25/06/2024
This week marks ten years of Hurley’s and a whole decade of unforgettable dogs.
I’ve felt that theres been so much I wanted to reflect on and so much I wanted to say about this gorgeous little biz of mine, that I soon realised there was too much to mention in just one post!
So where better to start than at the start, right?!
After gaining my quals, I was lucky enough to have a garden shed that had an electricity supply, so armed with a few tins of paint, a bath that cost about £30 and an electric ‘horse’ shower that hooked up to the hose pipe, I was good to go! It’s funny now but my first shed dealt its hand of inconvenient obstacles. Whether it be the hose pipe freezing in Winter, resulting in having to drag it through my house to thaw out in my bath, to the Halfords car window blinds I used on the inside of the shed which would fall off with the condensation - it was a laugh. It wasn’t until my first Old English Sheepdog that I realised there was clearly a height limit, too!
For those that have stuck with Hurley’s from the outset, you’ll remember that first shed well. It was put together on a budget, it wasn’t perfect, it was freezing in Winter and insanely small (7 x 5ft!) but that shed was my solace. It was where I practiced, where I messed up but figured out how to put it right. Where I began building relationships with trusting owners and ultimately, where foundations were laid.
I owe a lot to friends that helped me at that time. Whether it was those that pieced it all together physically, to those that would bring me lunch on a weekend whilst I was hustling away, or the one who helped me deliver flyers all around Bingham before we called it a day and had a pint in the Plough! 🍻
Those that helped me get going were a fundamental part of the Hurley’s story and I’ll always be grateful for that support.
I’d soon outgrown my little shed and luckily for me we had space to build a new one, this time with a proper water supply and enough room for a Leonberger (evidently!)
These two little buildings were my pride and joy. They served me well for 4 years of business and enabled me to nurture my passion, which would soon bring something even greater…✨💛
