I have known Julie as a friend for 37 years.  My family and I are still in regular contact. Julie is honest, principled, loyal and very practical.   As young adults we grew up in neighbouring villages in Surrey and travelled and worked in Europe.  Julie has spent time in South America and Asia before moving to New Zealand where she started a family.  Julie moved back to the UK when the kids were young to be close to family and friends.   Julie grew up with pets and kept and rode horses as a child into young adulthood.  She has also boarded dogs in her home for many years and worked in local stables.   Julie is a very committed person and I have known to jump into a flooded river to save a dog.  I have also seen her abandon an important family occasion to spend three hours at the emergency vets with a beagle that swallowed a sock and I've seen the stitches in her fingers from separating quarrelling dogs. I would have no hesitation in asking Julie to stay in my flat and as of today, I understand she has sat houses for several high net worth individuals and a member of the judiciary.