Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is 44 years old this month

With a band playing in the Minstrel’s Gallery and my wife Julia in the small, invited audience, I stepped forward for the late Queen Elizabeth to present me with a medal for cofounding the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. “Are you keeping Johnny on a short lead?”, she asked with a warm smile. That wasn’t the question I expected or was prepared for.

Hearing Dogs first President, Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Johnston, handbag in hand, on Horseguards Parade.

“Johnny”” wasn’t a young, male Hearing Dog. He was the charity’s President, Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Johnston, a fine-looking, twinkly man who had been one of her most popular courtiers. At Hearing Dogs we knew that as the Queen’s Equerry and, after that Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office Sir John was affectionally known as “Stopwatch Johnny”, in charge of managing everything from garden parties to state visits to royal weddings. (He organised two of those.) At Hearing Dogs we treasure a photo of handsome “Johnny” in his Grenadier Guards uniform, on Horse Guards Parade holding her handbag. I bet it was her idea to make him hold it for her.

The twice yearly Honours events are meticulously choreographed. On the day of the event at Buckingham Palace a friendly courtier rehearses those of us being given ‘appointments’, in my instance to the Order of the British Empire. I lined up in the right position, stepped forward to be in front of Her Majesty when my name was about to be called then on hearing it took the two measured steps towards her, to be sufficiently close for her to pin the medal on my suit. I had been told she would speak with me for 30 to 45 seconds then offer her hand, the signal to shake it, step back, acknowledge my thanks and move on.

I answered her unexpected question, explaining how much fun it was to have Sir John at our meetings. Like the late Queen and all the charity Trustees, he loved the presence of dogs and often brought his black Labrador to our Trustee meetings. “Can you train any dog to help deaf people?” the late Queen asked and I explained that the younger they are when we start the better the success rate but even so there are breeds such as Jack Russells that are challenging. “I’m sure they are.” she replied and, with a vet to talk to she told me of an incident with a Royal Family Jack Russell.

Then she asked if there are breeds easy to train, and I’m sure you’re now saying to yourself it sounds as if this is lasting more than the maximum 45 seconds and it is.

Labradors with energetic personalities make excellent Hearing Dogs.

Julia, an actress by profession, is thinking I’ve paid no attention to my rehearsal and is milking my moment with the Queen! And I’m thinking, “Please offer me your hand. I’ve got to move on!” After an Investiture, ‘appointees’ are given a recording of the event. We had had a very extensive conversation!

When I reached 80, I resigned from the Trustees Board of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, to make room for new skills. In 2024 when I told our Royal Patron, The Princess Royal, what I was doing, she said she certainly wasn’t resigning.

Last month Princess Anne held an afternoon reception for Hearing Dogs, at Frogmore House in Windsor Park, to thank the charity’s volunteers. It was an opportunity for me to meet our most recent volunteers, our new Chair and new President as well as volunteer ‘brood minders’ and ‘puppy trainers’.

What a remarkably giving group of people they are. Amanda, York Street’s clinic manager joins them this year, as a volunteer fund raiser. She will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro raising funds for the charity.

The Princess Royal recently hosted a reception at Frogmore House for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

Bruce chats with Stephen Marshall, who with 20 years experience in digital marketing succeeded Bruce as a Trustee of Hearing Dogs

Ben Fogle is a Patron of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People