Seven pooches are competing to be crowned the ugliest dog in Britain, as a nationwide competition draws to a close.
From buggy eyes to crooked teeth to patchy fur, these little dogs are all hoping to take the crown as the nation’s most aesthetically-challenged mutt.
Hundreds applied (or their owners did, at least) but now only a handful of dogs remain.
The breeds still in the running are mostly either bulldogs, pugs, or some sort of cross-breed featuring one of the two, with one rogue Brusston (a Brussels Griffon and Boston Terrier mix) remaining.
The competition has been organised by photography company Parrot Print, who ‘believe every pet, no matter how ugly, deserves to feel special’.
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The winner will be treated to a free grooming and photography session to celebrate and champion their… erm… unusual appearance.
Representing the north of England on the shortlist for the Britain’s ugliest dog award is Bella, a pug from Sheffield; Peggy, a pug/Chinese Crested mix from East Yorkshire; and Roger, a pug/toy poodle cross from West Yorkshire.
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Winston George, a British Bulldog from the West Midlands. Credit: Parrot PrintsJazz, a brusston from North Wales. Credit: Parrot PrintsRoger, a pug toy poodle cross from West Yorkshire. Credit: Parrot Prints
There’s also Wiltshire’s French bulldog Marnie, a British bulldog from the West Midlands called Winston George, Jazz (the aforementioned Brusston) from North Wales, and Milo, a blue French bulldog from Kent.
Their most remarkable features include an underbite (Roger, Marnie and Milo all guilty of this one) and squashed faces (which is basically all of them).
But our front-runner has to be the gorgeous Peggy, whose fur sprouts out in patches from her wrinkled skin and whose tongue lolls out sideways.
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Even her own owners described her as ‘Marmite’.
Bella, a pug from Sheffield. Credit: Parrot PrintsMilo, a blue French bulldog from Kent. Credit: Parrot PrintsMarnie, a French bulldog from Wiltshire. Credit: Parrot Prints
They told the BBC: “Sometimes I forget that she doesn’t look like a normal dog and then we walk down the street and you can hear people whispering and saying ‘Oh wow, look at that!’.”
Matt Dahan, founder of Parrot Prints, said: “We received hundreds of entries and these seven were the ones who made our eyes hurt when we looked at them. There really are some ugly mutts out there in the UK and we hope our contest will celebrate the best of them.
“We were clear from the outset that no pretty pets need apply and these seven certainly could not be described as good looking in any way, shape or form.
“Now our judges have the tough task of choosing exactly which of these mutts is the most offensive to look a t.We will select one of these pets for the coveted title of Britain’s ugliest dog and they will win a makeover and photo session. Let’s see if we can transform the winning ugly dog into a beautiful pooch and brighten up its owner’s life at the same time.
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“There have been a number of TV shows where humans get tarted-up and given a makeover so we thought it would be fun to do the same thing for a dog. We believe we can transform them into something truly beautiful and give their owners a fantastic photoshoot experience too.
“We look forward to selecting the winner and sharing their photoshoot experience with the world when we hope to show that every dog is beautiful no matter how ugly they might first appear.”
Featured image: Parrot Prints
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Manchester Airport releases list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday hotspots – including ‘Maldives of Europe’
Emily Sergeant
Holiday season is well underway, and now Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing beach destinations.
Want to visit somewhere new? Destinations in Portugal, Greece, and Croatia are among the 10 fastest-growing summer holiday hotspots on Manchester Airport’s route network.
Following the completion of the £1.3bn Terminal 2 transformation, and a major project to redevelop Terminal 3 also now in the works, the airport is expecting a record summer season this year, which is why, with a couple of weeks left, a list of the top 10 fastest-growing destinations has been revealed, so if you’re short of some travel inspiration, this is it.
Sunseekers’ favourites are all expected to see extra visitors from Manchester this summer, but other lesser-known destinations are seeing an even greater surge in popularity – with the number of people travelling there this summer versus last summer set to double (or even triple) in some cases.
Manchester Airport has released a list of its 10 fastest-growing holiday destinations / Credit: Marie Volkert | Northleg Official (via Unsplash)
These destinations are spread across the Mediterranean, and all offer a rich blend of sun, sea, sand, history, culture, and foodie delights.
As you’d expect, there are a number of Spanish spots on the list, including the emerging Canary Islands favourite of La Palma, Jerez de la Frontera near the historic city of Cadiz, and the popular Valencia.
Elsewhere, you’ll also find the major cities of Marseille in France, Porto in Portugal, and Verona in Italy on the list, but if you’re keen to visit somewhere a little more off the beaten track, why not try and trip to Zadar in Croatia or Preveza in Greece, which both appear to be growing in popularity.
One of the real stand-out gems on the list though has to be what is dubbed the ‘Maldives of Europe’.
Holiday season is well underway at Manchester Airport / Credit: Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
Albania’s capital Tirana is not only a great candidate for a city break, but it’s also the starting point for intrepid explorers seeking out the stunning beaches on the Albanian Riviera – which have become famous on social media over the past couple of years, and have drawn comparisons to the bucket list destination of the Maldives.
“Sometimes, a destination will go viral on social media or see a spike in demand as adventurous travellers discover it,” explained Stephen Turner, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport. “And we then see that translate into airlines adding extra flights or flying larger aircraft to those destinations to meet that demand.
“We keep our finger on the pulse to analyse these trends and we work with our airline partners to ensure that if a particular destination is in vogue, or emerging as a new favourite, you can get there from Manchester.”
See the full list of stunning destinations and get booking your next trip here.
Featured Image – Nick Karvounis (via Unsplash)
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SpudBros are returning to the Trafford Centre following HUGELY successful debut
Emily Sergeant
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are returning to the Trafford Centre following their hugely successful debut.
Following the ‘overwhelming’ success of their first Trafford Centre residency earlier this summer, the UK’s most-followed jacket potato creators SpudBros are returning to the iconic retail destination for a second pop-up later this month.
Shoppers will once again be able to tuck into freshly prepared, fully loaded jacket potatoes served up in minutes, all without compromising on quality, flavour, or portion size.
The SpudBros – also known as Jacob and Harley Nelson – will, once again, be returning as part of Trafford Centre‘s annual summer fair.
At the pop-up, you’ll be able to pick from fan favourites like the Tram Classic, which is loaded with garlic butter, the signature three-cheese mix, beans, crispy onions, and world-famous ‘tram’ sauce, to the Spudfather topped with chilli con carne, tuna, and coleslaw.
There’s also a range of other flavour-packed options to tuck into, alongside the option to build your own potato, allowing every customer to create their perfect lunch.
“The response to our first week at Trafford Centre was incredible, so we couldn’t be more excited to return,” commented SpudBros co-founder, Jacob Nelson.
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are launching a special pop-up at Trafford Centre this summer / Credit: The Manc Group
“Manchester has always shown us so much support online and it was amazing to finally bring SpudBros to the city. We’re looking forward to serving even more visitors and welcoming back everyone who came to see us the first time around.”
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: “SpudBros was a fantastic addition to our summer line-up and proved hugely popular with our visitors, so we’re delighted to welcome the team back for a second pop-up.”
The SpudBros pop-up will be located outside The Great Hall next week from Monday 24 to Saturday 29 August, serving signature loaded potatoes daily from 12-8pm.
Daisy Jackson -
20th January 2023 
