An online personalised pet gift shop is on a mission to ensure rescue dogs in Greater Manchester have a happy Christmas.
Yappy.com has announced it will be donating toys, warm beds and everyday essentials to a number of local rescue centres in the area, including Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Ramsbottom, and Manchester & Cheshire Dogs’ Home in Harpurhey.
Due to current lockdown restrictions and social distancing guidelines, many animal rescue centres are currently unable to re-home dogs to new owners, meaning that hundreds of dogs in Greater Manchester could remain in shelters this Christmas while they wait for restrictions to be lifted and new owners being permitted to visit them.
In addition to donating a dog toy to each and every dog at the centres in the run up to Christmas, Wythenshawe-based Yappy.com will be playing Santa Paws and offering brand new cosy beds, harnesses, food and water bowls plus other essential items to make life a little easier for the dogs and staff working at the rescue centres.
How brilliant is this?
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John Smith – Founder of Yappy.com – says he’s on a mission to give back to the dedicated rescue centres who have worked tirelessly during the pandemic and spread a little festive ‘yappiness’ to dogs in rescue. He said: “2020 has been a really difficult time for rescue shelters and after hearing that so many dogs might still remain under their care this Christmas,
“[so] as a business, we wanted to give something back and donate a few treats that will make a small difference to the pups who haven’t been rehomed before Christmas due to lockdown restrictions.
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Yappy.com / Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary
“We hope that the toys will help to entertain the remaining dogs a little and that the dog beds make their life a little more comfortable whilst they wait for their new owners to provide them with a happy and safe home in the near future.”
Gemma Atkinson – Actress, Hits Radio presenter and President of Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary – added: “We are pleased Yappy.com have chosen Bleakholt as one of their Christmas charities. Our dogs who are in the kennels over the festive period will love their new toy and cosy bed,
“It will help make a difficult time a little easier for everyone.”
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Karen Weed – General Manager at Bleakholt, which re-homes around 1,300 animals each year including dogs, cats, rabbits, donkeys and horses – said: “Despite being closed to the public for visiting and rehoming appointments, sadly we are still taking in many animals who need a new home and we expect this number to rise in 2021 given the impact of COVID-19 and changes in owners’ individual circumstances.
“In the meantime, Bleakholt is still accepting applications to adopt the animals in our care and we are working hard to arrange new homes for the 60 dogs under our wing when lockdown restrictions lift.
“Sadly, some of these are still likely to be with us over Christmas but with the support of our incredible volunteers and kind donations, we will ensure that they all receive a few Christmas treats. We’re always so grateful for the donations we receive and even more so at Christmas and during this second lockdown period.
“Despite our two shops being closed, our online shop is open offering a range of gifts, cards, hoodies, toys and treats at affordable prices whilst helping to fund the work that we do.”
Bleakholt Animal SanctuaryManchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Home
Joanne Barrow – Spokesperson for Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Home – added: “This year has been a challenging year for everyone [and] I want to thank all our staff, volunteers and supporters for everything they have done and going over and above in helping us to help the dogs in our care.
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“Donations like this help us keep the dogs enriched and entertained in kennels and it really boost the staff morale to know there are others looking to help the dogs in our care.”
To make an application for one of the animals at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, you can visit the website to fill out the application form here, and the animal sponsorship scheme is also available online offering the chance to sponsor a dog, cat, horse or donkey for £25 a year.
You can enquire about adopting a dog from Manchester and Cheshire Dog’s Home here.
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Frank Warren’s special anniversary fight card, featuring local fighters, is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Queensberry Promotions is toasting founder Frank Warren as he marks a major milestone in the industry, with a massive Manchester fight event and plenty of regional boxers on the card.
The 73-year-old entrepreneur and boxing manager is set to hold a landmark fight night in early 2026 as he celebrates four and a half decades in the business.
Being hosted not just the biggest indoor entertainment venue in Manchester, but all of Europe, Co-op Live, the legendary promoter and his company will be welcoming a wealth of both local and global athletes to the arena, which is continuing to attract more live sport and combat sports, specifically.
They’ve put together a fight card with plenty of interest, and the evening is sure to feature plenty of other familiar faces out in the audience, too.
Dubbed ‘The Magnificent 7’, the headline fight will be a face-off between 20-year-old Moses Itauma and American boxer Jermain Franklin.
The heavyweight clash is sure to be a tasty one, with Itauma having now famously defeated veteran Dillian Whyte in a first-round demolition; meanwhile, Frankling is riding a wave of confidence following a trio of consecutive wins.
But while the main event will have plenty of global eyes on, we’ll confess that we’re most excited by the roster of Manc talents on show.
Featuring on the undercard is not only experienced Ashton-born boxer Zak Miller, but 24-year-old ‘Super’ Alex Murphy.
The up-and-coming fighter, who also happens to be a big Bolton Wanderers fan, trains just down the road at Eccles Boxing School and has 14 wins from 16 bouts.
Manchester’s combat sports stars certainly delivered for Queensberry in a recent event at the Co-op earlier this month, and we expect the same next January.
The last Frank Warren-backed event in Manchester didn’t disappoint.
Speaking on the big booking in line with his big anniversary, Warren said in an official statement: “We are thrilled to be delivering such a strong Magnificent 7 bounty for the fans in our first UK show of 2026…
“We are delighted with what we have put together across 2025 in tandem with our new broadcast partner DAZN, but we have the scope to go bigger and further in 2026, which we will do and make it a landmark year for the sport.
“This show will also effectively celebrate my 45th year in the professional business, and I believe this card certainly does justice to the occasion. I’m very happy to have our heavyweight prodigy Moses, topping the bill in another perfect test of his unquestionable credentials against a very tough American in Jermain Franklin.”
Presale for official Co-op Members goes live from 12 noon on Monday, 17 November, while general admission tickets will be available from the same time the following Wednesday (19 Nov); you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Inside the stunning Grade II-listed farmhouse in rural Wigan that’s got an actual MOAT around it
Emily Sergeant
It’s not every day you come across a residential moated house in Greater Manchester.
Yeah, we know they exist, we’re not that naive… but it’s hardly a common occurrence in our region in this day and age, is it? Let alone the country as a whole – especially ones that members of the public can just buy like they would do any normal house on the market and live out their fairytale fantasy dreams in.
That’s why you’ll have to forgive us for getting a bit perplexed when we came across Gidlow Hall, deep in the Wigan countryside (yes, that is a thing), on Rightmove.
Now, before you get carried away, unfortunately this house is sold – but that doesn’t mean we still can’t have a nosy inside, right?
This is Gidlow Hall / Credit: Jackson Stops
Gidlow Hall is described by estate agents as being an ‘enchanting’ five-bedroom moated house in a fairytale setting with beautiful views that dates all the way back to the 16th Century, and it’s been lovingly restored by the current owners while still preserving all its original character and charm.
The exceptional Grade II-listed property is set within about 7.41 acres of land, including landscaped gardens, its very-own paddock, and a large lake.
The house is textbook Tudor from the outside, but on the inside, it has evolved into a beautifully renovated residence with a long and rich history, and thanks to its heritage listing, the original character of the property has largely remained intact – with all modern interventions, like the bespoke hand-crafted kitchen and large side extension, seamlessly integrated.
The stunning Grade II-listed farmhouse in rural Wigan has an actual moat around it / Credit: Jackson Stops
Grand double doors from the side extension lead out to a stunning garden room, which has an original stone floor, and there’s also a large barrel-vaulted cellar underneath.
Then stepping upstairs, the house features a dual-aspect master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, French doors that open to a terrace, a bespoke-fitted dressing room, and an ensuite, as well as four other generously proportioned bedrooms and a lovely family bathroom.
As mentioned, Gidlow Hall is just as impressive outside as it is inside… if anything, more impressive.
The residence is reached by a small no-through lane with an electrically gated entrance, and from this, a tree-lined sweeping drive leads to a stone bridge and moat that encircle the Hall’s parterre gardens and terrace.
As you can see, there truly is no other property like this currently on the market here in Greater Manchester, and although it’s already been spanned up, you can still view it online.
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2020 
