Page 121 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

big horses and one pony using the drug now, we were using more prednisalone than the
whole of the local general hospital!
Thanks to Julian we were also buying it cheaper!
Big Bonnie coped well on this treatment for more than a year then one morning I found him
in great distress. He was lying on a straw bed, most unusual for him as he was almost
always on his feet. He seemed to tell me he was in trouble and wanted to try and get up
but his back legs would not work.
I got the ‘Golly lifter and duly hitched him up. Gently I tried to help him get up but it was not
to be and with a shudder he just collapsed and died. He would have appeared to have had
a stroke during the early morning that had disabled him and managed to wait until I arrived
at breakfast time before finally giving in to the problem.

I covered old Bonnie with a canvas sheet and explained to Goliath what had happened, it
was about 6.30am. Just Bonnie’s nose was peeping out from under the sheet and Goliath
stood for some time nuzzling his friend as if just saying his goodbye.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

“FILMING WATERLAND”

It began with a telephone call, a film company were looking for horses and vehicles to
create the required atmosphere in a new film on location in Norfolk.
We knew there were suitable folk much nearer to the site than us, but we needed the work
and consequent income!
Someone came to see what we had to offer with regard to vehicles and horses and they
were truly satisfied.
Prices were agreed for various days on location and the number of animals and vehicles.
We needed a large horse transport lorry and luckily came across a friend of a friend who
would hire us just what we needed.
A long wheelbase Bedford TK horse box, room for four horses, it even had a tow bar to
accommodate our trailer and wagons.

THE TEAM
Next we needed suitable “capable” helpers and enrolled neighbours, friends and my sister
once again. It had been several years since she had last been involved in our exploits and
had by now fully recovered!