Hundreds of people and their pets gathered on the Blackpool seafront for a terminally-ill guide dog’s final walk.
‘Ginger prince’ Labrador retriever Ian had been working hard guiding his owner, Mark, through the world and providing him with the independence needed to take on each day, and was not long off his retirement and getting to spend the rest of his days in a loving home.
One Ian got to around 10, he was set to hang up his harness and go on to live with his former Puppy Raiser, Gemma Fairhurst, along with her family and her other guide dog pups in training, so that Mark would still get to keep in touch with Ian and Ian would get to pass on his wisdom and teach the youngsters how it’s done.
But sadly, this plan won’t become a reality, as Ian was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Hundreds turned out for a dying guide dog’s final walk along Blackpool seafront / Credit: Gemma Fairhurst (via GoFundMe)
Vets told Mark and his wife Kerry around Christmas 2024 that Ian would sadly only have four-eight weeks to live.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once Ian’s owners got in touch with Gemma to tell her the devastating news, she knew she had to do something to honour and celebrate him – and ultimately, raise funds for Guide Dogs to name another puppy Ian once he’d passed.
So, Gemma and Mark planned one last special walk for Ian along the Blackpool Promenade – the place he called home.
ADVERTISEMENT
More than 200 people and 80 dogs joined in the walk / Credit: Sarah Summerton (via Guide Dogs)
“He’s led such a wonderful life and brought happiness to Mark and Kerry, but also to everyone that he’s met,” Gemma explained in her fundraiser.
“For me, he’s changed my life, and in many ways, he’s saved my life. He gave me the strength to carry on and he’s given Mark love and support that cannot be measured… so I’d like to raise the money it takes to name another guide dog, and the most perfect name I can think of is Ian.
“The cost to sponsor and name a guide dog is £5,000, so that’s what I’m trying to raise.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The ‘big old doggy walk’ took place this past Sunday (9 February) from 2pm, and was open for any and everyone who would like to come along… and come along they did, as more than 200 people and 80 dogs arrived to walk along the seafront.
The walkers all contributed towards the ‘5,000 steps for £5,000’ target, with Ian leading the way at the front and being pushed along in a special troller by Mark and Gemma.
For the last leg of the journey, Ian even got out of his stroller and walked along the Promenade himself, with the walkers creating a guard of honour for him.
Ian’s story touched the heart of so many people across the North West, that Gemma absolutely smashed her target of £5,000, and at the time of writing, has raised more than £7,230 to name another guide dog puppy Ian.
Gemma said she’d been ‘overwhelmed’ by the support she’s received, and that people from all over the region turned up – including other guide dog puppies she raised in the past.
Huge literary festival returns to Greater Manchester this summer with dozens of FREE events
Emily Sergeant
A huge literary festival with dozens of free events is returning to libraries across Greater Manchester this summer.
Festival of Libraries, the county-wide celebration of all 133 libraries throughout Greater Manchester, is back by popular demand this summer, and organisers have now announced a programme filled with free family-friendly events – with everything from games and performances, to exhibitions, workshops, and arts and crafts on the lineup.
With events running in libraries across all 10 boroughs, this year’s festival will kick off during May half term first, before officially returning from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 June.
During the May half term (25-31 May), festival favourite Look for a Book, the much-loved children’s book trail, returns across Greater Manchester, celebrating the release of Put Your Records On – the first picture book from musical artist Corinne Bailey Rae, inspired by her hit song of the same name.
A huge literary festival is coming to Greater Manchester this summer / Credit: Supplied
Put Your Records On follows a young protagonist, Bea, discovering her great aunt’s record collection, and it’s said to be a ‘celebration’ of music’s therapeutic power and intergenerational bonds.
500 copies of Put Your Records On will be hidden across the city region, along with clues and riddles to solve, and lucky winners will even have the chance to meet Corrine herself during the festival too.
Then, when the festival properly kicks off a few days later, interactive workshops and events hosted by Festival of Libraries will welcome families to explore the different ways of engaging with the region’s libraries.
Children can immerse themselves in the world of comic book creation and take inspiration from leading UK comic artists in ‘Comic Creativity Galore’, tap into their tastebuds with ‘Tasting Children’s Literature’, exploring the foods that come to life in beloved works of children’s literature, or take part in the ‘See Myself in Books’ events, which will champion diverse and inclusive children’s books.
‘Transition Reads’ and ‘Storytelling and Moving Image’ workshops from SNE Studios will offer interactive guidance on the shift from primary to secondary school, and they’ll take place alongside a wide range of other activities.
Ultimately, Festival of Libraries 2026 is aiming to explore the county’s rich literary heritage through exhibitions and workshops – and you can be a part of it.
All events will either be completely free to attend, or operate on a ‘Pay What You Can’ ticket policy.
Festival of Libraries 2026 will take place across Greater Manchester from Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 June, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Supplied
News
Police appeal for witnesses following rape of teenage boy in Manchester’s Printworks
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal for information and witnesses has been made following the rape of a teenage boy in Manchester city centre last week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating the rape and serious assault of a teenager.
The male victim – who is aged under 18, and has therefore not been publicly named – arranged to meet a man via social media, and was attacked in the toilets of a venue on Dantzic Street inside Printworks at around 5pm last Friday (24 April 2026).
The victim has described the suspect as an Asian male aged between 18 and 20, of slim build, with a goatee beard, black hair parted in the centre and covering his forehead, and at the time of the incident, he was said to be wearing a black puffy coat, dark jeans, white-and-black trainers, and glasses.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of rape over the weekend, but he has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
With the investigation proceeding at pace, police are now asking for the public for their help and, in particular, appealing for potential witnesses who was in the area at the time.
“We have committed a large number of officers from across the force to the investigation and are carrying out extensive forensic and CCTV enquiries,” explained Detective Chief Inspector Chris Woodburn, from GMP’s City of Manchester CID.
“We are appealing for anyone who was in the Printworks area at the time of the incident to come forward. This would have been a busy time of day when there would have been a lot of people around.
“We also believe there may have been a second man in or around the toilets in a licensed premises off Dantzic Street at the time of the incident, and we want to speak to him as a witness as we believe he may have vital information that could assist with our investigation.”
Can you help? Anyone with information or who was in the area at the time is urged to call GMP’s dedicated team on 0161 856 4259, on 101, or via LiveChat online quoting log 2647 of 24/4/26.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
13th February 2025 
