Trvalý odkaz Pridané používateľom Anonymný (bez overenia) dňa So, 11/30/2024 - 06:22
Forget tiny chihuahuas peeping out of handbags à la Paris Hilton, or Taylor Swift with her adorably grumpy looking Scottish Fold cats who have become celebrities in their <br>
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own right. <br>
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When it comes to capturing my heart with a cuddly <br>
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creature, it's the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, 75, who's reinvented himself as the <br>
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internet's favourite granddad with his wholesome life <br>
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with a menagerie of animals, who has won me over.<br>
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The jewel in the crown of his ever-growing brood of beasts is Schnelly the pig, <br>
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who joined the family in April last year, making the star the latest in a long <br>
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list of celebrities to realise the joys of a porky pal - along with Ariana Grande,<br>
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Miley Cyrus and the Beckhams. <br>
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I'm completely smitten with the cuteness of pet pigs.<br>
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I lose hours scrolling through Instagram, looking <br>
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at pictures of furry little piglets with pretty pink snouts.<br>
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There are 255,000 Insta posts with the hashtag #petpig <br>
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and I've probably looked at all of them. Then there's the <br>
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286,000 posts hashtagged #micropig and I'd hazard a guess that I've seen all of those too.<br>
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So I'm rather excited to discover that there's a pig farm <br>
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less than an hour from central London, where I can find out what it's really like to have a porcine pet.<br>
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While celebrities might get away with turning up to photoshoots, TV appearances <br>
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and fancy restaurants with all manner of furry creatures, will I get the same reception if <br>
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I take a pig for a stroll down the high street?<br>
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Samantha Rea from London strolling down the high street in Old Amersham with Astrid, a 16 month old micro pig<br>
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The pair stopped off at The Griffin, a private members club, bistro and bakery, for some refreshments after a trot down the <br>
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high street <br>
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Samantha Rea spent time at the Kew Little Pig Farm in Amersham, Buckinghamshire to learn how to muck out and care for pigs <br>
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Learning how to feed hay to the pigs did make Samantha question whether it's <br>
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easier to stick with a dog or cat as a pet <br>
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I'm hoping the Kew Little Pigs Farm will help me find out.<br>
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It specialises in miniature pigs, which pig lovers can buy or 'adopt' to visit on the farm.<br>
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Then there are the day trips. The Piggy Pet & Play package lets visitors 'pet, brush, groom, watch and play with the pigs.' The Pig Enthusiast package can include <br>
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putting sun cream on the pigs, and the Comprehensive Guide <br>
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to Pig Keeping teaches you everything you need to know before buying your own micro pig.<br>
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<u>Clearly I must go there!</u><br>
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<i><u>And so I head to Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, where Kew Little Pigs Farm is based.</u></i><br>
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When I arrive, owner Olivia Mikhail looks slightly concerned at <br>
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the sight of my Converse trainers and cropped <br>
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jeans, a combination that will surely result in splattered shins.<br>
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However, Olivia has no idea just how prepared I actually am, because <br>
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I have packed not only knee high wellies for my time on the farm, but also my designer <br>
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heels, for my glimpse into what life's like as a pig-owning celebrity.<br>
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<strong><u>Arnold Schwarzenegger with Schnelly the pig, who joined his menagerie of pets in April last year</u></strong><br>
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<i><u>Ariane Grande and Pete Davidson adopted Piggy Smallz during their short-lived romance in 2018</u></i><br>
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Comedian John Bishop was left devastated when his rescue pig Milo passed away <br>
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last year, describing him as the 'heartbeat' of <br>
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the family<br>
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Paris Hilton started the chihuahuas in handbags craze, and is also the proud owner of Princess Piglette<br>
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George Clooney, Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus, Jonathan Ross, <br>
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Charlotte Church and even the Beckhams have all kept pigs as pets <br>
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over the past decade or so, while more recently Ariane Grande and Pete Davidson adopted Piggy Smallz during their short-lived romance. <br>
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Comedian John Bishop gave rescue pig Milo a home for more than a decade and <br>
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was devastated when the pet passed away, saying he was the 'heartbeat' of the family.<br>
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They're as much a celeb accessory as oversized sunglasses - which is why I've brought <br>
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those with me too.<br>
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But first things first. Before I spend an afternoon taking a petite pig for a stroll, I sit down with Olivia in the Kew Little Pigs cafe, to complete the theory <br>
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side of the Comprehensive Guide to Pig Keeping.<br>
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It turns out there is quite a lot of admin involved in owning <br>
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a pig, alongside a rule book thicker than Harry Potter. <br>
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Who knew that you needed a license to walk a pig?<br>
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Who would imagine that you can't feed pigs your kitchen leftovers?<br>
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It used to be common practice, but has been banned because of the <br>
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risk of diseases such as African swine flu and foot and mouth disease that <br>
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can be spread by consuming contaminated pork products. <br>
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Who can fathom having to fill out a form to drive your <br>
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pig from one place to another - again for disease control <br>
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reasons? <br>
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After all the admin and mucking out, Samantha was delighted to move on to the fun part - cuddles with Astrid <br>
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Samantha found that mucking out the pig pen was actually <br>
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a lot more civilised than picking up poo on a dog walk <br>
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<b><u>Samantha came armed with wellies for her day at the farm, but made <br>
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sure to keep it glamorous </u></b><br>
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After swapping her flimsy trainers for wellies, Samantha felt equipped to tackle her day <br>
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on the farm <br>
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And who would guess that pigs have to have their own house?<br>
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I mean, it's only got to be about the size of shed, but it's actually a law to uphold welfare standards.<br>
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I suppose none of this is an issue for celebrities <br>
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who have people to do paperwork for them - not to mention acres of space - but to me <br>
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it seems insurmountable.<br>
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Olivia senses that my dreams are crushed and attempts to reassure me:<br>
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'It's really not that much paperwork. Look, filling <br>
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in this form would take two minutes.' <br>
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Moving on from the theory, we head outside for the practical <br>
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part of the course. Here, in large pens, are lots of little pigs which are super <br>
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cute, so this makes me happy.<br>
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I am given a rake to claw the pig poo into a dustpan. Both the rake and the dustpan have long handles and I like <br>
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the distance this creates. It is certainly more civilised than picking up poo in a flimsy plastic bag <br>
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on a dog walk. <br>
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Clearing away pig excrement with proper equipment which <br>
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allows you to maintain a civilised, and sanitary, <br>
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distance makes me wonder if - despite the paperwork - pigs might <br>
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just trump dogs.<br>
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Samantha was worried she might attract stares <br>
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walking Astrid through town, but nobody batted an eyelid <br>
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<b><u>Samantha treated herself to a hot chocolate while Astrid enjoyed some pig treats </u></b><br>
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Samantha swapped her wellington boots for high heels to glam up to take her pet <br>
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pig down to the town centre for lunch<br>
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Taking a pig out for a walk is trickier than it looks, and a lot of treats are required to <br>
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keep things on track <br>
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Next, Olivia asks if I would like to feed the pigs.<br>
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Yes of course! She hands me some hay that's stuffed inside what's basically a <br>
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large fishnet stocking, the size of Santa's sack. The hay sticks <br>
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out of all the holes, and it's my job to hang up the sack in the <br>
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pig pen, so the pigs can eat from it.<br>
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This sounds easy. Only it's not. 'NOT THERE! NO!<br>
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IT'S GOT TO BE HIGHER! TIE IT ROUND THE POST! NO! NOT LIKE <br>
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THAT! NO!'<br>
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I feel like a failing contestant on The Crystal Maze, <br>
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only this is worse because I'm now surrounded by hungry <br>
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pigs and I cannot see a panic button.<br>
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I swear there was something on Netflix where <br>
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murdered bodies were dumped in a pig pen, to be eaten by the pigs.<br>
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Or maybe the bodies were eaten alive. This definitely happens all the time, according <br>
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to TV, and now I don't even know which is worse, the prospect of <br>
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being felled by pigs eating through my ankles, or the pressure to hang the hay <br>
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correctly.<br>
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It is like my challenge on The Crystal Maze has been especially devised to amuse the inhabitants of hell.<br>
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<u><strong>I find myself grateful to make it out <br>
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of the pig pen alive. Surely I get to do celebrity stuff now?</strong></u><br>
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Celebrities' pigs are as stylish as their owners, so I've sourced designer <br>
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outfits for my trottered chums. I'd initially looked at diamond chokers by <br>
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Dior, because what pig wouldn't want a diamond collar?<br>
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But apparently pigs are happier in harnesses, which fit around the body, <br>
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not just the neck.<br>
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I hunt for a harness that an A-lister might pick for their pig, and <br>
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I am delighted to discover a pink leopard print harness with a matching lead. <br>
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It is by Urban Pup, a pet fashion brand whose website I've now <br>
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spent more time on than all the other websites in my search history.<br>
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There's the zebra print, the cheetah print, the pink argyle; <br>
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the florals, the tartans, and the hearts. There's the <br>
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range inspired by Legally Blonde and the pet carrier that resembles a pink Chanel <br>
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handbag.<br>
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<b>Then there are the socks…</b><br>
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I turn up at the farm with more outfits for the <br>
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pigs than I have for myself. I guess this is what <br>
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it's like being a pig parent: #SELFLESS<br>
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I am introduced to Astrid, a 16 month old micro piglet who'll fulfill my dreams of walking a pig.<br>
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I show Olivia all the outfits I've brought from Urban Pup and she picks out a pink tartan harness with a matching lead.<br>
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I want to dress up all the pigs but Olivia says no. That's OK.<br>
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There is probably some law about only one pig at a time looking this stunning.<br>
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When Astrid and I are dressed, we head into Old Amersham.<br>
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It's a pretty market town in the Chilterns with cobbled streets and quaint white buildings with beams.<br>
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<b>So how will locals feel about a pig on a lead?</b><br>
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I imagine I may be sternly spoken to by a member of the Women's Institute.<br>
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However, it turns out that Old Amersham is perfectly au fait with celebrity antics, given that Poirot, Midsomer Murders <br>
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and Four Weddings and a Funeral have all been filmed there.<br>
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On my pig keeping course I have learnt that pigs never poo where they eat, sleep or socialise, because they're very clean, <br>
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so from day one, without any training, a pig will go outside <br>
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to poo.<br>
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I am surprised then, as I arrive in Old Amersham, to find that Astrid has <br>
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done her business in her carry box. I try not to think about this, as I hold <br>
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her lead.<br>
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Our first stop is the Amersham Museum. I'm not a massive fan of walking around looking at things, but I hear the museum homes a <br>
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Tudor dining table that visitors are welcome to sit at. It is about lunchtime, so I'm hopeful I'll be served a Tudor banquet.<br>
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I quite fancy a tankard of wine and a bit of wild boar.<br>
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Unfortunately, Astrid does not, and so, despite <br>
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being welcomed by museum director Briony, we leave pretty much <br>
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as soon as we arrive.<br>
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We go for a stroll instead, but I have to scatter pig <br>
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food pellets to coax Astrid along the pavement. I guess celebrities get <br>
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their assistants to walk ahead, trailing treats to entice the pet pigs in the <br>
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right direction. <br>
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Hard at work: Writer Samantha Rea tried the Comprehensive Guide to Pig Keeping, which teaches <br>
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you everything you need to know before buying your own micro pig<br>
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However, doing it without an assistant, I find myself thinking that it's definitely <br>
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easier to walk a dog.<br>
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Celebrity life is about lounging in luxurious surroundings, so Astrid and I head to The Griffin, a <br>
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private members club, bistro and bakery, that's pretty much the Soho House of Amersham.<br>
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In the beamed building that dates back to the 17th century, <br>
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there are gorgeous leather sofas and cosy cushions.<br>
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However, I have learnt on my pig keeping course that pigs are happiest alfresco, so Astrid and I take a seat on the <br>
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astro-turf terrace, beneath a pretty parasol that wouldn't be out of place <br>
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in a Cotswolds shoot for Tatler.<br>
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It is here, as we relax like A-listers, that Astrid and I are <br>
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at our happiest. As I sip a coffee and eye-up a chocolate brownie <br>
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(I'm being a celebrity, remember, I don't actually eat these <br>
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things), Astrid puts her trotters up on the seat beside me and enjoys a few pig food pellets.<br>
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Clearly this is our natural environment, so it's probably just a matter of time before Astrid is snapped up by a celebrity to live life first class. <br>
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But for now, Astrid must mooch back to the mud, and I must head home to wash pig poo off my <br>
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wellies.<br>
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I am chuffed to bits to have spent an afternoon with Astrid, but as I think it all over, on the train back to Marylebone, I know that I'll never keep a pig as a pet. <br>
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Aside from all the legal red tape, my lack of space in London, and <br>
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the trickiness of trying to take a pig for <br>
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a walk, there's always the fear that the micro pig might turn out to be not so tiny after all. <br>
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I've seen headlines about 4 ounce "teacup" pigs growing bigger than a <br>
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bear, and frankly I find it terrifying. So I'll leave the <br>
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pet pigs to the celebrities. <br>
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LondonParis Hilton<br>
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Forget tiny chihuahuas