Doggy in the window stands guard for 22 years (From Swindon Advertiser)

Doggy in the window stands guard for 22 years

4:30pm Friday 11th September 2009

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OVER the past 22 years, many a passer-by wandering down Swindon’s Bridge End Road will have asked themself ‘who is that doggy in the window?’.

Because for more than two decades, a huge cuddly toy old English sheep dog has sat in the bay window of John and Teresa White’s home.

Curiousity finally got the better of me and I knocked on their door to find out more – and discovered the dog’s faithful presence was down to John’s love of fishing.

John, 63, who started work on the railway at 15 and went on to do an engineering apprenticeship, has been fishing since he was “big enough to hold a rod”.

“I was chairman of Haydon Street Angling Club for about 15 years,” he said.

It was when John was in the club that he won the dog in a competition. The 1987 contest was sponsored by Jewson, the building supplier.

“The dog was put in as one of the prizes. They also put some paint up and the guy that had first place was a decorator, so he took the paint and I was second so I had the dog,” said John, who works for engineering firm Metric making parking meters.

“We brought the dog home and scratched our heads, decided it was a he and called him Dulux. We didn’t know what to do with him so we just thought, put him in the window.”

He added: “It’s the sort of dog I like because he really doesn’t eat a lot, he really doesn’t drink a lot, he doesn’t need a lot of exercise and he doesn’t leave any mess about.”

John’s wife Teresa, 63, is a retired nurse, who worked at Stratton Hospital for 17 years and then in nursing homes around Swindon.

She would occasionally sneak Dulux into work for a wash and tumble dry.

She said “He wouldn’t fit in my washing machine so a couple of times a year I’d take him over to where I worked, the nursing home had big washers and dryers, so I put him in there”.

When the Christmas decorations go up in the Whites’ house Dulux gets a seasonal hat for the celebrations. The family has even received anonymous Christmas cards addressed to the “Doggy in the window”.

The 22 years on guard in the window equate to 154 in dog years. John thinks it’s a bit late for a girlfriend for him but they are seeking a companion for Dulux. If anyone can help please contact newsdesk@swindonadvertiser.co.uk.

John and Teresa, who were married at Christchurch in 1970, say they love Swindon.

“It’s got a lot of amenities and some very nice surrounding countryside, the Downs, Marlborough forest and the Cotswold Water Park” said John.

“I’m glad of dial-a-ride, shopmobility and the hydrotherapy pool,”added Teresa.

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