One of the greatest characters I have ever met in the greyhound world is Les Fowler from Luton. He arrived at my kennels with an injured greyhound one day in 1957. He was accompanied by his wife Gwen. They immediately impressed me as a couple with a deep love of dogs. They were to become regular and highly respected clients. They treated their hounds as if they were children and aimed to keep no more than four. Whenever one of their runners sustained a serious injury they never considered the financial loss they might suffer. Their sole concern was the pain it might be feeling. The more I saw of them the more I respected them. They were always so grateful for everything I tried to do for their hounds. The manner of Les was so humble that initially I did not recognise what a brave and famous client had come so far to see me.
There came a day when I visited them because they had a hound who over the telephone seemed
too ill to travel. The patient was in their warm kitchen and wearing a coat. When I had examined it I looked around. My gaze lingered on the decorations -- four pairs of them - - on the left lapel of his black uniform.
This is Les in his uniform which until recently he has worn regularly on Remembrance days.
When war declared in 1939 Reg signed up.
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