Lady Maairy 'My year in the SVS'

 It has taken me a few weeks to get over the Christmas party so here I am writing the last blog for my travels of 2011, in March. I know I said I was a bit sick of travelling by the end but it was rather exciting and I’ve already got offers for Central America, Sri Lanka and the Great Wall of China in 2012 so I may yet be tempted to get my back-pack out again – is this in the rules Sue?

One of my ancestors?

When Dick offered me the opportunity to be a ‘SVS’ ambassador for the year of our travel I was a bit worried by the sound of it. I envisaged some sort of sheepish SAS and I just couldn’t see myself yomping over hundreds of miles of marshland, sleeping rough (no self-respecting ewe would want to do that) and eating whatever I can find in the hedgerows -What do they think I am? A GOAT?

The Little Mermaid statue, Denmark

But no, this SVS turned out to be rather more civilised. The Sheep Veterinary Society are a rather educated lot and claim to know a lot about sheep, although privately they admit that there seems to be an awful lot they don’t know! Just ask them about Schmallenburg virus! I’m just amazed that there is so much stuff written and spoken about our humble species! Although I know most people

in the country think that sheep have a skull full of sawdust, we sheep actually suffer from more brain diseases than anyone else!

Malvern is the home of the National Sheep Association

(Pic 1) On a tour of the new Veterinary department at Nottingham University, I found the sheep skeleton, no wonder I get some much bone ache if I’ve got all those bits!(Pic 2) I was also present at the 2 SVS conferences of 2011. The first was Malmbro, Denmark in May (OK I had to ‘photo-shop’ this picture because: a) the mermaid is in the middle of the harbour and I don’t like swimming; b) Paul Roger says all the pictures have gone missing – very suspicious, I think he must have sold them to ‘Fleece’ or one of those other glamour mags).

Called upon to help the President with his speech

Falkland Island sheep sale - (Stephen Pointing)

(Pic 3)The other was in Malvern, Worcestershire in September where I was called on to help the new president with his after dinner speech and I also hosted a quiz based on my travels. I was particularly disappointed that some of the audience obviously hadn’t been reading my blogs and even more so that Professor Clarkson didn’t know his biblical sheep references – and I was told that

'Deep sea' fishing off Jersey - (Linda Lowseck)

he’d written every book about sheep.

(Pic 4) Malvern is also of course the home of the National Sheep Association, another spiritual home, and thanks to Lesley Stubbings for taking me along to their head office, although I was a bit miffed at being left outside with a paint brush! Got to admit the sign does need some attention.

SVS also lived up to their informal billing of ‘the friendly society’ and as well as the hospitality at the conferences thanks are also due to several members have taken me ‘under their wing’ with extra trips, to e.g.:

The original sheep dip in Israel -(Yoav Alony-Gilboa)

(Pic 5) A Falkland Islands sheep sale (Stephen Pointing)

(Pic 6) ‘Deep Sea’ fishing off Jersey (Linda Lowseck)

(Pic 7) The original sheep dip in Israel (Yoav Alony-Gilboa)

To make me feel more at home they have even held a series of meetings round the country called ‘Talking Sheep’, I’ve only managed to get to 2 of them but then a girl can only do so much!#

Just a shame that my ‘posting’ was only for a year, I hear the next International Sheep Veterinary Association meeting is in New Zealand, February 2013. Now I really fancy (another) trip there!