Hundreds of fluffy golden retrievers have all met up at their ancestral home to celebrate 115 years since the breed was created.
Continuing on with what is a legendary tradition at this point, with previous milestone meetings grabbing headlines and going viral on social media – most-notably back in 2018 for the 150th anniversary – hundreds of golden retrievers have once again joined forces for a mass meet-up this week at the home of their ancestors in the rural Scottish Highlands.
The meet up is to celebrate an important milestone for the breed, as the first golden retriever puppies were born at Guisachan House in Glen Affric 155 years ago.
The proud breed – which has gone on to become one of the most popular in the UK, and is known for its loyalty and obedience – was bred by aristocrat Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, as he wanted a pup that had all the traits of a gun dog but was suited to the rugged Scottish Highland terrain.
The first golden retriever puppies were born at Guisachan House in 1868 / Steve Bancroft (via Golden Retriever Club of Scotland)
The first litter of golden retriever puppies was born in 1868 to a now-extinct breed, the Tweed water spaniel, and yellow wavy-coated retriever, and were called Primrose, Cowslip, and Crocus.
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The golden retriever was officially recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club in 1913.
In honour of the place they were first born, owners from not only across the UK, but also from continental Europe, and as far as the US, Australia, and Japan have been known to meet at the ruins of Guisachan House on several occasions – and this week was one of them.
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Organised by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, and with dogs and owners travelling from 12 different countries, a series of events – including talks, workshops, demonstrations, and a night-time procession – are all taking place this week at the site of the ruined mansion house near Tomich and Cannich, which is just south of Inverness.
The golden retriever was officially recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club in 1913 / Credit: Shayna Douglas (via Unsplash)
The gathering of the hundreds of fluffy pups was expected to be one of the world’s largest of the breed all in one place, according to the BBC.
Carol Henry, who is the secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, told the BBC that the aim of the gathering was to keep alive knowledge of the breed, explaining that established breeders were mindful of protecting the golden retriever’s qualities and temperament.
“We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship and loyalty,” she added, “which are all the things the golden retriever was built on”.
Featured Image – Golden Retriever Club of Scotland
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Featured Image – Geograph
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th July 2023 
