It was with great sadness and shock that I learned of the death on Wednesday 30th January 2008 of Mrs Brenda Haslam, Our President and great personal friend and mentor to Julie, myself and many others.

Brenda first became involved with beagles in 1969 and established her affix Rossgay in 1971. Over the years she became a successful exhibitor, breeder and a popular and well respected judge of the breed, awarding CCs for the first time in 1986 and regularly since. During the last few years she had also judged at breed clubs in both Germany and Denmark where she made many new friends. Sadly she had to cancel an invitation to judge in Germany this summer when she learned she had cancer for the second time.

Brenda’s involvement with the N.M.C.B.C. began in 1975 when she joined the committee. In 1983 the club was going through a rather sticky patch, although inexperienced Brenda was persuaded to stand for secretary and together with the committee they began to turn the club around and to establish a reputation for a friendly well run club. It was Brenda’s abiding principal that the membership and their beagles should come first; it was always what you could do for the club not what it could do for you. Brenda remained as secretary of the club until 1995 when she stepped down and became a committee member again. In 2000 Brenda became president of the club and in 2001 was given Honorary Life Membership, she was only the second person to be given this honour in the clubs history as it has always been felt that only those who had made an outstanding contribution to the breed or the club should receive such an honour. Brenda along with her husband Alan have for many years held the club’s B.B.Q. in their garden were family, friends and members of the club and their children and dogs could come along and have a great fun day out and at the same time raise a great deal of money for various animal charities.

As everyone who knew Brenda will know she was a strong, outspoken person with firmly held views and principles and did not tolerate injustice as she saw it. She was larger than life, generous and caring and would help anyone she could. She loved showing her dogs, if she won that was great but either way dog showing to her was also a social occasion and as long as she had met her many friends and had a fun day with lots of laughs she’d had a great day out.

On a personal note we first met Brenda nearly 21 years ago when we bought our first beagle from her and for most of the time since we have travelled the length and breadth of G.B. together showing our dogs. On long journeys we would put the world the rights or sing at top note to the C.D. player; we have often missed motorway exits through chatting and laughing. Since the spring of 2007 because of her condition and the treatment she was undergoing Brenda was not able to go to many shows, I helped show her dogs and would telephone her with the results as soon as I could, she was always pleased to hear if her dogs had done well but the calls were always tinged with sadness as I knew she missed not being there showing them herself. We were so pleased in December when feeling so much better Brenda was able to go to LKA and show one of her dogs and meet up with old friends again. Brenda was always strong and positive about her illness, her treatment was going well and we were making plans for the coming show season deciding which shows and trips to make together, her sudden death has come as a great shock to Alan, her family and many friends. For Julie and me Brenda was the best friend anyone could have had and we cannot imagine how life will be without her around.

I feel Brenda’s greatest memorial will be The Northern & Midland Counties Beagle Club and if we endeavour to continue to run the club according to the principles established by Brenda and her colleagues in those early days we can only go from strength to strength.

Our thoughts and condolences are with Alan and her family.

Jim Woodcock

Chairman