heard a great deal about Wilson, for the Brigadier often reminded him of his gentlemanly behaviour, together with the history of the Staffordshire Bull Terriers. It was clear that Wallace preferred to hear about the latter. He saw Wilson as a bit of a ‘goody goody’. Chapter 4 introduces the Brigadier’s grandson Árchie, who was interested in science. The two of them and Wallace encountered a small deer on a walk through Bucknall Woods. This led to a discussion about reindeer and whether they, like particles, could escape from black holes. Wallace was more interested in chasing the escaping deer. In Chapter 5, during a walk along a popular footpath in Towcester, dogs in Wallace’s life were recalled, including his girl friends and other males. This led to a debate on whether dog fights could ever be permissible. Chapter 6 describes Wallace’s planned visits overseas, in one of which he and the Brigadier, together with one of the latter’s sons were to spend a week visiting World War 1 battlefields in France. On their return, they discuss with Wallace the carnage and slaughter of the flower of youth of those countries dragged in this war. Was it right for the Brigadier’s parent’s generation to engage in this devastating trench fighting? Were there circumstances when dog fighting too was OK? Chapter 7 describes a walk around the Silverstone Racing Circuit during which there is a heated debate about respective levels of human and animal intelligence and the means of measuring this. Chapter 8. As Archie, Wallace and the Brigadier lay in the garden on a hot summer’s morning they listened to the gloomy world news about the increasing risks of life, with global warming, burgeoning population and the recognition of the finite resources of life’s essentials on our Planet. Chapter 9 is about ageing and illness. Wallace was initially diagnosed as having brain cancer but a French specialist near London, after a series of tests, diagnosed deep ear infection, cure-able with antibiotics. It was the nearest the Brigadier ever came to kissing a Frenchman. As they all grew older, the Brigadier wondered whether he or Wallace would die first. However, if the former died first, who would then look after an old and rather spoilt Staffie? Would he get away with sleeping curled up on his new owner’s bed? Would they allow the odd surreptitious lick? And would he wriggle all over and greet them so rapturously on their return from the shortest absence? The Brigadier sadly felt not. Wallace, he supposed, like everyone else in similar circumstances, would just have to ‘kick on’ as best he could with what was on offer. Chapters 10 is about the Meaning of Life. It discusses their relationship. The Brigadier asks some difficult questions. What do we mean by love? Do dogs go to heaven? Will they meet again in another life? Chapter 11. A brief conclusion
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About the Book
Walking with Wallace is about a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the debates he and the Brigadier have (in which, when visiting, his grandson Archie participates), as they walk in the beautiful South Northamptonshire countryside. These debates reflect philosophical and scientific concerns of man and dog, such as their origins and that of the Universe they live in. The Brigadier assumes that he can, pretty accurately, interpret Wallace’s thoughts. However, Wallace is an intelligent dog and clearly might disagree with some of these interpretations, though perhaps too polite to tell him so. Since the sad death of his wife, Sara, the Brigadier, until the arrival of Wallace, lived on his own – though not alone, as he has fours sons, four daughter-in-laws and twelve grandchildren, whom he visits as often as possible. Over the last 13 years, he has, however, seen more of Wallace than any other living creature. They are both now ageing rapidly, though Wallace perhaps more gracefully. Their time remaining together is sadly limited, for everyone has an allotted lifespan – though dogs rather shorter than men, so it is likely that Wallace will ‘move on’ first. If so, the Brigadier will miss him horribly, but if not, who would then look after an old and rather spoilt Staffie? Whichever of them is left behind, will, like everyone else, just have to ‘kick on’. In one of their more controversial debates, the Brigadier asked whether dogs too have souls? And if not, when in the evolutionary process did humans acquire theirs? Will he and Wallace meet again in another life? Wallace’s philosophy is simple. The past is the past, live for the present and let the future take care of itself. The story told is largely factual and largely about Wallace, with a clearly identifiable relationship between the Brigadier and the author.
About the Author
Educated at Sandroyd School, Marlborough College and The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Michael was sent, as a young intelligence officer, to Washington DC during the Kennedy era, after which he served with the Royal Green Jackets in Penang, Borneo, Berlin, Cyprus, Tidworth, and Northern Ireland. His final posting was to Rheindahlen, as Brigadier General Staff Intelligence of the British Army of the Rhine and Northern Army Group. He attended The Royal Military College of Science (BSc Engr), Staff College (psc) and the Joint Services Staff College (jssc). He left the Army in 1984 to join a Defence and Security Company in Jordan and London. He and his wife Sara moved up to Northamptonshire in 1987. In 1992, Sara was diagnosed as having a comparatively rare neurodegenerative disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Details of this devastating disease and of the charity itself , which they set up together in 1994, can be found at www.pspeur.org. This was the subject of his first book, ‘Charity Begins at Home’ published in 2007. Sara died from PSP in January 1994. He continued to run the Charity until 2011. He has four sons, all married, and twelve grandchildren.