Despite the wet and cold day, we found our time with the Hearing dogs for the deaf so interesting and humbling. Many of us had had an enjoyable lunch beforehand at The Grange which is on the same site.

The staff were very welcoming and did their best to keep us dry! We were amazed to know that everything was run by volunteers and that those who gave us our own demonstrations, had travelled from Devon. We watched how the dogs were trained to obey instantly, to walk over obstacles without touching them and then amazingly to react to unusual smells or noises and alert their owners. We heard a story from one young man whose life had been transformed with the arrival of his dog. He is one of so many.

We left with admiration for the dogs and all those involved in their training.