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

Hum loves a boat trip and after educating me about Grace Darling in Bamburgh where there is a museum and her memorial, decided we was going on a boat trip to the Grace Darling Lighthouse.

Golden Gate Boat Trips is the only Boat Tour company which is both dog friendly and lets us four-legs off onto an island. This is ‘cos George, the Captain is the Farne Islands’ lighthouse keeper so I guess he must make the rules. In any case, he is the only skipper who can take you on a guided tour inside Grace Darling’s Lighthouse, Longstone.

We can do other boat trips with other companies but not get off onto any other islands ‘cos of the birds I thinks…

Now Hum LOVES her boats and goes all relaxed and serene and happy but I REALLY do not find it easy to find my sea legs! I is not keen on being on the water – it makes the boat wobble! But Hum gave me hugs and Captain George and Skipper Stuart gave me biscuits and then I realised all I need to do is lie down. Then I could be as relaxed as good old Hum. Take note dog pals – that is how best to travel by boat.

Captain George and skipper Stuart were lovely and I was not just allowed onto the island but also into the lighthouse. Not sure what Hum was so excited about – for me it was just going up and down lots of bendy stairs leading to rooms with stuff for the humans to read but hey – Hum enjoyed herself and as we all know Happy Hum = Happy me 🙂

Hum stood at the window where Grace Darling had stood and spotted the Forfarshire ship had hit the rocks and then went on to rescue the survivors. She and the other Humans found this fascinating and chatted away about how brave Grace Darling was.

After a quick explore of the island, we got back on the boat and although I offered to help with the steering, George kept charge and took us to see the place where the ship was wrecked and the rescue took place.

We also stopped to see some seals and George was brill and told the humans lots of stuff about the islands and the birds and wildlife and history etc. All the humans took lots of photos – not just Hum this time! Humans are funny that way – they seem to need to take a picture of everything in case they forget it happened…

We went back via more islands and saw lots of the native birds – some looked like penguins but were guillemots and there were puffins too and all the humans got excited – I mean REALLY very excited over them!

I got more biscuits and settled down nicely. Hum did her face in the wind, happy face and all was good in our world.

It wasn’t long before we were back at the harbour which our hotel overlooked.

So hey Dog Pals, find your sea legs; take your humans and enjoy! Ailsa, George and Stu are lovely and it really is a grand day out with Golden Gate Boat Tours!

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

Next stop on our Northumberland Bank Holiday visit was The Bamburgh Castle Inn @BamCastleInn in the town of Seahouses just down the coast from Bamburgh.

You have to go to the end of the bar to check in at the Bamburgh Castle Inn which is a little unusual BUT we got a GREAT welcome from Kieron who remembered talking to Hum on the phone and telling her that we had a good room for me as it was a Garden Room so there was an enclosed garden for me to play in!

Unfortunately for poor old Hum there are no sea view rooms where you can have a dog stay with you but who needs a view when you get a whole garden just outside your door!!!!

The room itself was quite simple in furnishing s and décor but really clean and with French Windows opening onto the little garden shared with 2 other rooms.

If Hum took the time to walk to the top of our garden that would lead her to the Beer Garden and the Beer Garden overlooks the harbour. So there is a view if you make a bit of an effort Hum!

There is nothing provided in the room for dogs so just as well I had my Rovernighter @rovernighter to sleep in and my WellyBix @Wellybix treats to enjoy.

Also there were no toiletries for Hum – no face flannel or even little bar of soap she so likes 😦

The room was nice but not luxurious; however that garden made up for everything! Well that and the staff.

The staff at The Bamburgh Castle Inn are EXTREMELY friendly to us four-legs. Not just me ‘cos I is a celebrity but ALL the dogs that come into the Bar area. Keiron and Nicky in particular were lovely with Keiron making sure I was happy and settled in the room and Nicky looking after me when Hum went to the bar to order our dinner.

There were lots of people with their dog friends in the bar and many had travelled a long way to visit The Bamburgh Castle Inn and were people who returned again and again. That is high praise indeed!

The food was good – Hum really enjoyed the Pork Escalope and everyone else was tucking into their food heartily.

I had a good play in my garden in the evening while Hum watched TV and all seemed great in our world. Really great!

In the morning after an OK night’s sleep (Hum said the bed wasn’t as comfy as some she has slept in), I met another little dog in the garden and had fun playing before breakfast.

Hum had a shower and nearly flooded the bathroom as it was super powerful and she wasn’t quite expecting the force of it! Silly old Hum!

Breakfast was excellent, in particular the scrambled eggs (apparently the chef uses cream in them – take note Hum – they are MUCH better than yours).

So how would I rate The Bamburgh Inn? Well I have to take a paw print off for nothing being provided for us pooches BUT I can’t fault the staff, the welcome and the food!

We may be back just like your other customers – so thanks Bamburgh Inn for a lovely time.

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

Hum said a visit to the Northumberland Coast @Northumb_Coast would not be complete without a trip to Lindisfarne.

Lindisfarne, or Holy Island as it is also called (see I how I has done my research for you) is just up the coast from Bamburgh. It is an island but linked to the mainland by a road called a causeway which means it is a route over the sea to the island but twice a day it is cut off by water so you needs to check the tide tables to ensure it is safe to cross!

The Causeway was very, very long but we were safe ‘cos Hum had checked the tide tables so I knew the water wasn’t going to get us.

Today Lindisfarne is a thriving community, with a busy harbour, shops, hotels and inns. There is lots to see on the island including the ruined Priory and the Castle.

We stopped off at the dog friendly Tourist Information and met the lovely Sue who gave Hum info and directions to all the best places to go.

First stop was Lindisfarne Priory which was one of the most important centres of early Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England and is still a place of pilgrimage today.

What I need to let you and your Humans know more importantly is that the Priory is an English Heritage @EnglishHeritage site and a lovely lady told us that all English Heritage places are dog friendly!

As they put it on their website: With dog-friendly sites across the whole of England, your furry friends can join in a fun-filled day out. From vast Roman forts to spacious abbey ruins, give them a day out worth barking about.

Now for the history lesson my dear dog pals – your Humans will like to know this stuff.

Possibly the holiest site of Anglo-Saxon England, Lindisfarne was founded by St. Aidan, an Irish monk, who converted Northumbria to Christianity at the invitation of its king, Oswald.

Although St. Aidan founded the monastery in AD 635, St. Cuthbert, prior of Lindisfarne is the most celebrated of the priory’s holy men. Buried in the priory, his remains were transferred to a pilgrim shrine there after 11 years and found still undecayed – a sure sign of sanctity.

Well certainly the Priory was most lovely as a place to visit and most interesting for Hum and the other Humans.

After the dog friendly Priory we went into the village and stopped off at The Crown & Anchor pub as it was a hot day and we needed refreshment. Hum knew about the Crown & Anchor as it has the only dog friendly accommodation on Lindisfarne.

And I must say it was a very dog friendly place indeed. Claire who served us made a HUGE fuss of me and all the customers very lovely to me especially Barry who gave me dog biscuits!

Other places in the village we spotted were the Ship Inn where dogs can go in the bar area and Pilgrims Coffee House @PilgrimsCoffee which is also dog friendly.

There are lovely walks on Lindisfarne – Hum chose to walk us up to the Castle @NTlindisfarne. Us four-legs aren’t allowed into the castle but we are allowed in the grounds although must be on a lead due to the sheeps wandering around so we can’t chase them…

We saw other people walking across the mud on a Pilgrimage walk but I didn’t fancy that – it was too much like being in the sea for me!

So my lovely dog friends I can tell you that Lindisfarne certainly is a great place to visit with your Humans – they get to do all the history and touristy stuff and we get a grand day out.

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

So Hum decided we needed to check out Northumberland for this Bank Holiday. Lots of peoples we know had told us it was a great place to go and was really dog friendly so off we went!

We set off on the Friday ‘cos Hum thought there would be less traffic but she hadn’t bargained on the extensive roadworks and it took us like ages to get there! Hum was not a happy bunny and told Mrs Sat Nav off for not finding us a better route…I really don’t think Hum realises that Mrs Sat Nav isn’t a Human….

Anyways we got there – our first stop being Bamburgh and the Victoria Hotel @VicBamburgh. Bamburgh is a real popular place in Northumberland. There is a beach with a BIG Castle and you can see stuff about Grace Darling and get to Lindisfarne easily which human folk like to do.

You can’t have a Castle View room at the Victoria if you have a dog with you which Hum was a bit upset about but us dogs don’t need views as much as humans seem to so I was just fine with our room.

We didn’t get an overwhelmingly friendly welcome at reception. Just a very straightforward check in from Luke but he did carry Hum’s bag up which was kind of him.

There is nothing provided for dogs at the Victoria Hotel so I was glad I had packed my WellyBix @Wellybix and Rovernighter @rovernighter! I is getting good at packing essentials for travels now!

Hum liked the tea, coffee, biscuits provided and thought the toiletries looked lovely. She also liked the big fluffy towels and modern four-poster in her superior room but did note there was no face flannel…

At first Hum thought the curtains would let in a lot of light until she found there were blinds as well (stupid Hum) 😉

She was even happier to find that our room was right above the door and there was a window seat she could sit on with a view of the church. That did cheer her up. She does like her views!

The plumbing in the bathroom at the Victoria was a bit odd – hot water came out of the cold tap first before it went cold and there was lots of rattling noise which scared me when Hum was getting me a much needed bowl of water after the long journey. I thought there was some sort of metal monster in the bathroom and was worried it would get Hum if she didn’t be careful!

We settled in and then went to the beach and it is lovely – I had a paddle and played ball and met other dogs. The castle is Ginormous!!!!

Back at the Victoria and there is lots of seating in the bar for people with dogs. Most people were eating fish and chips and burgers with enormous onion rings which looked yummy but us four-legs aren’t allowed onions so Hum kindly ordered for me and I had pigeon and chicken.

We were SO hungry there is no photo of the pigeon but it was very tasty and cooked medium rare with an onion puree/whiskey sauce for Hum and just the meat for me.

The chicken and rice was much enjoyed by Hum but I am glad she gave me most of the pigeon as the chicken was a bit lemony for me as a dog.

We slept very well. Hum said the bed was comfy and the pillows OK. She LOVED the shower which was a big rain shower like she has at home so happy days!

After a quick walk for morning ablutions down to the castle and back, we headed in for breakfast. There was a table set for us in the bar area and Hum ordered eggs benedict which was really rather yummy. The food at the Victoria Hotel is exceptionally good – they have an excellent chef!

The staff at breakfast were nice but seemed rushed off their feet so didn’t have time to make fuss of us dog folk. Hum got a newspaper with her breakfast and was so engrossed in it she forgot to take a photo of the delicious breakfast – sorry dog pals.

We met another couple with their dogs who were staying at the Victoria and asked their opinion of the hotel, welcome etc. They felt it was OK but it would be nice to have stuff provided for dogs (they had had a welcome pack for their dogs at a cottage they stayed at). We agreed that the Victoria is a nice hotel with excellent food but not as dog friendly as some places we have stayed either.

So please for the future provide stuff for us four-legs and be just a little bit more welcoming – it doesn’t take much to make a bit of a fuss of us and make us feel special.

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

After our stay at ‘not so dog friendly’ Blackpool Hum and I travelled just down the coast to ‘much more dog friendly’ Lytham St Annes @lythamtourism.

According to Wikipedia (I am a smart dog you see I can look these things up) Lytham St Annes is a conurbation (big word for little dog!) in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St. Annes-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort.

The tourist people like to tell us that Lytham St Annes was voted a Top 10 Place in the North West to live and is also a great place to come and visit. So let’s see how it fairs for its dog friendliness!

First of all we were staying at the dog friendly Inn on The Prom @InnProm (see previous blog) and it was really nice there with exceptionally pet friendly staff. The lounge was comfy and stylish with pictures of dogs on the cushions and I was allowed in the whole of the lounge/bar area as well as the bedroom.

The main beach at Lytham St Annes (which was in front our hotel) has restrictions for part of the year and dogs are not allowed on the pier BUT there is a large stretch of beautiful sandy beach at the other side of the pier where dogs are allowed all year round.

A short drive along the coast takes you to Fairhaven Lake which is apparently a salt-water lake and very popular with the humans for boating. I was more interested in the fact that the café was dog friendly so another good place to take your humans after all their activity!

Further along again you come to Lytham Green where you will find Lytham Windmill, possibly Lytham’s best known landmark. Another good thing for Humans is the annual Lytham Festival held on Lytham Green with famous performers (but no dogs – come on Pudsey you need to get involved!).

For us four-legs a nearby pub is of more interest 🙂 The Queens Hotel overlooking the Green is dog friendly and you can get enjoy food and drink there with your Humans.

Hum took me to a Bistro however for dinner – Jacks Restaurant & Bar is a laid back and may I say cool environment where dogs are made extremely welcome! The staff made a HUGE fuss of me and I even got serenaded! The owner came out to meet me too seeing as how I is now a celebrity and all 🙂

The waitress let me order the food and so I got to try chicken livers which were sensational!!!! Then we shared some rather perfectly cooked duck. Defo take your humans to Jack’s – apparently the steaks are spot on too!!!! You won’t be disappointed. Great atmosphere, lovely people, staggeringly tasty food! What’s not to love!!!

The next day, after a play on the big dog friendly part of the beach Hum took me to Ashton Gardens where there is another dog friendly café!!!! Good for Lytham St Annes! The Pavilion café @StAnnesPavilion is super dog friendly and I met a dog called Tod who is equally into café culture – we should hang out together 😉 I tried to order the rather yummy looking cake at the café but Hum said it wouldn’t be good for me especially so soon after breakfast.

So my dog friends I can definitely recommend Lytham St Annes as a dog friendly destination for you to visit with your humans and am going to award it 5 paw prints – mainly for that meal at Jack’s 😉

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

Another day, another hotel to review – it’s a hard life being a ‘dog blogger’ 😉

After our stay in Blackpool, Hum took me down the coast to Lytham St. Anne’s which apparently has been voted Top 10 Place in the North West to live and is also a great place to come and visit.

Getting to our hotel was fun – Hum got really angry with Mrs Sat Nav who kept making us go round in circles but eventually she chose to ignore the talking machine lady and we found Inn on the Prom @InnProm.

We got a really, REALLY warm welcome from Yasmin who recognised Hum’s voice from booking us in and she also knew who I was!! That IS GOOD dog friendly service!

You can only stay in standard rooms at Inn on the Prom if you have a dog with you so no sea view for Hum 😦 She WAS disappointed about that. We all know about her and her love of a good view….

However the room was beautifully decorated and Hum had a four-poster bed which cheered her up AND guess what! The décor matched my blankie – how good is that! How does Hum find places that match my blankie so often!

Hum said the bathroom was a real let-down (more on that later) but there was lots about the room that made her happy. There was a big mirror near power points on a dressing table; a full length mirror also; lots of storage; plenty of milk for teas and coffees and of course the four-poster bed.

We unpacked and set up my Rovernighter and went to the bar for refreshment.

Dogs are allowed in the bar and you can eat there together in the evening, however Hum had booked us out to a dog friendly bistro so I can’t tell you about dinner at Inn on The Prom.

Although there are lovely cushions with dogs on them in the lounge and pictures of dogs up the staircase, nothing is provided for dogs at Inn on The Prom – you need to bring your own bed, bowls, blankies, food & treats. There weren’t even any dog biscuits behind the bar 😦 Water is provided freely however.

Hum spoke to Debbie, the hotel manageress after our meal and she said she would certainly talk to the owner about providing more dog friendly stuff if only some biscuits at the bar.

Hum and I slept well – Hum’s bed was very comfy, the curtains made the room really dark and it was really quiet. All made for a good night’s sleep. In fact Hum didn’t wake up till after 8.00 a.m.!

Hum was still going on about her disappointment with the bathroom – it was very basic, dated, there was a crack in the basin pedestal, no toiletries except a small bar of soap, not enough towels initially and no bathmat provided unless you asked for it. Hum did of course – she hates a wet bathroom floor apparently. Another of her many foibles!

This morning we noted a man leaving bath mats outside other rooms so maybe Hum isn’t so odd and other folk feel the same…

I got an amazing welcome from Charlotte in reception when we went down for breakfast and then the lovely Sara came and made sure we had a nice table by the window (Hum got a view) and took our order. Sara was most kind making sure she brought everything to us so I wouldn’t have to be left while Hum went to the buffet and indeed she even brought extra food for me!

The staff at Inn on The Prom are REALLY lovely!! Super kind and friendly and helpful!

Inn on The Prom has its own little garden where I could play ball and chase with Hum and there is a lovely walk just across from the hotel through little gardens but the beach there has restrictions for part of the year.

There are other beaches nearby without restrictions however so later on we visited them and had a good run.

What do I think of Inn on the Prom? Well the staff are amazing but they really could do with providing stuff for us four-legs so I have to knock a paw print off for that.

AND Hum wanted me to knock another off for only letting us stay in standard rooms so no view and poor quality bathroom.

However I will counter that with how lovely everyone was so she is only allowed a half paw for her stuff.

I would defo stay here again and recommend it to you to bring your humans. Inn on the Prom is a really friendly hotel for dogs and humans alike.

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

Hum was challenged to find out if Blackpool @visitBlackpool was a dog friendly place to visit so we set off – her with her suitcase and me with my Rovernighter @rovernighter to find out.

First off was finding somewhere to stay. Hum rang lots of hotels including Maples; The Savoy and the Elgin and found that in nearly all the hotels dogs could stay in the bedrooms but nowhere else in the hotel so nowhere to eat or have a drink or a cup of tea!

Hum didn’t think that was very practical and I didn’t think it was very dog friendly so we thankfully finally found the absolutely wonderful and VERY dog friendly Chesterfield hotel @PetsWelcomeBnB (see previous Blog).

Next issue was finding somewhere to eat! The Chesterfield has a lounge and bar area (both dog friendly) but doesn’t serve evening meals so we needed to find dog friendly eateries.

There are some pubs where dogs are allowed in such as the Lifeboat and The Old Bridge BUT again they don’t serve meals.

For evenings there is the Pump & Truncheon which is a really lovely friendly pub that serves real ale for the Humans and lets dogs in BUT they only serve pizza so not a lot of choice 😉 I mean the pizza was delicious! I had the meat feast with Hum but apparently humans don’t want to eat the same meal every night….

Julie at The Chesterfield does dog sitting so you humans can go and have different meals and you can always eat a take away there but so far Blackpool is not rating highly as a dog friendly holiday destination!

So what is the town itself like for us four-legged folk? Well my friends we are allowed on the trams @Blackpooltrams both the new ones and the Heritage Trams that go up and down the pier. Hum decided we would take the new tram to the end of the line to a place called Fleetwood.

Fleetwood has a famous market and there is a great walk along the seafront where there are also boating lakes and a Memorial Garden. We stopped to chat to some folk at the Ferry Café which had tables outside to sit with your dog but we also did see a dog go inside so that may be a place to visit…otherwise take your Humans to The Steamer Pub near the market as it is dog friendly.

After a walk around Fleetwood, we took the tram back to Blackpool Tower. Now us dog folk aren’t allowed into the Tower at Blackpool nor are we allowed on the Piers which is a shame. They looked like a lot of fun 😦

I wanted a ride on a Horse and Cart that was dog friendly but Hum wanted to go on a Heritage Tram and actually that was well cool and I got lots of fussing from the driver and conductor.

We got off at The Pleasure Beach and I must say my dog pals, I am REALLY glad we aren’t allowed in there and on those scary rides!!!

A stroll along the New South Promenade takes you past the world’s biggest glitter ball which Hum was very taken by – she LOVES the TV show Strictly Come Dancing and as part of it is staged in the Blackpool Tower then they seem to have honoured it with this BIG sculpture – apparently your humans will understand the significance more than us dogs…

Across the road from the Glitter Ball is the Solaris Centre @Solariscentre where you will find Chicco’s Café which is dog friendly! Yeah! There are 2 tables inside set aside for people with dogs and the kind lady who served us gave me water and chopped up my sausage for me! Now that is good service! Chicco’s really has a lovely atmosphere and Hum said the coffee was excellent! Praise indeed from Hum.

The main beach in Blackpool has restrictions between May and September but there are beaches at either side of the piers which are dog friendly all year. I was lucky we were there just at the end of April so I got to play on the main beach just at the end of the road and across the prom from the hotel.

The beaches are all lovely however and you will defo have a good time with plenty of sand to run on and sea to splash in and you can always take the tram to the dog friendly part of the coast.

Another good place to go for a walk is Stanley Park which is enormous and there are lots of walks (some places to get off lead) and lakes and wildlife to check out.

So what did I make of Blackpool? Well not the most dog friendly place in the universe by any means with only 1 really dog friendly hotel and 2 dog friendly eateries.

So sorry Blackpool not my highest paw rating – definitely room for improvement!

BUT my friends, if your Humans do take you to Blackpool make sure you stay at The Chesterfield and visit the Pump and Truncheon and say ‘hi’ to my new friends Julie & Steve at the hotel and Kelsie and Joe at the pub.

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[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Hi Zuki & Pals,

My name is Ruby & I want to tell you of my trip to The Boars Head Ripley @BoarsHeadRipley near Harrogate.

We were visiting furiends nearby & spent a night at this lovely place.

I had a Doggy bed & bowls provided in our room & a biscuit waiting for me on my bed!! Result!!

I was allowed in the bar at mealtimes, so I never had to be left, only place we doggies can’t go is in the restaurant.

Lovely village setting too!

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

Got so much to tell you about our recent Bank Holiday!

Hum had a request to find out if Blackpool and the surrounding area was dog friendly and you know what she is like with a challenge! She did lots of research and finally found The Chesterfield Hotel @PetsWelcomeBnB. Now The Chesterfield has won an award for its dog friendliness so Hum said, ‘Hey Zuki, how would you like a trip to Blackpool for Bank Holiday?’ Well how could I refuse!

The Chesterfield is just off the main promenade and is a small family run hotel. Hum was impressed as before we even got here Julie had sent lots of stuff by email including dog friendly pubs, which beaches I could go on and other general info about the area.

The Chesterfield is one of the very few hotels where dogs are allowed in public areas. There are several where you can have a dog in your room but not in any bar or lounge area so you need to find somewhere else to sit and have a drink or meal which isn’t very dog friendly in my book!

The Chesterfield on the other hand has a lounge and a bar which are both dog friendly and although they don’t do evening meals, Julie had a list of places to go or you could always order a take away and have it at the hotel.

We got a great welcome from Julie and I got lots of cuddles. Julie’s Mum came to see me too! Hum got a cup of tea while Julie’s brother Steve took our bags to our room so Hum was well happy about that – ‘what a nice gesture’ she said.

Julie and Steve have had The Chesterfield for 25 years but in the last 10 years have worked to make it a special dog friendly place to stay. And I must say they have done a grand job!

We had a lovely room and I was super delighted to find a welcome note, a blanket to cover the bed, a towel AND treats for me! Super good!! The treats were YUMMY!!! And such nice touches – my towel had a paw print on it so I knew it was for me! Hum also had a welcome note, BIG soft towels, lots of tea and coffee stuff AND her bar of soap she so likes!!! YEAH! Super good for both Hum and me 🙂

Julie and Steve do love dogs! All the rooms sponsor Dogs Trust dogs – ours was Sammy and all the bedding, cushions and most of the pictures feature dogs.

Same in the lounge area – lots of dog cushions and pictures, a bed to lie on and toys to play with! REALLY nice touches to make you feel welcome and at home.

As The Chesterfield doesn’t do evening meals we headed off down the prom to the Pump & Truncheon which is really the only dog friendly pub that serves food we could find in Blackpool.

It is a traditional pub with real ale for the Humans, a lovely fire and friendly hosts. Joe and Kelsie made us feel extremely welcome and we had a Meat Feast Pizza which was jolly good!

After our meal we went back to the hotel and spent time in the cosy little bar at The Chesterfield with Julie and met other dogs and their Humans who were staying there. Everyone Hum spoke to agreed the Chesterfield really is the best place to stay in Blackpool if you want to bring your dogs with you. Nowhere else matches its hospitality.

We had a good night’s sleep – Hum’s only complaints about The Chesterfield might be that the curtains let a lot of light in so I woke up early and thought it must be time for her to get up too…

Also the shower was not as powerful as Hum likes but those are small issues.

At breakfast Hum was delighted – everything was beautifully set up with our names on a card on the table and even the placemats and serviettes had images of dogs on them! Perfect!

I decided to try kippers and my dog pals I can tell you they are well good! Very tasty indeed!

After breakfast we checked Julie’s map in the hallway to see where we could visit on our Grand Day Out in Blackpool. Julie has worked really hard to show all the best places to go where dogs are welcome. I will tell you about our Grand Day Out in Blackpool on another Blog entry.

In the evening after our Grand Day Out in Blackpool, Hum wanted a change from pizza (all they serve at the Pump & Truncheon) so I tried Julie’s Dog Sitting Service. Julie is trained in dog minding and has certificates to prove it and she really is lovely! She took me for a walk and then looked after me in the lounge – we watched TV and I checked all the cars outside until Hum’s taxi arrived. So if your Humans want to go out for a meal that isn’t pizza, I can totally recommend Julie’s company – she makes you feel really special.

Next morning I got poached eggs for breakfast and they were super good! Then after a play on the beach, it was time to say goodbye. Hum got all emotional – I mean we have stayed in so many places and some of them were REAL posh BUT we both loved The Chesterfield and felt loved and neither of us wanted to leave.

The Chesterfield may well win another award – I may have to give it the Zuki ‘Paward’ for excellence. It may not be a big super luxury hotel like some I have stayed in, but it has been created with love and is perfect for dogs and their humans to have a great holiday; feel special; relax and enjoy! I hope we can come back again – I know most of the people we met said they would be returning again and again and that is the best recommendation you can have really! Thanks Julie and Steve for a lovely time 🙂

You fully deserve a BIG high five paw prints!

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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 saltmarshes 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 😦 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 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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