[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Hi again dog pals,

If you stay at Hundred House Hotel @TheHundredHouse OR at Hallmark Hotel Stourport Manor @HallmarkHotels (check our hotel listings) then you might want to pay a visit to the Dog Friendly Severn Valley Railway @svrofficialsite.

The Severn Valley Railway is a full-size standard-gauge railway line, running regular, mainly steam-hauled, passenger trains between Bridgnorth in Shropshire (near Hundred House) and Kidderminster in Worcestershire (near Stourport Manor), a distance of approximately sixteen miles.

Hum & I were staying at Hundred House and so headed off to Severn Valley Railway at Bridgnorth Station. What a surprise we had! There are lots of events at Severn Valley Railway and we had arrived at 40’s weekend!

All the staff were dressed in 1940’s clothing/uniforms and there lots of people dressed up visiting and a tent where they had a man playing a banjo and Hum said they were doing it as if it was an old BBC radio broadcast! It was extremely good fun I can tell you. Lots of people seemed to be really enjoying the music.

Everyone made a huge fuss of me from the kind man collecting for the poppy appeal, to the lovely ladies all dressed up and showing off 40’s style with their dog, to the train guard and driver!

I got my very own ticket too! That was very cool 🙂

Hum loves steam trains just like her Dad used to so she was in her happy place which is always good! I liked these trains too. You had little compartments to sit in with just a few people unlike the modern trains so it wasn’t too crowed for me as a little dog AND I met some extremely friendly folks again all enjoying their 40’s day out in costume and with picnic baskets and such-like.

We only went to the next station on the line and back as we needed to get home that day but I can highly recommend it to my dog pals to take your humans to for a grand day out!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]5 Tips for a Well-Behaved Dog in Dog-Friendly Hotels

No doubt your dog is the perfect companion at home or during your walks, but how would that turn out in a completely new environment?

More hotels than ever do accept pets and count on your training skills to make sure your dog behaves in public, but also in the hotel room.

We’ve got five actionable tips for you to make sure your dog behaves amazingly well during your next pet-friendly hotel stay.

#1 — Spend Hours in Cafes and Crowded Places

At home, try to include a couple of weekly sessions at the mall or at new local cafes. You want to get your dog used to experiencing completely new environments so they don’t freak out next time you go away with them.

Another name for it is socialization, or generalization. Simply put, it is about making your dog behave the same regardless of the environment, including:

• very new smells (the cafe’s cakes, erm)


• a lot of unknown faces (entrance of a big store, for example)


• loud and scary noises (anywhere with works or a lot of activity)

Socialization and generalization are much easier at an early age but you can and should keep on doing it throughout your adult dog’s life. Oh and keep pushing the boundaries, too!

#2 — Reward Your Dog’s Attention

When you are out on a walk, say your dog’s name and reward him as soon as he is paying attention to you. Do it in random places, at random times, using a random tone. Indeed, you won’t be able to yell in your hotel’s lobby.

Rewards can be seconds of intense cuddles, or a treat, or both at different times. Just shuffle things up so your dog wants to always impress you.

Avoid punishing your dogs by yelling at him or even worse, hitting him. You’ll end up with an anxious dog that will react unpredictably. The last thing you want is a dog chewing the hotel’s furniture because of an accumulation of stress.

#3 — Ask Your Hotel For Exercising Spaces

Each dog has his own specific exercising requirements — some breeds only need their daily walks while others need a lot of running. If you don’t fulfill these needs, you expose yourself to an agitated and hyperactive dog.

Email your dog-friendly hotel ahead of time and ask for suitable areas close to the hotel for you to play with your pooch. Then simply wake up half an hour earlier and start the day with a tiring outing so you can have a quiet rest of the day!

#4 — Buy an Interactive Dog Toy

Also called dog puzzle toys, these will keep your dog’s brain active for a long time. Indeed, interactive dog toys are designed to challenge your dog in order to receive a treat.

The most common one is a regular ball with a hole inside delivering treats randomly. But other smart toys will require your dog to move pieces around to get what he wants (ie. a tasty piece of treat.)

Studies have shown that mental stimulation tires dogs as much as physical activity. So you get it: get your pooch’s brain working and you’ll have a sleepy dog all day!

#5 — Bring Your Dog’s Bed and Soft Toys Along

Cats and dogs are extremely focused on their smell. This is how they recognize each other and express themselves.

By bringing your dog’s own bed from home to the hotel, as well as some plush toys, you will create that homey feel and streamline the transition. Nine times out of ten, your dog will know his or her place is where their bed is. Your dog will feel safe and reassured.

No need to bring rubbery toys because they don’t keep smells as well as soft toys. It would simply make much less of an impact.

Wrapping Up!

Overall, making your dog feel at home is the mission for you. Be it through toys, exercise or feeding schedule, you can’t afford breaking the routine because you are on holidays.

Luckily, you are staying in a dog-friendly hotel so you can make sure your dog is part of everything you do. But don’t forget one thing: dogs do not know what holidays are! They love their routine and want to stick to it as much as possible.

Written by Lazhar Ichir, founder of Breeding Business, the free online magazine about ethical dog breeding (canine genetics, interviews, guides and news.)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4064″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row]]

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]OK dog pals,

I can tell you I have a really happy Hum today. I mean SUPER happy!!

We are staying at one of The Great Inns of Britain listed on our website – The Hundred House @TheHundredHouse and it is totally A-MAZ-ING!!!! Hum is in hotel heaven and I must say life is good for me too!!

From the start with the booking we got excellent service. Gemma 1 helped Hum choose a room to suit her and her many foibles (position of bathroom; décor; mirror with power point; view etc.) but all the rooms are really quite magical according to Hum. Exquisitely decorated – all quirky and individual and named after herbs and spices.

We are in Anise and it is all pretty and pink and gold (matches my pink blankie) and we got chandeliers and a great bathroom and Hum is happy, happy, happy!!

Gemma 2 welcomed us in and let me put paw to paper and check in and took Hum’s bag and showed us up to the room.

Hum squeaked with delight – there is a swing in our room – yes I kid you not dog pals – a SWING!! Apparently all the superior rooms have one. Now I was not so keen (I don’t like wobbly moving things) but Hum was ecstatic and had a lot of fun swinging away and said it made her feel young and happy and boy did she need cheering up – we was at a funeral this morning and she was really sad 😦

There was a water bowl provided for me but nothing else (bed or treats) so just as well I had my trusty Rovernighter @rovernighter and Wellybix @Wellybix to hand.

Hum however had all her requirements met. Toiletries including BIG jars of Bubble Bath and Shampoo; face flannel; fluffy towels; rain shower; lots of coat hangers; power point by dressing table; good lighting; bathroom at her side of the bed so she doesn’t have to crawl over me; view of the church; cafetiere with good coffee for the morning and then the Swing was an added bonus.

Everything about The Hundred House is sort of kooky and amazing!

We met Jo, wife of Stuart the acclaimed chef, and she recommended a walk for us but before that we explored the gardens. They are WONDERFUL; again totally magical. I got to smell the herbs and play hide and seek with the Hum and visit the Enchanted Garden which had lots of beautiful little places to discover and statues of teddy bears and other creatures and mini Stonehenge and a stairway to heaven and well lots of exciting stuff to explore!

Hum of course loved it totally and said it would defo be somewhere she would recommend as a dog friendly wedding venue. Oh yes – I need to mention that – Jo told us they have had weddings at The Hundred House where the bride and groom have had their dog walk down the aisle and be ring bearer. How cool is that! Oh and Hum & I sneaked a peep at the Bridal Suite – the Human folks would love it – most romantic!

The bar is a great area for us four-legs to relax in and again it is a lovely space as is the little private function room which was free so Hum chose to eat there.

After the recommended walk and a bubbly bath for Hum, we came for dinner and my dear dog pals Chef cooked specially for me!! How brill is that – perfectly delicious griddled chicken! Yum Yum!!

Hum had black pudding and apple and chorizo and salad and stuff and onion rings which I isn’t allowed but for mains she ordered duck to share. Turns out the duck dish got published in a book! It was pretty special I must say!

The food at the Hundred House is Fab-U-Lous and delicious and yummy and BIG helpings – just as well I was there to help Hum out 😉

Stuart is a super good chef and we can defo recommend coming here for dinner.

Hum slept extremely well in her super comfy bed and in the morning thoroughly enjoyed having her cafetiere coffee. She loved the rain shower and the fact that everything was just in the right place for practicality but was also good quality and pretty. She does like pretty things does my Hum.

We had a walk in the gardens again before breakfast and I ordered the kippers for Hum and a poached egg on toast for me. Once again perfectly cooked, delicious food.

I don’t think Hum wanted to leave The Hundred House. She seemed to have been transported into a totally happy place. And I do like my Hum to be happy.

But sadly we had to leave. Jo was really helpful and told us some places we could visit before going home that were dog friendly and asked Hum to send photos of what other places provided for dogs in the room so she could implement that.

So what can I say – I would definitely without reservation recommend you to bring your Humans for a stay at The Hundred House – they will find it enchanting and it can’t help but make them happy it seems and if our humans are happy, then so are we 🙂

Please go and enjoy! Oh and make sure you check out all the photos at the top of this blog so you can see how wonderful it is!!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Hey dog pals,

Well soon as I saw Hum get my @rovernighter and @Wellybix out I knew we would possibly be off on another adventure! Yeah!!!!

This time we were off to the village of Hellidon in Northamptonshire to stay at the Red Lion @redlionhellidon which is the village pub that allows us four-legs to stay in the rooms and to eat in the bar.

Hum says Hellidon is a quintessentially English village with its thatched cottages and such-like and we were going ‘cos they have a village fete where there is a dog show Hum thought would be fun to attend.

Mrs Sat Nav got us here extremely smoothly – no windy roads or hold ups so Hum was indeed happy.

When we arrived we got a great welcome from Matt who made a fuss of me. Ross who runs the Red Lion also came out to say ‘hello’ but as he is chef I don’t think he was allowed to give me cuddles – hygiene and all that.

Matt carried Hum’s bag up and showed us our room and guess what! Yet again we got a room that matches my blankie! How does Hum do it?? We were in the Green Room and it was nice enough – pleasant bed linen/curtains/blind and if I sat on the bed I could see the view of where the fete would take place BUT Hum reckoned it definitely lacked a Woman’s Touch as she put it…there was a lot that could be improved.

She noted instantly that the carpet was grubby in the room (more on that later); although tea and coffee was provided there was no milk; there was only one coat hanger in the wardrobe; no face flannel and no shower.

Hum was happy however to see as well as shower gel and shampoo she had not one but two bars of soap and great big towels to wrap up in.

We unpacked, came to check out the bar and let them know Hum needed milk and coat hangers both of which were sorted out quickly.

As the Red Lion shuts between 3 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. we went on a walk that Matt suggested to us. It was a really good walk down a place called Gated Road and I met Betsy and Florie who were good company.

Then Hum decided to head off to find the Hellidon Lakes Hotel as Matt thought it was dog friendly, however although dogs are welcome in some of the bedrooms, they aren’t allowed in the bar. Hum rested her feet outside with a cup of tea taking shelter from the rain and then we headed back to the Red Lion in time for it to re-open.

I got another great welcome from Matt & Alex and met a dog called Gracie who was being looked after there. Hum sorted us a table and we settled down so I could start my blog.

Ross really is a good chef – the food was exceptional. Hum ordered one of my favourites – breaded brie and then we had pork 2 ways with apple gravy and it was REALLY yummy!!!!

Back in our room and there were other foibles to contend with – if you want other channels than BBC on the TV you have to put a cable up and over the top of the telly for it to work! Very odd indeed!

When it came to sleeping however, Hum slept really well – the bed was comfy although the pillows could be fluffier she said.

After a quick morning walk round the village, we came back for Hum to get ready for the day. Now she had been told if she wanted a shower she could use the one in Room 8 so this is what she decided to do.

BUT as she set off she got all Hotel Inspector-like (she loves that programme) and said ‘No guest should ever have to see a room like Room 8’! It was tiny and cramped and a mess with bedding on the floor and racks of linen and towels and the bathroom door was damaged and someone had already had a shower in there and then there was the issue of the carpet!!!!

If no guest should have to deal with Room 8 then absolutely NO ONE should have to walk on the landing carpet! Meant to be beige, it was filthy black right down the middle and Hum was not prepared to put her bare feet near it!!!

Please Ross change THAT carpet and steam clean the one in the bedroom – they are both quite grim and Hum is sure unhealthy….she said the real Hotel Inspector would have ripped them up immediately!

Hum decided to stick to our bathroom in future and just use a jug to wash hair as our bathroom was quite nice and clean, if not luxurious.

Hum did her make-up stuff (nice little dressing table but no power point next to it to do hair drying and the lighting was poor for make-up) and then we went for breakfast.

Hum’s late hubby always said you can tell a good chef by their scrambled eggs and I must say Ross’s scrambled eggs did not disappoint. Ross really is a good chef. There was a cafetiere of good coffee too so we had a happy Hum at breakfast. AND they gave Hum a newspaper so she could read up on the Brexit news – apparently it was a big shock to the country – we is leaving the EU but I don’t know how it affects us doggies so I’ll leave it to the Humans to debate.

After breakfast it was time for me to have a bit of hairbrushing before heading to the Dog Show which I will tell you about in a separate blog.

When we came back we were both wet and muddy so Hum and I both had a wash and blow dry (this time in our bath) – no more venturing near Room 8 😉 before dinner.

Once again the food was really excellent! We had lamb medallions to start and smoked haddock for mains. YUMMEEE!!! Thanks again Ross.

After another good night’s sleep, a bubbly bath for Hum and another walk down Gated Road for me (‘cos I can get off lead there), it was back for breakfast.

This time poached eggs and again Ross’s cooking was perfection. Really delicious and excellent quality ingredients too.

So well fed and watered it was time to pack our bags and say our farewells.

So would we recommend the Red Lion?

Well definitely the pub where water bowls are provided and you get a fantastic welcome from the really charming, friendly staff.

And we would ABSOLUTELY recommend the food which really was some of the best we have had on our travels BUT not the room.

I am afraid we won’t be staying here again until we know something has been done about THAT CARPET!!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Well Dog Pals,

It was another busy weekend for this little dog. Hum took me for Sunday Lunch to Wiveton Hall @WivetonHall in Norfolk for me to check it out as she had been told the café was really lovely and also dog friendly.

Now Wiveton Hall has been on the TV recently on BBC2 – a programme called Normal for Norfolk #Normalfornorfolk about Desmond the owner and the Hall, Farm, Café etc. @BBC iPlayer http://bbc.in/1NazjEz

Hum let me watch the programme and I was REALLY impressed and hoped that I might meet Desmond – after all he is a celebrity now and that is what I want to be when I grow up so maybe he could give me some tips…

It was a beautiful sunny day and when we got there, Charlotte had booked us a table right by the window with a spectacular view over the salt-marshes and we all know by now how Hum loves a view!! She was well happy!

She also LOVED all the bright coloured chairs and tablecloths and the whole atmosphere. They have a cool system for ordering in Wiveton Café – when you get to your table you are given a pencil and a piece of paper and you write what you want on it and give it to one of the staff!!!

Our member of staff was Holly and boy did she make a fuss of me – she was lovely and I got such a great welcome and hugs and cuddles and she took a photo of me with Hum giving my order! I told Hum after she should have taken a photo of Holly as she was so very lovely but the café had gotten real busy and it never happened L Next time Holly!

The menu was very impressive with lots of the food directly from the farm. I was very pleased with what I ordered – the roast chicken and Hum thought the accompaniments were divine! She loved the beetroot and carrots and we both thought the chicken was really succulent! I don’t really like Hum’s gravy at home but the jus at Wiveton was truly scrumptious! A real hit!!!

We also met Charlotte who had made the booking and was pleased to see us. In fact all the staff knew who I was – most impressive! Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Then the moment I had been waiting for! Desmond came in for lunch! Yes, indeed! Desmond, TV star and celebrity whose amazing eyebrows are as famous as he is! Desmond sat down to talk to Clarey and her friend who were at the next table to us. Hum knows Clarey from Wells and so she managed to persuade Desmond to have a photo with us! Thanks Clarey! Not my best but included to prove we did meet 😉

Now Desmond did say that I must tell you that at Wiveton preference is given to working dogs and by this I don’t think he means modern working dogs like me that deal with social media and write blogs and suchlike. No my friends I think he means proper old school working dogs such as gun dogs and farm dogs. So if you are one of those my friends he will be most welcoming. I think I may need to retrain if I want him to befriend me but he did say I was sweet looking….

After our meeting with Desmond we went for a short walk but Hum kept it brief as there were lots of animals around and she didn’t want me bothering them.

A quick stop at the shop completed out visit and more fussing from the fabulous Verity! Hum loved all the stuff in the shop – great pottery and scarves and jams and honey from the farm.

So a super scrummy lunch and lovely time was had at Wiveton and I know we will be back again with Hum’s Mum some time. Hum’s Mum will LOVE the shop!

So take your Humans and have a nice day but remember if you see Desmond you better be a working dog!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Well dog friends,

My Northumberland @ynorthumberland adventure had to come to an end sometime but Hum was kind and said that we could have another couple of visits to places that had been recommended to us en-route home so that we would have a good finish to our adventure.

After our lovely breakfast at Warkworth House Hotel @WarkworthHHotel we checked out and headed north to a place called Alnmouth, recommended by Eric the owner of the hotel as a lovely beach for me and good for Hum because there was parking right at the beach.

For your Humans, Alnmouth has been described as picture postcard perfect with with its colourful cottages. There is a lovely variety of restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, gift shops and a golf course for the humanfolk to enjoy. There is even a haunted hotel apparently what was featured on TV! We didn’t go there but headed straight for the beach.

The main attraction of Alnmouth is the beach; right on the doorstep of the village which attracts people from all over the Country! Well I can tell you it really was a lovely big beach with lots of sand and super great for a game of ball to start the day which is the best way possible for a little dog like me 🙂

After Alnmouth we set off south of Warkworth to Amble another place recommended to Hum – this time by Ian who does Hum’s garden at home! Thanks Ian ‘cos Amble turned out to be really rather interesting.

We found these wonderful little pod shops and 2 of them had stuff for dogs! Mick ran The Dog Pod, Canine Café!!!! How cool is that dog pals!!!! A café for US!!!! He did sell crepes for the humans but then had a fab dog menu of doggy cupcakes and biscuits and yummy stuff! I checked out the cupcakes but Mick recommended some biscuits which I must say were excellent!

He also told us the beach at Amble had recently got restrictions for dogs so he recommended the beach at a place called Druridge Bay Country Park.

We also visited Hazel in Urban Pooch which sold dog coats and leads and treats and toys! I chose a little toy and have decided Amble certainly is a super good place to visit apart from the beach 😦

We went to see the long pier walk we could have done in Amble but it was quite windy so Hum decided we should head straight to Druridge Bay @SaveDruridge.

Druridge Bay Country Park comprises of three miles of beautiful beach and sand dunes, plus a large freshwater lake surrounded by woods and meadows.

Well it really was WONDERFUL! Had a super walk and then ANOTHER play on the lovely beach before hometime.

Sadly the visitor centre at Druridge Bay Country Park isn’t dog friendly but apart from that it would be a grand day out for you and your Humans and you could always pack a picnic…

So my dog pals, I can honestly tell you that Northumberland is a really good place for us four-legged folks to visit. Most of the beaches are dog friendly all year round and there are lots of dog friendly pubs, cafes and shops to visit and hotels to stay in. So why not pack up your belongings and have a great vacation next Bank Holiday!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Well dog pals,

I must say I found Northumberland a very dog friendly holiday destination. And Warkworth as a town was a great place to stay.

As well as our river walk (lots of bunny rabbits to chase) and our trip to the Castle, we found the town itself had much to offer.

On our first evening we found the dog friendly Masons Arms. Your Northumberland Guide @ynorthumberland highlights the Masons Arms because it is very pet friendly. There’s a nice grassed area outside in the beer garden, but we four-legs are also welcome inside the bar. They weren’t serving food when we went but there were lots of folks enjoying a beverage and lots of dogs to say hello to.

On day 2 after our trip to the Castle & Hermitage @EnglishHeritage, Hum decided to check out the shops. She found the lovely Fenwick Gallery @fenwick_gallery where dogs are made extremely welcome. The gallery is owned by the charming Dorien and she and her daughter Nicole are both artists. They made a HUGE fuss of me while Hum checked out the lovely paintings – Dorien does landscapes and Nicole animals. They also sell designer jewellery so Hum treated herself to some rather amazing earrings and was a very happy Hum indeed!

We were going to stop for a cup of tea at Bertrams Café as lots of people had recommended it but it is so VERY, VERY popular with people and their dogs that we couldn’t find anywhere to sit and so we went back to Warkworth House Hotel for tea for Hum and water and dog biscuits for me.

A quick trip back to the room for me to put paw to paper and write up some of my Blog before heading out again – this time to the beach. YEAH!!! I loves the beach!!!

Another day; another beach on our Bank Holiday adventure! This time Warkworth Beach. There is a nice public footpath walk through fields – part of the Northumberland Coastal Path and then you reach sand dunes and then the beach.

Warkworth Beach is proper good – HUGE BIG sandy beach! Hum is always happiest at the seaside (or in a boat) but where I is not keen on boats I DO love the BEACH!

Only one small issue – there were waves at Warkworth Beach and for some reason Hum thought it REALLY funny to keep throwing my ball into the sea and I doesn’t do waves. I don’t like them – they catch you unawares and make your hair totally wet! Anyways she didn’t find it so funny when I got her to fetch my ball and she had a hole in her welly boot 😉

Even so I had to carry my ball twice RIGHT back from the sea to dry sand before she got the message – I likes the beach but NOT the waves.

Overall it was super fun when Hum stopped messing around and we could just have a great game of ball and fun running in the sand.

Back in Warkworth and this time we stopped at the Hermitage Pub which is also dog friendly to the extent that if you didn’t have a dog with you you looked out of place 😉

And of course we were staying at the very dog friendly Warkworth House Hotel @WarkworthHHotel.

So I can highly recommend Warkworth as a place to stay if you are taking your Humans to Northumberland. Head off and enjoy – you will be made most welcome!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Hi my doggie friends,

When we were in Northumberland @VisitNland, we visited Warkworth Castle. There are LOTS of castles in Northumberland but not all of them are dog friendly. However, Warkworth Castle is an English Heritage site and we were told that dogs are allowed at all English Heritage places and there is no charge for us four-leggy peoples 🙂 Well done English Heritage! @EnglishHeritage

Warkworth Castle is one of the largest, strongest and most impressive fortresses in Northumberland so it was good I could visit it! Even better, ‘cos it was Bank Holiday weekend, there was a Medieval Life & Times event! Basically these Human-folks recreate Medieval times, setting up a proper authentic encampment! They is all dressed in old fashioned costumes and shoes and headwear and everything and they even slept in their tents in the camp all weekend!

We saw them cooking Potage and baking bread and demonstrating weapons and they had to do everything just like it was back then!

A young boy befriended me and I thought I might join his camp except all he had food-wise was nuts and that didn’t appeal to me. Another camp had ham though which seemed a better option – all the food had to be cooked on fires and in stone ovens and suchlike! It looked like lots of fun but Hum said she doesn’t ‘do’ camping and she reckoned I might also miss the luxury of dog friendly hotel life…She may have a point there…

We didn’t stay for the Military Drill ‘cos Hum thought I would be scared of the guns and stuff. Instead we walked up the river path to a boat crossing. Now I thinks I is more scared of boats than guns but of course Hum loves her boat trips and Mick the boat man was nice to me and helped me on and made me feel safe.

Mick rowed us across the river to the Hermitage and what an extraordinary place that was! Carved out of a cave is a small Chapel, a Sacristy and a pair of small rooms that are believed to be the Hermit’s original living quarters.

Hum and the other Humans really liked it and ooohed and aahhed about the tiny chapel and the carvings that were meant to be a Nativity scene apparently.

Back to the other side and a walk back along the river to explore Warkworth which I will tell you about next time.

However if you do get the opportunity do take your Humans to Warkworth Castle and the Hermitage. They will love it and you will have a great dog friendly day out together 🙂

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]We got a GREAT welcome from Joanne when we arrived at Warkworth House Hotel @WarkworthHHotel. Not only did she make a huge fuss of me BUT she asked if I wanted to join Hum for dinner and would we like her to book us a table in the bar. Also asked about breakfast and where we would like to sit. Now that IS thoughtful!!

Joanne took us up to our room and OMG dog folks it is ‘MY’ room!!!!! My blankie, toy and even Hum’s suitcase TOTALLY match the pink and turquoise décor!!! I LOVE this room – well 2 rooms really – a bedroom and a sitting room for us to enjoy. Well posh! AND if I sit on my blankie on the bed, I can see out the window and watch the world go by. Brilliant – just brilliant!

There is nothing provided in the room at Warkworth House for dogs so I set up my Rovernighter @rovernighter and did note that apparently there are treats behind the bar I can sample later. Maybe they would be @Wellybix…

In the room there was however lots of good stuff for Hum – lovely toiletries; finally on our travels a face flannel; power point near a mirror; fluffy towels; a robe and properly decent pillows. Looks like I’ll have a happy Hum tonight. Thanks Warkworth House 🙂

After Hum had a cup of tea in the lovely cosy, dog friendly lounge, we went for a lovely walk recommended by peeps in the bar round the Castle @EnglishHeritage . Hum wasn’t happy when I chased rabbits by the river. Oops!! But even though Hum thinks I is human, I is a dog and I chase things like dogs do.

A nice man dressed in Medieval gear picked me up ‘cos I didn’t like the bridge to the castle and Hum was taking MORE photos. We are going back to see him tomorroz ‘cos there is events on at the Castle and it is dog friendly. Yeah!!!

Back at the hotel and Hum had her bubbly bath and wrapped in her robe and called her Mum for a catch up and to let her know how fab and dog friendly Northumberland @NNTourism is.

Then we set off downstairs for dinner. Liam in the bar was SUPER DUPER lovely and friendly and brought me treats and made a massive fuss of me and Dawn helped Hum choose the food.

The bar itself was welcoming and happy and had lots of folks with dogs and regulars who seemed very loyal to Warkworth House – it has an excellent reputation!

Hum ordered Chicken Ballotine for us which was just perfect – couldn’t have ordered better myself. It was delicious; excellent; yummy! And Liam was just great – I would award him the ‘Bestest Host Ever ‘Paward’’ if I had such a thing 😉

We met an adorable lady called Michelle who is a regular visitor to Warkworth House Hotel and she invited us to her table. We had a fab time and Michelle told us about her dogs (they weren’t with her and she was missing them).

So Hum had a lovely evening and after more cuddles and fussing from Liam, so did I 🙂

Hum slept exceptionally well – the bed was really comfy she said AND the pillows excellent! She wasn’t keen to get up and leave her lovely bed but we had places to visit and holiday stuff to do!

After a quick shower which Hum also approved of she sorted her face. There was no power point by the dressing table or good lighting BUT she could use the bathroom mirror so she didn’t make a mess of her make-up stuff. Why she bothers is a mystery – she will never look as good as me 😉

There was a power point near another mirror in the room so all was good for hair drying.

When Hum was sorted we had a quick walk by the river before breakfast – and dog pals if you ever get the chance to try Craster kippers @CrasterKippers do so! They are A-Maz-Ing!! AND Hum got a proper cafetiere of coffee. Life is good!

We had a Grand Day Out – Castle in the morning (see next Blog); Beach in the afternoon; a bit of shopping and stuff and then we went back to the hotel for Hum to watch TV and for me to rest – was shattered after all that visiting and needed a nap! Holidays can be tiring if you have a Hum like mine that wants to look at local stuff; attractions and ensure we find lots of dog friendly places to tell you guys about!

While I napped Hum did her TV and a bubbly bath and she was refreshed in time for dinner. She really has quite simple pleasures – seaside; boats; rain showers; bubbly bath; good food and a nice view keep her happy. Add a face flannel; good coffee and good pillows and she is in heaven 😉

Dinner and Hum decided ‘cos we woz at the seaside we should have proper fish and chips. Good choice I must say as locally caught freshly cooked food is indeed deliche 🙂 Thanks Hum!

We met Margaret who makes pretty mean shortbread (Eric, one of the hotel owners gave me some earlier) and we also met David who said I was better behaved than the children who were visiting 🙂

Warkworth House really was proving to be a real good place to stay for your vacations! After another good night’s sleep we was super sad to say goodbye but all good things come to an end and we had to head off home.

En Route we will visit Druridge bay Country Park, recommended by Eric and Amble which we have been told is also worth a visit.

Tell you about that another time though!

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Well Dog Friends,

I did have a happy Hum when we were in Northumberland @VisitNland. Not only were we by the seaside which she loves but ‘cos Northumberland is further north than where we lives, the blossom was still out on the trees and that makes my Hum very happy indeed 🙂

We checked out of the Bamburgh Castle Inn @BamCastleInn and Hum drove us back to Bamburgh to pick up some of the award winning Bambugh Bangers (sausages) to take back home with us! Yum!!!

Then we went onto the beach at the other side of Bamburgh Castle – this beach goes all the way back to Seahouses nearly and is very dog friendly! We met a couple and their dogs who we had met at the Victoria Hotel AND on Lindisfarne – they are going to tell us any dog friendly places they find, or rather Ted, one of their dogs will 😉

We travelled down the coast to Embleton, yet ANOTHER beach near Dunstanburgh, yet ANOTHER castle! Northumberland has lots of brilliant dog friendly beaches and an abundance of castles for the humans to visit!

Embleton beach was full of people walking their dogs and was really rather lovely.

Hum had wanted to stop for a cup of tea at the dog friendly Ship Inn but it was SO crowded with people we moved on. BUT that beach and pub are certainly super popular with dogs and their humans! We handed out our business cards to some nice dog owners and moved on.

We headed further down the coast again to Craster and the Jolly Fisherman, another dog friendly establishment Hum had found and famous for its crab sandwiches #crabsandwich.

I don’t like crab but Hum loves it and although there is dog friendly seating in the bar, it was pretty crowded and as it was nice weather, we sat out in the lovely garden with a view of the castle for Hum. I must say I think I was super well behaved and most patient while she did her eat crab and look at a view thing. She did have some of my Wellybix @Wellybix treats to keep me happy and the pub gave me a bowl of water.

After that little bit of relaxation it was time to head off again to our next hotel, Warkworth House which I will tell you about in my next Blog entry.

Zuki

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