AMONG the good things to emerge from lockdown, two labradors just being dogs tops everything. Olive and her younger yellow counterpart, Mabel, shot to fame when their owner, sports commentator Andrew Cotter, found himself with no work. He dithered for weeks over putting the first video online, of the pair having dinner with labrador zeal to his commentary, but, when he did, it defined 'going viral, garnering shares from the likes of Dara Ó Briain and Ryan Reynolds. It was 'ridiculous, strange beyond imagining'.
Millions of people fell in love with Olive and Mabel: 'Dogs are one of the things that unite us all.' The two are very different, Olive steadier and more relaxed, Mabel baffled by everything. She's not as bright as Olive, there's no getting away from it. The second video, Game of Bones-shared by no less than Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)―a tense drama concerning the ownership of an orange rubber bone, happens every day. 'When it comes to possessions, Mabel's the boss. Everything else, Olive's the boss. The toys don't belong to anyone, but if Olive has the bone, Mabel wants the bone.'
The third video shows Mabel standing in a pond, an expectant look on her beautiful face, others the pair on a Zoom call or online dating. They were just dogs being dogs. I'd never dress them up,' says Mr. Cotter. 'Even in the more contrived ones, they're happy, that's the main thing.' A brilliant, black-and-white perfume-ad parody, Canine, Pour Chiens, transforms beach scenes with a breathy voiceover: 'What do you really want... to dig, to roll in something unpleasant..."
Denne historien er fra June 15, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra June 15, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
