As little girls, we all loved our My Little Pony Dolls. Over the years, we've discovered we're not the only ones!

Hundreds of My Little Pony fans are looking forward to converging on Manchester in the UK for a convention - mostly aimed at adult men.  The men they call ... Bronies - or 'brothers who like ponies'.

They are turning the TV franchise, which prompted a generation of little girls to beg their parents for a horse, on its head.

Bronies are devoted to the adventures of Applejack, Fluttershy and Princess Twilight Sparkle.

They are to be featured on TV next week in National Geographic's Outsiders with Darren McMullen.

The programme follows fans to the Bridgewater Hall for Europe's biggest brony convention, with many dressing as their pastel-coloured heroes.

Fan 'Spitfire' said: "It was ironic at first but then I kind of got into it."

The fad took off in 2010 with the launch of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, a cartoon update that did away with some of the old sexist stereotypes.

Although 80% of devotees are male, female fans, or 'pegasisters', are also now coming on board.