But there was a wooden fence to separate each neighbour's garden, and there was a brewery in front, so certainly no dogs or a farm about...so you see we was walled in...'
Of course there was no inside lavatory so a trip down the garden path in all weathers had to be undertaken when necessary...About eight o'clock on a very dark night in 1919 Miss Palmer's eldest sister asked her mother if she would go down the garden path with her to the lavatory. The path was a long one and they had not got more than halfway down when Miss Palmer's sister said in great alarm 'Look Mother at that big, awful-looking dog in the next garden.'

Mrs. Palmer looked into the next garden and then the two women panicked and fled back to the house. The daughter managed to get indoors first and then as her mother turned to slam the door, there stood a big black dog, almost as big as a calf with 'eyes as large as saucers' and shining 'like a full moon.' Mrs. Palmer screamed and slammed the door and on going into the living room burst into tears while her daughter literally shook with fright. The dog apparently made no effort to scratch at the door nor did it howl or bark."