Digit's as keen as mustard when it comes to retrieving - he will have a go at picking up literally anything.

I''ve been out to a shoot  dinner in a Dartmoor pub to look down and see Digit sat beside me clutching a ladies handbag that he'd srolen from another room; I've been hand delivered a very nice new Browning B525 Grade 5 in a beautiful Conway leather gunslip in the field, and one morning he even retrieved a "proper" baby fallow deer that he found hiding out in some thicket (the deer was released unharmed and monitored to ensure its survival). He may be only a small cocker, but he'll try to pick up anything and everything if he thinks that there's even the slightest chance of being told that he's a "good boy".

As this mornings delayed train slowed on its approach to one of the station stops the carriage end (by the door, where I more often than not stand for the duration of my journey) filled with people anxious to continue with the next leg of their journey.

Both dogs watched intently as more and more people crammed themselves, sardine like, into the tight space. Every person was eyed over and sniffed for signs of food, pheasants, and other dogs (probably in that order, with more emphasis on food than anything else!).

Then all hell broke loose. I saw it coming before it happened but my reactions were nowhere  near fast enoughto stop what happened next. Digits ears pricked, his muscles began to twitch, and his face became momentarily fixated - the look that he gets just before he's about to launch himself at something interesting (usually a pheasant trying to hide away under a bramble).

Digit had spied a dead animal in the form of a pair of very trendy "Ugg Boots" being worn by a very atractive and slight young lady on her way to university. The form didn't matter - this was a dead animal and all dead animals must be retrieved to the boss (ok, I may not be the boss in many cases, but I ma the boss in the eyes of this cute little cocker... not so sure about Charlie though!).

As his teeth closed firmyl around the boot and puled the young lady let out a loud scream. Totally undisturbed by the noise and rigourous leg shaking, Digit carried on with his mission -  I was getting that boot whether the girl was wearin it or not!

Everybody on the train looked on in horror (as did I) as the little cocker savaged the young ladys foot. The girl was screaming and shaking her leg, the dog was puilling harder, and eventualy she slipped her grip on the lady stod next to her, lost her balance, and fell backwards to the ground with Digit still tugging at her foot.

On the floor she was easier to attacke, and Digit had the boot off in no time. True to form, there was nowhere for me to hide as he pushed his way through the forest of legs to deliver the saliva covered boot perfectly to my hand.

I didn't realy know what to say, so I just helped the girl to her feet and lamely offered her her boot back. Not content with the embarassment which he had already caused to me and the young lady (she was wearing a very short skirt when she fell, but as any gentleman would, I averted my eyes!), as soon as she beant to try to refit her boot the little bugger was at it again. This time she saw it coming so just about managed to keep her balance and fend the dog off just long enough for me to get a handle on him.

My panic stricken apologies flowed like a steady stream, and I very generously (I thought) offered compensation in the form of the remains of my coffee to steady her neves - I've no idea why, but she refused my offer! Luckily, for me as well as Digits longevity, the girl has dogs of her own and so saw the funny side. I see her on the train quite often now, she always smiles and says "hello", but she does give us a wide birth!

The station waiting room was packed. There was a blockage on the north-bound line somewhere further up the line so all trains in the last hour were delayed so the station was filling with a backlog of frustrated commuters.

Two girls very noticeably stood out from the crowd. Both of them were blonde, both blue eyed, both tall, both dressed to kill, and both stunningly attractive.

I was an hour early so I made my wayto the coffee guy, grabbed a "dupio espresso", and squeezed myself into a seat at one of the tables to read my copy of The Times.

No sooner had I parked up then the two blonde bombshells were stood before me. I looked up, they smiled sweetly and asked in a hypnoticaly musical voice "Do you mind if we sit with you?".

In stunned silence I slipped my briefcase from the seat opposite and gestured for them to take a seat. It wasn't my company they were craving though - they were drawn in by Digits angelic little puppy face.

The hour passed quickly, too quickly, as I learnt about shooting and dog handling in Sweden (they were both in the shooting "scene") and they explained that they were here on a two week exchange programme to learn how the Britich primary education system works (more like a lesson in how NOT to do it!)

I said my "good byes", wished them luck, and strutted off to my platform with a big grin on my face and walking just a little bit taller; every guy in that room was fixated on the two girls and their extraordinarily long legs and they chose to sit with me (probably the sympathy vote!).

As I made my way through the crowd one guy reached out to grab my arm - "Sod the aftershave mate... where can I get a couple of dogs like yours?"

Since I began commuting by train a couple of months ago my circle of "aquaintences" has grown dramatically.

Travelling by train with two dogs id fantastic - everybody talks to me! It's like travelling with two black hairy people magents (the dogs are hairy, they don't just attract hairy people.. although there was this one woman...!). I haven't had a journey yet where I've been left to my own devices for the duration of the thirty minute journey.

Staff at the stations at either end of my trip always come and chat. In fact, we're normally ona first name basis and get the odd little "perk" like a coffee on a cold morning, or the loan of a brolly on a wet day.

Fellow travellers come up and chat at the platform, and many will stand with me on the train (I usually stand at the carriage end - it's easier than trying to get a seat with the two dogs) and talk away as the miles pass.

Expanding my network has been great: I've managed to secure some shooting, a few days fishing, been invited to parties and functions, and I always manage to "push" the virtues of my company www.solutions4finance.com.

I've met some really interesting people too. There was the guy who makes his living out of being a travel writer without travelling, the woman who works for a particularly interesting government department, and students hoping to complete their studies and go on to great things.

One morning last week I entered the station and saw a lady smiling at me - or rather the dogs. She was standing with her two children on the other side of the waiting room. When I had purchased my tickets she strolled over and started chatting. She asked all about what I did, where I was from, about the dogs (mostly!), and where I was going. As we chatted I was thinking that she looked familiar, so questioned her as to where I knew her from. Was it through business? Had she hung around in the same haunts as me? Had we freinds in common? She smiled politely, then it dawned on me that her familiar face was from a staring role in one of my all time favouite sit-coms!

This weeks interest was meeting a young Chinese girl on the morning train. On the first day that we met Yan, like so many others, strolled up the short platform attracted by the hairy magnets. "Hi" I greeted. "Ni hyo" she replied. "Oh. You don't speak English?" She replied with a shoulder shrug and bemused look, so I guessed not.

using a system of sign language and the universal language of numbers we managed to establish that she'd been in the country for just a few days and was here for six months with the sole purpose of learning the English language. English is from what I can gather, the key to the door that will help her to break out of her very rural community to explore the big wide world. Fair play to her, but I can't help but think that she may be better off staying where she is.

Over the next few months we've agreed that I'll help her with her English and in return, she will teach rudimentary Chinese. No longer will I have to rely on numbers to order from the menu in The Royal China!

That's it for this instalment, so it "zai jian" for now!