Gladys Heuerman
In approximatly 1967/68- Gladys Heuerman collected some dog enthusiasts together and hired St Augustines 'tin' hall out on a Monday night, and it was soon known as 'Aunty Glads club'.
Glad and Val Quick also attended Charlie Wyants training days.
'Aunty' Glads club soon became very competitive and had gained many more dogs and handlers. Glad had Rebel a GSD rescue, and Val had Lassie a rescue gsd, also Bobby a rescued staff/corgi/beagle cross who proved to be a very stubbon mongrel boy.
Some of the people in those days at the hall included Val's husband Keith, who had a GSD, Vals' daughter Caroline who also had a GSD, and her other daughter Pamela who had a Sheltie.
Vera Banks with her collies who later became the treasurer of the club in 1974, when we registered with the Kennel Club.
The Kennel club had begun a league at that time which was why we registered. We challanged the other local clubs and won most of our matches, which was always a nerve wrecking experience. In the team were Val, Keith, Pamela, Betty Gibbons, Joan, Susan Read, Brenda Cole, Peter Wallis.
In 1978 Deirdre Matthews joined Heron Hill with her Collie / 99 varities cross, Pebbles. Previously Deirdre had been competing with her rescued Pekingese.
We moved to Eynsham drive, and ran classes in the church hall for a while. Then moved to a hall on the newly built Thamesmead.
We also had an evening at Goldie Leigh.
Glad also belonged to the Alsation Club of Kent, and instructed at Erith BAA, which became BAGSD after the whole of the country voted to bring back 'German Shepherd dog' instead of Alsation dog.
She bred a few litters of German shepherd pups and her prefix was 'Mayeswood'.
In 1984 Heron Hill moved to St Johns Hall, in lower Road, Erith, due to the demolition of St Augustines Hall....if only the old hall could speak.
Due to car vandalism at St Johns Hall, we had to move again and in 2005 we moved to our current location- All Saints Church Hall at Nuxley Village, Belvedere.
Training methods remain the same with some modern touches and we continue to enforce reward based training..
Glad retired from dog training in 1996 aged 80, leaving Val to instruct 3 classes. Brian Symmons offered to help Val out by taking a class which was gratefully accepted.
In January 2000, Val opened an extra training class on a Friday evening at St Augustines church Hall, for more one to one training and this is still going.
Glad died in 2003 aged 87.
In 2003 Fran May bought her German Shepherd Puppy Sabre who was 4 months old to socialise and train to the hall at St Johns, Erith. But she caught the competitive bug and has now become a competent instructor/handler who competes in open shows with her dogs.
Teresa bought her German Shepherd puppy Zak to do the same a year later and also steps in to help instruct and is actively competing with her dogs.
Val was taken seriously ill in October 2012 and was hospitalised for 8 weeks. Her recovery was slow at first but thankfully she is nearly fighting fit again, and we are glad to have her actively back in the club.
Pamela - Val's daughter stepped in to help Fran out by instrucing a class, and continues to help out at club. Pam also competes with her Dobermanns.
In 2005 Val took her GSD Andy to Crufts when she was asked to step in as a member of a team to demonstrate the Bronze KC award.
The following year the Kennel Club contacted Val and asked if she would put a team together from Heron Hill and take them to Discover Dogs at Earls Court, again to demonstrate the stages of the KC Bronze award, Fran with Sabre were proud to be apart of that team.
Val has already passed Glads retirement age .... (yes she's over 80!!), but we are happy that Val is not planning to go anywhere soon and continues to share her years of experience with the other instructors and members of the club,
No matter what happens we hope that Heron Hill will continue to go from Strength to strength with its enthusiastic Instructors and members.
Glad and Val Quick also attended Charlie Wyants training days.
'Aunty' Glads club soon became very competitive and had gained many more dogs and handlers. Glad had Rebel a GSD rescue, and Val had Lassie a rescue gsd, also Bobby a rescued staff/corgi/beagle cross who proved to be a very stubbon mongrel boy.
Some of the people in those days at the hall included Val's husband Keith, who had a GSD, Vals' daughter Caroline who also had a GSD, and her other daughter Pamela who had a Sheltie.
Vera Banks with her collies who later became the treasurer of the club in 1974, when we registered with the Kennel Club.
The Kennel club had begun a league at that time which was why we registered. We challanged the other local clubs and won most of our matches, which was always a nerve wrecking experience. In the team were Val, Keith, Pamela, Betty Gibbons, Joan, Susan Read, Brenda Cole, Peter Wallis.
In 1978 Deirdre Matthews joined Heron Hill with her Collie / 99 varities cross, Pebbles. Previously Deirdre had been competing with her rescued Pekingese.
We moved to Eynsham drive, and ran classes in the church hall for a while. Then moved to a hall on the newly built Thamesmead.
We also had an evening at Goldie Leigh.
Glad also belonged to the Alsation Club of Kent, and instructed at Erith BAA, which became BAGSD after the whole of the country voted to bring back 'German Shepherd dog' instead of Alsation dog.
She bred a few litters of German shepherd pups and her prefix was 'Mayeswood'.
In 1984 Heron Hill moved to St Johns Hall, in lower Road, Erith, due to the demolition of St Augustines Hall....if only the old hall could speak.
Due to car vandalism at St Johns Hall, we had to move again and in 2005 we moved to our current location- All Saints Church Hall at Nuxley Village, Belvedere.
Training methods remain the same with some modern touches and we continue to enforce reward based training..
Glad retired from dog training in 1996 aged 80, leaving Val to instruct 3 classes. Brian Symmons offered to help Val out by taking a class which was gratefully accepted.
In January 2000, Val opened an extra training class on a Friday evening at St Augustines church Hall, for more one to one training and this is still going.
Glad died in 2003 aged 87.
In 2003 Fran May bought her German Shepherd Puppy Sabre who was 4 months old to socialise and train to the hall at St Johns, Erith. But she caught the competitive bug and has now become a competent instructor/handler who competes in open shows with her dogs.
Teresa bought her German Shepherd puppy Zak to do the same a year later and also steps in to help instruct and is actively competing with her dogs.
Val was taken seriously ill in October 2012 and was hospitalised for 8 weeks. Her recovery was slow at first but thankfully she is nearly fighting fit again, and we are glad to have her actively back in the club.
Pamela - Val's daughter stepped in to help Fran out by instrucing a class, and continues to help out at club. Pam also competes with her Dobermanns.
In 2005 Val took her GSD Andy to Crufts when she was asked to step in as a member of a team to demonstrate the Bronze KC award.
The following year the Kennel Club contacted Val and asked if she would put a team together from Heron Hill and take them to Discover Dogs at Earls Court, again to demonstrate the stages of the KC Bronze award, Fran with Sabre were proud to be apart of that team.
Val has already passed Glads retirement age .... (yes she's over 80!!), but we are happy that Val is not planning to go anywhere soon and continues to share her years of experience with the other instructors and members of the club,
No matter what happens we hope that Heron Hill will continue to go from Strength to strength with its enthusiastic Instructors and members.