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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Emily Sergeant -
13th February 2025 
