The Bobster visits Bristol

I have visited Bristol more recently but how could I resist adding these fabulous photos of the fabulous Gromit sculptures to my blog, which were taken during my trip there in 2013. There were 80 such sculptures throughout Bristol during that time as part of the Gromit Unleashed exhibition which you can read about here

Here I am besides two of my favourites. By the way, Wallace and Gromit is made by the famous locally based Aardman Animations , such talented people (woof!)

Bristol, has a large port area with many outdoor cafes so I had my pick of places where I could eat with the humans. 
As it's a real favourite of mine, once again I stayed at the local Hotel du vin. The charge for my stay is £10 per night and I am given bowls and a blanket. I was welcome to join the humans in the courtyard and bar area to eat (woof!) 5 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
My visits to Bristol have been brief and, as a creature of habit, I have tended to revisit the same places ( okay, restaurants and bars) so for a more comprehensive list of dog-friendly things to do in Bristol I will direct you to the excellent visit Bristol site (woof!)

Some days are off the blog

What a dreadful day after the Manchester bombing. Such an awful loss of young life. Tragic. My heart goes out to those hurt or bereaved. I know that life is short. The only thing to do today was stay calm, reflect and cherish those who are dear, and of course, go to my happy place. May you and your loved ones remain safe whoever and wherever you are.

The Bobster visits Swinton Park, near Masham, Yorkshire

What do you need to know about Masham? Besides the fact that it's about 30 miles from York it is also home to the award winning Black Sheep Brewery. There, I think we all know enough!

Swinton Park is a country estate set in 200 acres and when we were there plans were underway to add a new county club and spa to the hotel which is expected to open mid-July 2017.

Guests are welcomed to the hotel with a glass of champagne and I was welcome to imbibe with the humans in any one of the beautiful lounges while food was not being served. There is a games room, with billiard table, and a playroom next to it for the young humans, which is stacked with toys, games, and videos. It also has a viewing area (like a mini cinema) where these can be watched.  There is a boot room near one of the entrances, with wellies that can be borrowed for walkies (woof!) and towels are provided to clean muddy paws afterwards.

I really wish more places offered this.

The walk near the hotel takes you to a lake at the rear of the hotel past the aviary (I am on my lead near this area, as required) and there are deer roaming in the nearby fields. The little humans enjoy these walks, as do I. Now, if only they could concentrate on playing ball!

I was allowed to roam and relax in most of the hotel but I was not allowed to eat in the dining room. However, I was happy to stay in my room, were I was provided with a comfy bed, bowls, and treats. (woof!) The humans were also given free gin, or scotch, something alcoholic anyway. The restaurant is very good, gourmet, I think the human described it. Not surprising as they have a cookery school on the grounds which offers courses throughout the year. Apparently, this is on the human's bucket list.
The cost of my stay was £25 per night. I enjoyed my stay, and walkies. 5 🐾🐾🐾🐾

The Bobster visits Brighton (again)

The human had to visit Brighton yesterday to do a few things so obviously I went too. After the 75 mile drive from London we had our usual walk along the promenade, which ended up with the usual cappuccino and a water for me at one of the cafes on the beach.

 Then it was time to head off to our hotel. For this trip the human thought we would try somewhere new so we stayed at the Malmaison Hotel at Brighton Marina.

This is me on arrival checking out the boats trying to see one with my name on it.

The hotel is right by the marina and there is a carpark there, a minute's walk from the hotel. There is also a drop off point, if you wish, by the lobby, but the parking is easy. At the entrance to the carpark there is a sign informing drivers that there is a maximum of 4 hours free parking but this is to be ignored. The best level to park at the reach the hotel is level 6 where the boardwalk leads straight to the hotel entrance and a lift to reception one floor up.

The human had somehow managed to bruise her leg and asked for ice. She really wants to thank the girl on reception who brought some but also helped bring her bag and me to the room (woof!) 5 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 for you, lovely receptionist. I wish we knew your name.

The bar area was off-limits but I had to sneek a peek. I think my human has some superpowers too.

I was allowed in the lounge area though, where food could be served.

The room was nice and clean (the human said the bed was mega comfy) and the bath products were awesome. One was labelled, This is the Best shampoo you will ever steal, and it is!!!
I was not provided with a bed or bowls or anything but do not think I was charged for this stay, unless it had already been included within the human's bill.

The human and I decided to go to one of the many cafes (there are around 20 or so) on the Marina for dinner and that was very pleasant indeed. (woof!)

We love Brighton and this is another side to it. However, it is a short drive to the hustle and bustle of the piers, and lanes, so this is in fact a good place to stay and take in all that Brighton has to offer throughout the day.
We had an early morning walk ( 7 a.m.) too early for any of those 20 or so cafes to open up for breakfast, so headed on back to London. All in all, a good trip. 4 🐾🐾🐾🐾

The Bobster visits Watergate bay, Cornwall

I might have guessed it was going to be a bit of a journey when I saw the human bring extra bottles of water and a stack of CDs into the car. And it was such a long drive from London to Cornwall, that I fell asleep in the car.  However,  when I awoke, I thought I must be still be dreaming, for this place looked like Doggy Heaven, and it is. There are two miles of sandy beaches and I can roam all of it (woof!) all year! (woof, woof!)

This is me in my polo shirt ready for surf and turf - well, any food really (woof!). As you can see, it has been a few years now since my visit but I've checked and these details, as I write,  are current.

The humans and I stay at the wonderful Watergate Bay Hotel which, as the name suggests, overlooks the bay. For those who don't drive, or don't want to drive, Newquay airport is only a couple of miles away. Besides being super dog friendly, it is great for families and surfers, and altogether great. The rooms feel New England-ish. There are facilities to store and heat food for children. The charge for my stay is £15 (a further £5 for each additional dog) and there are dog beds available 5🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾+★

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant is right next to the hotel overlooking the bay, and all the profits go to the charity which helps with apprenticeships, so a win- win, but we ate in nearby the Beach Hut, where it was just a treat to sit over a few pre-dinner drinks and watch the sunset. (woof!)

The human keeps promising to take me back here one day. Yes, definitely one of these days...

A trip to Aysgarth Falls, Yorkshire

It was a lovely day when we left Bolton Abbey so the human and I decided to check out Aysgarth Falls, near Wensleydale via Ripon on the A61.   The drive, being May, was amazing as you pass by many fields full of rapeseed, which are in full bloom. I just had to get out and have some sniffs (woof!)

There are three parts to the falls, Upper, Middle and Lower Falls. Pictured below are the middle falls. We stopped at the first car park, which we thought was the official carpark It is spacious, has a pay and display machine, which is not very expensive. £2 for a two hour stay which is sufficient time to walk. However, there is a VERY steep hill leading to the falls from here. It is not a long walk by any means, but it is very steep so the human had to hold on to the rail on the way down. Then there is the very steep climb up, which older, or anyone with mobility issues or even a pushchair should be aware of. Whereas the official car park is only about a 100 metres down that steep hill and has its own teashop and toilet facilities and no steep hill to negotiate.

Aysgarth Falls

I know you cant take your eyes off me but if you look very closely you may see bluebells in the background.

If you can spare the time, it is worth a jaunt.

The Bobster visits Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire

Bolton Abbey is in the Yorkshire Dales by the river Wharfe near Skipton. It is a very scenic 50 minute drive via the A59 from York and, with its stone walls, green fields and winding roads, reminded my human very much of her native Ireland.

The purpose of our visit was to enjoy the wonderful walks around Bolton Abbey and to stay in the super dog-friendly Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa.







Someone had already got there, arriving in style at one of the hotels two helipads.







As you can see, I arrived on a beautiful day, perfect for the walk that followed.

For £10 for the night The Devonshire Arms provided me with a bowl, treats, and vouchers plus information about where I could wander within the hotel. I could have requested a bed too, but the human had brought my favourite blankets.

I had dinner in the comfy lounge (as the main restaurant was off-limits) and the food was superb. The human had a brilliant beetroot salad starter with goats cheese, followed by chicken to which I was treated (woof!)

For the walks wellington boots are provided, if needed. There is a pleasing tranquillity in the surroundings, and it is truly beautiful. I think the human actually enjoyed the walk to Bolton Abbey more than I did, and I LOVED it. The hotel is lovely and the staff are very friendly and lovely too. I am hoping to return in the autumn. I give it 5 paws 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾