Mottie is well known for her wry sense of humour and her delight in surprising her audience with her own way of doing things, so I should have known better than to imagine that - since her only previous litter consisted of just the four girls shown in our previous news item - the next would be similar........

........Here are her eight new babies (three boys, five girls) born on Thursday 9th! 

Birthday greetings to Mottie's four lovely daughters by Glen, who are one year old today-

and thanks to their owners for the portraits below.

Elisabeth Heron-Watson's Brambledale Brora

(painting by Claire Eastgate).........

Peter Jolliffe's B. Blue Kit...................

Gill Philips' B Blue Belle............

.........and Carolin Kupper's B. Blue Cap......

.....and here is Cap again, leaping over her cousin Cuddles as they enjoy a romp in the snow.

We are looking forward to another litter from Mottie and Glen, due next month.....watch this space! 

2012 is a very special year for the Brambledale Beardies as it is fifty years since  I acquired my first Beardie, from whom all the present-day Brambledales are descended.  Here he is at three months old in summer 1962.................

........and just six months later (with my solemn sixteen-year-old self !) after winning his class at Cruft's in February 1963.

The rest of our story can be followed  decade by decade in the history pages of this site.