Although the dapper Peter Egan has recently been in Downton Abbey, I'm a fan from the old days when he was in Ever Decreasing Circles and many other TV shows.
What I didn't know was he's genuinely passionate about animals. A vegan and Patron of Dr Hadwen Trust, Peter was saying hello to the several dogs in the crowd around the opening of the shop, as well as their owners.
"This is a great charity and it's good to see the first shop opening," he said. "Animals are not instruments of our lives but our companions. The Trust fits in perfectly with a cruelty free life."
Shop manager Naomi Green (on the right in our picture) said: "Animals are a big part of my life and I share my home with a beagle. We're really keen to integrate into the community now we've opened and are definitely adopting the Hitchin way of life."
Dr Hadwen Trust is based in Hitchin itself and for Kay Miller (left in our picture), group head of operations, it made sense to open their first ever shop here. "We hope it's the first of many and we want to raise awareness for our work in funding innovative, cutting-edge medical research which replaces the animals traditionally used in research."
Our lovely picture was taken by the super-talented http://www.tomcubisphotography.co.uk/
To find out more about the charity go to www.drhadwentrust.org
Or just pop in to the shop at 16 Churchyard.
