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Dogged On Winter Hill
Christmas Day, 2000. The Morecambe & Wise Show (repeat), The Sound of Music, Quality Street Chocolates, too much food. . . or a walk on Winter Hill. No contest.

We parked the car near Rivington and walked along the shores of Angelzarke Reservoir in fine December weather. Then we climbed gently and steadily up to the summit of Winter Hill with its mass of Aerials and Telecommunications equipment.

As we approached the summit were were caught-up by two guys with Labradors. The black one didn't seem to like me at all and started barking aggressively and bearing its teeth.

I expected the owner to put the dog on its lead. Instead, he just said something about how the dog was friendly and that we shouldn't worry. I don't know much about dogs, but it didn't look very friendly to me.

We hung back and let them pass, but instead of striding off across the summit, they decide to spend time adjusting gaiters and messing about with their rucksacks. As we approached, the dog started barking and snarling again. Then the other dog, a light coloured Labrador, runs up to my partner and jumps right up at her. The owner just shouted at the dog - but offered no apology to my partner.

We got past and started across the summit trying to get away from them. Next thing we know, this bloody dog is barking and snarling again and being generally very aggressive.

This was rapidly becoming intolerable. I politely enquired (with a few choice expletives) whether this particularly brainless dog owner could put his dog on a lead. I pointed out how we had come up here on Christmas Day for a pleasant walk, and were now subject to blatantly aggressive behaviour by his out of control dog.

The man said he had apologised for the dog jumping up at my partner (he had not - he had just shouted at the dog. The dog hadn't apologised either!) and that he could not put his dog on a lead because I hadn't asked him nicely!

Now if he'd put the dog on a lead when it first showed signs of aggression - the whole nasty situation could have been completely avoided. Some people have no consideration for other people at all.

They eventually headed off the summit towards Ramsbottom, no doubt to cause more havoc and mayhem with other walkers, leaving us to continue back down to Rivington in peace.

Why do some people have to be so bloody selfish?