Bessie's life ended peacefully on the evening of 15 May 1999. Her human family decided to retain her web site as a memorial to the gentle, loyal, and much-loved friend and companion who shared and enriched their lives for seventeen years and ninety-six days.

Hello there and thank you for visiting my World Wide Web site, which was subjected to a major revamp to celebrate my birthday on 8 February 1999.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bessie, and I'm a Golden Retriever. I was born in the city of Canberra, Australia, where I have lived for most of my life. I am domiciled in a large, white, four-bedroom, centrally-heated kennel which I have graciously agreed to share with the humans whose appointed task it is to feed me, groom me, pat me, take me for walks, supply me with bones, and generally attend to my every little whim.

This is part of Canberra. Canberra is the capital of Australia, and those are the Houses of Parliament in the foreground. I was born in the far distance offstage to the left a couple of inches. My human pack leader sometimes says that the Captain Cook fountain, on the left of the picture, was switched on to celebrate my birth, but I really don't think that's true.

As you can see from the above title, my fancy name is Fairford Queen Bess, but don't be overawed by that. I am not especially fond of formality, and even less fond of all that "Her Gracious Majesty" guff that my human family goes on about, so please call me Bessie. The fact of the matter is that the human head of the household (hereinafter referred to as the Pack Leader) is inordinately proud of the fact that I have an Australian champion in every generation in my pedigree going back to the year dot.

Of course, for my part I am much too well bred to openly boast of such things. In fact, I just don't give two hoots about it. I only mention it here because the Pack Leader has insisted upon it. And since he controls the supply of vitals, bones, pats, walks, etc., etc., in my particular bailiwick, I feel obliged to accede to his request - albeit I do so with more than a modicum of reluctance.

If you would like to read something of my life and times, and view some photographs of me at various stages in my career, just click on the top five buttons opposite.

If you would like to visit the World Wide Web sites of some of my excellent Golden Retriever friends around the world, click on the Internet Friends button opposite.

Site Design: Pack Leader
Design Consultant: Bessie
Music Consultant: Bessie
Picture Editor: Bessie
Occasional Displays of Volatile Artistic Temperament: Bessie