Kandy goes to the gym on a bus

New Chums
     When you travel on the same bus regularly, you meet and chat to other passengers and become friends. That is how I met Gerry and her lovely dog, Kandy. (Gerry is lovely, too!)
 
Kandy's outings
     Kandy has been Gerry's constant companion for nearly four years as a seeing and hearing dog trained by Guide Dogs Cymru: her name is spelled with a "K" because they work down the alphabet to name the puppies. Her harness label reads "Please don't distract me, I'm a working dog" and one of the other tags asks people not to feed her as it is vital that these animals receive a carefully controlled diet at home. Here they are off to the gym at the Newport Centre where Kandy waits patiently on guard whilst Gerry does a full work-out. Kandy is aware 5 minutes before her bus stop (more than most humans manage!) and stands up ready for work. When they go shopping in Cwmbran she knows that the quickest way from the bank to her favourite coffee bar is through Smiths and she heads off there once the chores are complete, presumably looking forward to the aromas and social life, canine and two-legged.

Please think again, Monmouthshire
   Monmouthshire Council has recently cut this number 60 service in half by reducing the buses from one an hour to one every two hours: how do they imagine that affects people who, for whatever reason, have no other choice of transport? Badly done, Monmouthshire, badly done.