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Herdy New Year Round-up 2019
Well, 2019 has been a baa-rilliant year
Here are just some of the highlights
Sue "Suzie Coo" Graham's Christening cake, 17th October.
26,127 people reached
1,128 likes & reactions
164 comments
The Herdy post ewe loved the most
Farmer James Read's Herdwick lamb, posted for International Day of Happiness, 20th March
38,352 people reached
2,798 likes & reactions
251 comments
The Herdy post ewe talked with your friends about the most
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visit a Herdysleep farm in the Lake District for afternoon tea, 12th June
21,717 people reached
1,497 interactions
Highlights throughout the year
February 2019
Rory and his Herdwick tup friend, Mario, get sent a load of Herdy goodies (4th February)
In late January 2019, we learned about the story of Rory, a very shy 4-year old who was learning to overcome his shyness courtesy of his best friend, Mario the Herdwick tup.
We asked ewe, the awesome Herdsters, to help us get in touch with Rory and family so we could send them some Herdy goodies. We were so thrilled to help Rory fulfil his wish of having a Herdwick live in the house!
Herdy announces "Hunt The Herdy" for the 2nd year in a row, for Random Acts Of Kindness Day, 17th February
For our random act of kindness, we hid 30 “Super Herdys” throughout Cumbria for ewe to find and take home. When people found a Super Herdy all we asked is that you perform a Random Act of Kindness yourself.
And so you did! From leaving behind biscuits for others to discover, and inviting elderly neighbours round for lunch. Heart warming tales of kindness for others.
March 2019
Helen makes her own custom Herdy Hoody, 2nd March
Helen visited our Grasmere Herdy shop and showed off her custom hoody, complete with Herdy labels and tassels!
We sent her a Badge Money Can't Buy.
April 2019
Susan and Eithne make their own custom Herdy bags, 2nd April
More creative customers came into our Grasmere shop; this time Susan and Eithne showed us their incredible bags they made out of our tea-towels and aprons!
Interestingly, we received lots of requests from ewe Herdsters to make similar vanity/makeup/toiletry bags... we listened and eventually launched a new range of Cosmetic Bags.
Emma shares photos of the first Herdwick lambs of the season, 29th April
In our Herdsters Facebook Group, Emma kept us regularly updated about the work she does with Spitalfields City Farm in London. They look after a flock of Herdwick sheep for conservation grazing in the North Downs. And then, April came around, and boom! New cute Herdwicks lambs.
May 2019
Seb Swallow wins a "Lady Baa-Baa" Herdy
Every year we tend to run a little Eurovision competition on our social media. In 2019 we invited ewe Herdsters to suggest a sheep pun-based Eurovision contestant. The entry we found the funniest would then be made into an actual Herdy and given to the winner as a prize.
Seb Swallow suggested "Lady Baa-Baa", which we loved. So we created a Lady Baa-Baa Herdy, just for him.
June 2019
Then THIS happened on 12th June, 2019
In June 2019, Prince William and Kate visited the Lake District, meeting with members of various charitable organisations, going on guided walks, and visiting fell farmers and shepherds.
One visit they made was to a farm in the Patterdale valley, which is part of a co-operative we helped set up for purchasing the Herdwick fleece they clip so we can make Herdysleep mattresses. We had no idea the Royal Couple would be visiting this particular farm we knew of, and especially didn't know that the farm was prepared with tens of Herdy mugs, ready for afternoon tea!
Herdwicks in a Honda, 22nd June
Friend of Herdy, Michael Bauer, sent us some photos of these Herdwicks he looks after on his small holding. Don't really need to say anything more, do we?
July 2019
A goodbye cake with no peer, 15th July
Over on Twitter, Ros let us know about a cake her colleague made for her as a goodbye gift. And we thought it was fantastic.
Turns out that a lots of Herdsters are very talented bakers!
August 2019
The summer country show season heats up, 3rd August
Herdy won 1st prize for Best Small Trade Stand at the Cockermouth Show.
2019 would also see us take the "Herdymobile" across the UK to attend a record number of country shows.
Where's Roger with that cider? 29th August
After attending our regular Summer spot at the Patterdale Dog Day show, we managed to capture a few more photos of those wonderful freshly clipped Herdwick sheep. We decided to use one for a fun caption competition.
Matthew Jackson ended up being the winner with this funny back-and-forth between the Herdwicks.
September 2019
The "Copper (in our) Veins" trail & exhibition, 4th September
In Coniston, the talented arty pair at Miles-Moore Ceramics, Siobhan and Martin, were creating an exhibition and trail celebrating Coniston copper, its historic mines, and the importance of copper not just to the Lake District but to mankind in general.
We were invited to collaborate with Miles-Moore, as it was seen that copper was as fundamental to the Lake District as Herdwick sheep were. How could we refuse?
We donated two Herdybanks, which were expertly copper gilded by Siobhan and local artist Jessica Elleray. The two Herdybanks then went on an adventure, all around the Coniston Coppermine trail and beyond, even making it to Anglesey, North Wales!
Herdy helps raise awareness and funds for the rebuilding of the Borrowdale Institute, 12th September
The Borrowdale Institute, the 100-year old Village Hall in the middle of the famous Borrowdale valley, is in dire need of repairs and upgrading. They're in the middle of running a crowdfunding campaign, and we wanted to help boost awareness of this crucial project and, hopefully, raise some more funds.
Thankfully we helped raise an additional £1,000 for the fundraiser. You can contribute to the project here.
Herdy launches the new Herdy Adventures range, 14th September
Expanding on the massively popular Hiker Herdy concept, unveiled in late 2018, we launched the Herdy Adventures range in September 2019, accompanied by full-size adventurous Herdys scaling the walls, cycling around, and touring in our Herdy shop windows.
October 2019
Herdy meets Michael Portillio, 3rd October
We attended the London Sheep Drive, one of the last Herdymobile shows of the year, and had the pleasure of introducing former MP Michael Portillo to Herdy and our wonderful world of colour and sheep.
Sue "Suzie Coo Cakes" Graham makes THAT Christening cake, 17th October
And promptly goes viral in the Herdy world.
November 2019
Herdy gets the Christmas decorations up, 1st November
We introduced Santa Herdy and his best bud Sheppy the red-nosed "rain-deer"; well, they are from the Lake District after all!
Along with a completely fitted out Christmas window display in all our Herdy shops, we also launched our 2019 range of Herdy Christmas goodies: the Christmas mug, coasters, tablemats, and cards.
Herdy & inov-8 are announced as headline sponsors of the 2020 International U18 Mountain Running Cup, 14th November
The occasion marks the first time the event has ever been hosted in the UK.
“inov-8 are the technical specialists who are synonymous with fell running, and Herdy is the welcoming face of a character that symbolises the Lakes,” said Event Director Duncan Richards. “One enables runners to tackle all levels of fell terrain, while Herdy, inspired by the Lakes' native Herdwick sheep, knows the fells even better than the best runners!”
More gorgeous CAKE is made, 25th November
This time from Jane Muir, who emailed us this photo of her amazing Herdy Christmas cake she made, inspired by our Herdy Christmas 2019 designs.
December 2019
The copper Herdys are raffled off to raise funds for the Brathay Trust, 2nd December
The lucky winner was announced as Sue Wilkinson, from Portinscale near Keswick, Cumbria. Sue is a retired professor of psychology specialising in health communication, and has a lifelong interest in mental health.
Returning back to Herdy silliness... 4th December
In our Herdsters Facebook Group, Diane Hillyer's Herdys were celebrating the end of Movember, and the terrific moustaches they've grown, the only way they knew: with CAKE.
Talented bakers ahoy! 17th December
Elaine sent us these photos of her daughter's Birthday Cake, baked by grandma Jeanette. Again, incredible attention to detail. There does seem to be an awful lot of extremely talented bakers in the Herdster community.
Thank ewe for supporting us, making us laugh, and sharing your time and memories with us. It means the world.
Here's to a fun 2020!
