November 2003
Friday November 14 saw a vast gathering of family, friends and colleagues attending the funeral service of BARBARA LONDOS in her home county of Kent. It was a beautiful service and the turn out to bid this final farewell to Barbara gave , possibly, some insight into the unique character and strength of her personality and how her own particular friendship and humour over the years had touched so many in a variety of differing ways. So many people will have their own individual memories of Barbara. The following is her daughter Heidi Woodgate's "Tribute" and my sincere thanks to Heidi for this.
Sylvia Evans
kindly reproduced from Sylvia’s breed notes of 17.11.2003
"My mother started in Afghans in about 1970 with Lokhandar Katushka, who joined our black & tan Lochranza Cocker Spaniel. She became Queen in mum's eyes and her heart was stolen. Katushka was shown lightly and did quite well - for having no coat, which was one preference that mum had which has been handed down!.
A short while after that she was followed by Quasim Verushka. They had one litter apiece. Verushka produced 10 dogs, amongst them Atash, who made it through to the then Pup Of The Year Finals and shamed himself by eating "Catherine Suttons" orchid corsage.
Katushka produced 12 puppies, amongst them D'Artagnion and Rhamdanie who always did well and made their mark.
Rhamdanie ('Willow') when mated to Zanavar's Warlord produced Rochander Morning Glory, who in turn produced Champion Barberry Bey who, when mated to mum's Amudarya Shaphira, produced Champion Selim Bey, Champion Phaleg and Reserve CC winner Aski Kataski.
Mum also owned and showed at various times, a Chinese Shar Pei, Akita and Greyhound, who all did fairly well in the ring; but one thing that mum always instilled in us was that no matter what prize you came home with, you would always come home with the best dog.
Mum always stuck to her belief that the Afghan Hound was a hunter by trade and should still be able to do what nature intended them for. She refused to be swayed by trends and others views, something which, I believe, she was quietly respected for.
She also helped out with the Rescue in the past and took in two herself - one being an old boy of 9 who lived with us until he was 13 and was treated like a Prince even though he was totally un house trained and never did learn where to 'pee'. That, along with the horses, cats, snakes, chickens, geese, doves, tortoises, fish, mynah bird, parrots and stick insects, we grew up in a real life Noah's Ark. Dad really deserved a medal for putting up with it all!.
I would like to say thank-you to all of her 'Affie friends' who kept mum so cheerful with all their cards, letters and photographs throughout her illness. Also for the lovely flowers she received both in hospital and then those last four long weeks in the Pilgrims Hospice. For those people who were able to make the journey for mum’s funeral (there was a huge turnout, at least 130 people) from the dog world and her nursing colleagues. I'm quite positive she was looking down on us all feeling very proud of herself. Thank-you all too for all the cards and support for myself and family.
Never conventional as a mum and even less so as a Nan, she often said jokingly that you could judge how much a person was liked by the amount of flowers at their funeral. There were plenty of flowers, nearly 40 bouquets and wreaths, which she would have loved. Many of those are now on the 15 graves we have at the local Pets Cemetery. We did, however, ask for donations to Redwings Horse Sanctuary and The Retired Greyhound Trust - two charities which we know she would have thoroughly approved of.
Heidi Woodgate
Updated 10-03-06
©Heidi Woodgate -2005-2007 all rights reserved