Beryl Kay
The Honorary Secretary/Treasurer
I was born and bred in Manchester but moved to the south-east soon after my marriage where both my daughters were born. We lived in Australia for three years because of my husband's work, and were relocated in East Anglia on our return to the U.K. where we have lived until 2005 when we relocated to Kent to be closer to our daughters. Some 20-odd years ago my daughters bought me a wire fox terrier bitch as a pet, obviously thinking I needed a little extra something to look after apart from them, the home, the cats and their horses, not to mention my full-time paid work! We called her Cricket and it is from her that all my puppies, bred over the succeeding years, are descended. I am simply a hobby breeder and have never kept many wires but am very proud that from such modest beginnings I have bred two British champions. They are my pride and joy. Like so many others before me, wires soon became my passion – a love affair which has never waned. Once Cricket had her paws under the table, we were all hopelessly lost in her thrall. She came everywhere with me, including the office where she proved an expert time-waster. I never intended to breed wires – it just simply happened; I might as well blame the daughters again! I often wonder that if I could go back and realise what my introduction to a stripping knife really meant, would I do it all again? The answer to that has to be YES because I cannot imagine my life now without these wiry little rascals who systematically try to reorganise my life and my home. I was a committee member of the Fox Terrier Club for five years until I retired in 2003, and latterly the Wire Association. I am extremely proud and honoured to have been elected into the post of Hon. Secretary of the Association and I will do my absolute utmost to promote the welfare of our breed and the WFTA whenever and wherever I can.