Kindred Tales | Ric and Raph | Post
Tell us a bit about Post and what inspired you to start it?
Like most designers, there came a point where the thought “I could do this better myself” outweighed the security of working for an agency. I was at a point where I was leading projects from start to finish with a small team and when a particular client said that they would work with me if I ever set-up my own studio, it gave me the push I needed to make the leap.
Tell us about Raph and how he came into your life?
Sarah (founder of Evermore) and I had always said that we would get a dog eventually and pretty early on settled on a border terrier because of their manageable size, but excitable and energetic temperament. It was on a visit back home to Yorkshire that I spotted an A4 poster on a pub noticeboard advertising thoroughbred border terrier puppies for sale. I jokingly took a picture and sent it to Sarah, the following week we were both driving back up to Yorkshire to meet the puppies in person and met Raph and his sisters. He was the only boy and probably one of the smallest of the litter, but we knew he was the one for us! A few weeks later, when the time was right we collected him and he’s been with us ever since.
How does having dog fit into your general working day?
I can’t imagine life without a dog now. During lockdown every morning we make coffee and head to one of two local parks. No matter what the weather you have to take the dog for a walk, and nearly every time you go out, you will come back in to the house feeling better for having some fresh air. It really helps to break up the working day too, Sarah will tend to go for a short walk after lunch and then I’ll take him out again before it gets dark. He also loves coming running with us and seems to finish having more energy than before we left! Obviously things have been a bit different the past 12 months, but normally Raph comes with us to the studio which Sarah and I both share. The walk from our house to the studio takes us through a park, across Hackney Marshes and into London Fields, so it's a great run around for him.
When you’re not working where do you like to head out to with the dog?
We live in Leyton and the best local place to us is Jubilee Park which leads onto Hackney Marshes. We’re lucky that we also live close to Hollow Ponds and the start of Epping Forest, which is great for dogs as it can feel really wild if you get off the well-trodden paths. This summer we also figured out a great route from our house that weaves through lots of parks and woodlands to Wanstead Flats meaning Raph can be off lead running next to us for most of the journey.
What essentials do you always have on you when heading out for a dog walk, and what do you carry them in?
Easy, a tennis ball and poo bags! Raph is OBSESSED with tennis balls. Often we’ll take one out with us, but he’ll find another. I don’t think we’ve actually ever bought him one, yet have a collection of around 20 at the moment. I wish we’d trained him to find something more useful like truffles instead as he’s clearly got a good nose.
What adventures do you have planned with Raph for later this year?
We’re looking forward to another trip out in our VW campervan this summer (hopefully!). We spent a couple of weeks in Cornwall earlier this year and Raph loved it. The trip required a bit of pre-planning to make sure that the camp sites were dog friendly, but there are so many on offer it wasn’t difficult. A lot of the popular beaches didn’t allow dogs between certain hours, however we found that the beaches that did allow dogs were way quieter anyway and in some cases nicer.
