Steve and Marion Talbot with Kipling and Spider

Marian Talbot, who runs the Haselor Lodge kennels at Redhill near Alcester, has signed the ‘Marching in Spirit’ register in support of the hundreds of thousands of people who will be joining the Countryside Alliance’s Liberty and Livelihood March on 22nd September. She cannot be in London because she will be looking after the dogs left behind by some of the thousands of Marchers who will descend on London from the area.

The ‘Marching in Spirit’ register is for those people who desperately want to be in London for the March but because of work and other responsibilities are not able to make the journey.

Haselor Lodge Kennels will be full on 22nd September; 30 dogs will be having a day out with Marian as coaches organised by hunts, shoots and angling clubs leave for London from all over Warwickshire. Marion, whose husband Steve is a gamekeeper on the Haselor Estate, started the business eight years ago and it has grown as local people have discovered her comfortable kennels.

"I will certainly be Marching in Spirit", says Marian, "and by staying behind with all the dogs I will also be doing my bit to allow other people to join the March. I hope the government realises that we are just ordinary people and that banning hunting will do nothing but increase the real problems in the countryside. When I take the dogs out for a walk on the day we will be marching for Liberty and Livelihood here in Warwickshire."

Over 100,000 people have already registered to take part in the Liberty and Livelihood March which is expected to be the largest civil liberties demonstration in UK history. 1748 coaches and 33 special trains have been booked to carry the hundreds of thousands of marchers to the two start points in central London. The demonstration was originally planned to take place in March 2001, but was postponed due to the Foot and Mouth crisis.

More information about the Liberty and Livelihood March is available from the hotline on 020 7840 9300. Local transport is being organised by Countryside Alliance Regional Director Clare Rowson who can be contacted on 01905 391110.