The Story so far .....
The Trendlewood kennel was founded in 1978. At the time we lived in a new house in an area called ‘Trendlewood’ near Stapleton in Bristol. As often happens we purchased our first Labrador as a pet and a walking companion. She was the very last puppy in a litter of 10. She had previously been sold & the purchaser had backed out at the last moment. We named the puppy Elsa after the Born Free lioness. By sheer chance, luckily she was well bred, her dam was a Suddie bitch bred by the late Frieda Simmonds and her sire was Ramah Blazon (by Sh Ch Sandylands Blaze). Elsa grew into quite a good show labrador although she did not quite merit being entered in the Yellow Labrador Club Championship Show for her first ever outing ! She did prove to be a very good foundation bitch as all our stock goes back to her in a direct line of bitches—we are now on our 12th generation.
Echodale Panglima as was her KC name was mated to Sandylands Sovereign of Suddie and from that first litter we kept Trendlewood Early Bird who produced Trendlewood Astra when mated to Sh Ch Trewinnard Not Likely. Astra went on to win a CC and RCC.
Astra’s first litter to Sandylands April Fool produced our own Trendlewood Diva, who lived until 15 years old, and Trendlewood Distinction of Trewinnard who was exported to Holland where he sired two Champions.
Diva was mated for the last time to the famous Poolstead Pretentious at Rocheby, she only produced 2 pups one of which was our Trendlewood Take That - our first stud dog.
One of the first bitches Take That mated was Chris & Claire Mills' Jugaren Moonlight Melody. A puppy from this litter was kept and mated to Sh Ch Sandylands Gad About the result being the prepotent dog Lembas to the Moon and Back. Take That has a number of lovely sound progeny, two of the best being Keenes Take Thyme & Flower Power who incidentally are very good at obedience & agility. One of our best brood bitches, Trewinnard Take Me Home to Trendlewood is by Take That- (out of Rocheby Pastel Shades at Trewinnard). She is dam of Trendlewood Moondance and Trendlewood Rhythm in Gold.
Trendlewood Take That also sired Without a Doubt at Lyndhurst to a Heatherbourne bitch. He was co-owned with Mrs Ivy Hurst and easily won his Junior Warrant.
Our first foray into blacks was mating Diva to Sh Ch Balrion Kings Ransom from which we kept Trendlewood Reine. She was exactly what we wished for so typical, harsh dense double coat, perfect otter tail and a wonderful naughty Balrion character. She danced in the ring just like her father! She had 3 litters the best being her first to Ch Sandylands My Guy which contained our Trendlewood Double Silk a RCC winner and the Mills'(Lembas) foundation bitch Trendlewood Midnight Silk. In her litter to ShCh Ramsayville Raindance she produced our Trendlewood Rainstorm who in turn sired our lovely Trendlewood Catatonia and Sh Ch Demadon Diamond By Design. Sadly Rainstorm died of cancer in 2002 aged only 5 years.
Trendlewood Double Silk was an outstanding brood bitch, producing Trendlewood Blue Velvet (dam of Catatonia and Dido) and Trendlewood Rhythm n Blues in her first litter to Rocheby Navy Blue then
Sh Ch Trendlewood Perfect Day and Beautiful Day in her litter to Corn Barley. When she was line bred to Lembas to the Moon and Back she produced the three 'Rolling Stones sisters', Play with Fire, Dandelion and Ruby Tuesday
See our Girls page for photo of 4 generations of blacks
In 2001 we acquired our first chocolate, Foulby Burnt Sugar, thanks go to Angela Williams & Graham Wilkinson for letting us have her. She is by Ch Cambremer Tom Cobbley of Charway and out of the lovely chocolate bitch Foulby on the Horizon. By coincidence the next year our first homebred chocolates were born from Trendlewood Blue Velvet. In 2005 Catatonia produced some lovely chocolates to Sh Ch Lougin Loomis one of which we own - Trendlewood Forever Young. She has proudly carried on the chocolate line in Trendlewood Lets Dance and in the same litter to Brigburn Sedge our top winning black dog - Trendlewood Only To Fly - joint top puppy of the year in 2007 & J.W. at 12 months old.
Lembas to the Moon and Back was mated to Double Silk and her daughter Trendlewood Beautiful Day and produced some real quality progeny, the favourite being Trendlewood Rocket Man who has the most wonderful nature and one of the best heads the kennel has produced. His brother is American Champion Trendlewood Song for Guy.
In 2005 Trendlewood Perfect Day became a Show Champion -Mrs B Taylor awarded her third CC at Driffield Championship Show. The icing was added to the cake when she won the CC and Best in Show at the Labrador Retriever Club in 2006 - a once in a lifetime moment. She won CCs in the shows with the highest entries of the year - Yellow Labrador Club, Midland Counties Labrador Retriever Club and the Labrador Retriever Club.
Trendlewood Rocket Man gained his JW easily and has 4 RCCs. When mated to Trewinnard Take Me Home he produced Trendlewood Moondance who has inherited the wonderful labrador temperament. He is currently our top showman - 1 CC and 2 RCCs.
Trendlewood Wild Honey, Moondance's sister was mated to Sh CH Brockburrow Cassanova in Linjor
(a Trendlwood Ruby Tuesday grandson)and produced one of our best ever litters born in January 2009. Trendlewood Play Me Linjor has already won her J.W. - from Minor Puppy and our own Cracklin Rosie is more than half way to her JW having only been shown in Puppy classes.
An exciting venture was started in 2008 when we imported semen from the lovely Finnish Champion dog Follies Mon Oncle and with the help of Lynda Heron and the Croft Vet practice in Northumberland successfully produced a litter from Sh Ch Trendlewood Perfect Day. The litter was born on a day in February 09 when we were snowed in. From that litter we have kept the lovely Trendlewood Snowman.
