 |
Nasty Sheep Jeff Berens risked ridicule and mocking laughter to reveal his terrifying ordeal at the hoofs of a flock of hooligan sheep... "I used to walk my dog Tryffan [big big black labrador, crossed with a Corgi, temperamental] a couple of times a day," Jeff explains, "I lived in the Pennines above Burnley. Across a field from my house was the countryside. One day wet and windy day, Tryffan and I were maybe half a mile from home coming down a long hilly field. Not much goes on other than sheep farming - there's hundreds and hundreds of sheep everywhere you look." So far, so good. "I suddenly noticed the sheep seemed to be moving generally towards me," Jeff continues, They were still quite a way off - a few hundred yards. But then I noticed more and more heading down. And then I noticed sheep in the lower part of the field were heading up towards me. The ones I'd walked past, just behind me, they were starting to head towards me as well. All of a sudden I was surrounded by a lot of sheep." At this point, Jeff swears that he wasn't wearing anything unusual or especially provocative to sheep. "They could have thought it was the farmer bringing them food. Anyway, I got worried," he continues, undeterred. "The dog was very hard to hold onto. I was worried he'd start running at the sheep - but the sheep didn't seem to be worried by the dog, which isn't normal behaviour for sheep! It was almost like a scene from the film Zulu, with all the warriors surrounding me. I thought, I've got to get out of this! Anyone watching from a distance, at that point, would have seen a chap with a dog running hell for leather being pursuded by a lot of sheep. So how big were these sheep? "They're quite big actually. These aren't softy sheep. They're tough Pennine sheep." Mmmm. "As I ran towards the wall at the end of the field, they gave way a little bit. They never quite surrounded me. I didn't let that happen. I may not be here if I had." Sounding a just a tad defensive, Jeff goes on, "This is a ridiculous thought. I know sheep don't eat people. I know they don't trample people, but you know..." Friends, it turns out weren't specially sympathetic when Jeff let them in on his dark secret. He freely admits it's not something he talks about much at job interviews, and believes his ex-partner may have lost some respect for him when he unburdened his soul. Manfully denying any over-reaction on his part, Jeff concludes firmly, "It still think being surrounded by hundreds of sheep is quite intimidating. I've not been walking in that part of the world for a long time. Maybe at the back of my mind I'm thinking they'll get me next time." If you've been in the middle of an enjoyable or relaxing day out, a family picnic, perhaps, when the day took an unexpected turn, tell us your story in the Home Truths Talk message board...  | |
