By Saul Cooke-Black

DOGS are a man’s best friend, and that was certainly the case for a Minchinhampton man in 1995.

A dog was settling into a life of riches after being left £50,000 in her master’s will.

Lionel Jones, from Minchinhampton, left the money for his faithful terrier Wisp to ensure she was well looked after.

“She’s handling it very well,” said Sue Hickman, wife of Mr Jones’ nephew.

“We’re not being silly with her and we’re making sure she doesn’t spend it all at once.

“She was my husband’s uncle’s life and joy.

“He always felt that dogs were so vulnerable, so wanted to be sure she was properly looked after.”

A new owner would be paid a monthly sum out of the money to look after the wealthy dog.

However, Mrs Hickman said the dog would not be spoilt.

“The new lady looking after Wisp has been excellent,” she told the SNJ in 1995.

“She is getting a monthly sum to look after her, but she definitely won’t be spoilt.

“Ideally we would have liked to have kept her, but we both work so wanted someone who could be at home with her – she had a one to one relationship with Lionel so we wanted her to have one with her new owner.”

Other dogs were also set to benefit from Mr Jones’ generosity, with another £50,000 left to Battersea dogs home.

And animals were not the only beneficiaries of Mr Jones, who was a professional tennis player who appeared at Wimbledon and coached until he was into his eighties.

Tennis clubs across the district were given Mr Jones’ collection of trophies and Chalford Tennis Club instituted a Lionel Jones memorial competition.

Cotswold Care Hospice, where he attended in his later years, received £20,000 as did the George Pearce Home for the elderly.

“Basically he enjoyed life and wanted to leave things for others to enjoy theirs,” added Mrs Hickman.

“It’s nice to think that his name will carry on.”