Elisabeth Svendsen Trust

Hello again, only me. Thought I would let you in on what I've been up to recently. I was given the honour of opening EST Ivybridge 1st Summer Fair, alongside the Mayor of Ivybridge. Staff had been preparing for months, so I knew this was going to be a big day for us all. I stood in the barn and watched over the wall as the centre was transformed. The other donkeys just carried on with their normal business, but I was fascinated to see what people were doing; I could see lots of colourful bunting, bouncy castles and could hear music over the speakers.

Its official ... I'm on a diet. The worst thing is, it's not even my fault – all these tasty rewards for my hard work lately, it would be rude to say no! I attended a garden party recently as a guest of honour, they had the most fabulous food on offer; I stood in the summer house snacking most of the evening - I guess I'm paying the price now.

Hi, my name's Boomer and you can find me at EST Ivybridge. I have a larger than life personality and reckon I must be the most longstanding and versatile donkey, and even though I say myself, a celebrity of my own making.

This month has certainly been a busy one for me; I have been working on my star profile. I was asked to perform on stage at Plymouth's Music of the Night - of course I agreed.

What a great time I've been having of late with my 'social' calendar! From having a starring role in the English National Opera production of Carmen through to appearing in the Music of the Night at the Royal Citadel in Plymouth. I've just heard that I'll be sharing the stage with the Mayor of Ivybridge when he comes along to open our Summer fair on Sunday 31st August. How exciting!

When Allison Mann, Principal at EST Leeds, first asked me if I'd like to show a donkey at the Great Yorkshire Show to represent EST, I said I'd be happy to take Jack, a cheeky little brown donkey who I was responsible for training and looking after. It was a month away and nothing to worry about yet!