Paws with Pride

Today Newcastle celebrated its second Paws with Pride, part of this month's Northern Pride festival. It's a very inclusive event with a lot of families and children (I even saw a nun) and as many animals as Leazes Park could hold.

I was delighted to be asked by the event organiser Ken Mortimer to make a rainbow cake.

I decorated it with the Northern Pride logo and cunningly invented a Paws with Pride logo on the side, using the rainbow petals and a paw print. Really, I don't know why I haven't gone into brand design. I also modelled a Westie and a brown dog of indeterminate heritage. The book described him as 'Santa's Helper', though I doubt that's a category at Crufts. I used a redundant garlic press to make the Westie's face fur and was pleased with the result, not least as it's a lot easier to clean than a craft gun.

The cake inside is seven layers of cake in the colours of the rainbow, which is why I call it rainbow cake. Perhaps I should go into brand design AND marketing, the brilliant ideas just bounce off me like fleas. 

One person who I believe will have a brilliant career in art and design is my cousin Helen. I mentioned her work in June and am very proud to say she's just graduated this summer from Manchester School of Art with a well deserved first class degree in Illustration. She drew this animal tea party for me and I LOVE it. 

There were dozens of gorgeous dogs competing at high level events like Waggiest Tail, Dog the Judge Would Most Like to Take Home, and Campest Costume. I failed to win Prettiest Bitch - not pretty enough and not enough legs. There were huge dogs, teeny tiny dogs, huggy dogs, dressed up dogs and Cutey McCute puppies. 

"Watch the sandwich". Worked a treat.

Glenn. Retired young from farm work as he ran away from the sheep.

One of these, please

Ten week old chihuahua. About as big as a kitten

Hard to capture on a photo, but this is the tallest Great Dane I've ever  seen

A male dog. He didn't seem bothered.

The rest of the animal world was represented by cows, ponies, alpacas, hedgehogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds of prey and snakes. I helped out for a while on the Wildlife Sanctuary  stall and met some lovely people, but kept a close eye on the snake under the tombola.


One of the few animals not present was cats, which people were asked not to bring after the Feline Federation described the event as 'hell on toast'. Cats were represented in a photo competition for Bonniest Cat.

Aaah, kittehs

Mia was gutted I'd not sent in her photo as she was sure she'd triumph 'because I'm proper mint'. 

Paws for Pride was a lot of fun and the perfect weather helped. I'm already looking forward to next year's and will not forget to nominate a Bonniest Cat. It just might not be Mia.