A popular beach that’s just over and hour drive from Manchester has been named one of the best UK beaches for dogs in the UK.
A trip to the beach is a family summer day out that’ll never go out of fashion.
But for those of us with four-legged friends in our lives, it’s not just about a paddle in the sea, soaking up some sunshine, and grabbing a portion of fish and chips and an ice cream to top off the day, it’s also about making sure our dogs have a cracking time too.
Most dog owners usually have a couple of favourite dog-friendly beaches they like to visit, but now, a new guide of the best beaches for dogs in the UK has named a North West gem at the top of the list.
Vets Now – an out-of-hours emergency veterinary care provider, with a branch based in Manchester – has got to work examining beaches right across the country.
Not only that, but the digital guide has also taken into account the safety of each beach on the list, as with potential dangers such as fish hooks, jellyfish, low tides to be aware of, it’s important we keep the welfare of our pups in mind too.
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Bispham Beach – which is just north of Blackpool, and takes just over an hour to drive to form Manchester – has taken the coveted top spot.
Bipsham Beach claims the top spot on the 50 Best and Safest Dog-Friendly Beaches in the UK guide / Credit: Geograph (Steve Daniels)
This Lancashire beauty spot has got the seal of approval from experts thanks to its sweeping expanses of sand, and the fact that on a quiet day, there’s a good chance that you and your dog could have large swathes of the beach all to yourself.
“The team were really impressed with Bispham Beach,” said Laura Playforth, Professional Standards Director at Vets Now and one of the authors of the Best Beach Guide.
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“Especially its pet friendliness and facilities on offer, and we believe it to be an ideal destination for the UK’s dog lovers.”
She continued: “Unfortunately, pet emergencies don’t take summer holidays and each summer we witness a significant rise in emergency cases that are related to beaches and the sea [so] we’ve only chosen beaches where water quality is deemed high, dogs are welcome all year round, parking and access is good, and a daytime vet is based nearby.
“All the beaches featured are within an hour’s drive of a Vets Now pet emergency clinic or hospital, so if you’re at the beach in the evening or weekend and suffer a pet emergency, you know you’re never far from expert help.”
You can read the 50 Best and Safest Dog-Friendly Beaches in the UK guide in full here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Manchester firefighter surprises partner with proposal during new recruits parade
Danny Jones
We’re a sucker for a wholesome little video as we know you are, which is exactly why we thought of you lot when we came across this video of a newly graduated Manchester firefighter surprising his partner with a heartwarming proposal.
Just the kind of heartwarming that usually sets us off after a long week at work.
The clip shared by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) on Thursday, 25 April, shows Manc fireman James popping the question to his girlfriend sat unassumingly in the audience at a recent passing out ceremony.
Pass out ceremonies are when trainees go from recruits to fully qualified firefighters after completing their intensive operational training. It’s a long-standing tradition in the emergency services where friends and family gather to celebrate their achievements – it’s almost like it’s the perfect opportunity…
Watch as a Manc firefighter turns his passing out ceremony into a surprise proposal.
As you can see, since the graduates are usually the centre of attention, James couldn’t help but size his moment and instead of walking and lining up normally like everyone else, he decided to head straight over to his wife-to-be and get down on one knee.
You already know the rest.
Welling up immediately and barely able to remove her hands from her face, Melissa nods and says yes as the crowd cheers and the pair share a smooch.
Writing on social media, the GMFRS said: “We managed to capture a VERY special moment at our new recruits pass out parade today… Congratulations to James and Melissa!”, adding, “Certainly one way to start your new career”.
If we don’t see all the groomsmen dressed as firefighters on a random viral video sometime soon we’re going to be gutted.
All the best to the happy couple and if you’ve got any more lovely clips like this to send in so we can make ourselves cry (in a good way), you know what to do.
Featured Images — Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
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The Chestergate pub in Stockport is at it again with some of the most wonderfully Manc scenes you’ll ever see
Danny Jones
The legendary Chestergate pub in Stockport is back with another belter of a video, following on from their viral belly-flashing clip of 2022.
The Mersey Square boozer has painted yet another quintessentially Northern depiction of UK pub culture with the latest Manc scenes they’ve captured around the karaoke machine.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of stumbling into The Chestergate in Stockport town centre, the long-standing boozer currently operated by publican chain Blind Tiger Inns, you’re seriously missing out.
While it might not be the flashiest of pubs, when it comes to entertainment, it always delivers.
Whether it’s stunts like renaming themselves ‘The Southgate’ whenever the Euros or World Cup rolls around, or the locals just genuinely having a whale of a time no matter what day of the week it is, it really sums up the best of pub culture.
The Chestergate went viral for some of the most British footage ever caught on film back in 2022 and the videos saw a huge wave of love and support flooding in for the pub, as well as a healthy amount of chuckles. Safe to say we were chuffed to see them pop back up on our feed again recently.
Karaoke night at The Chestergate literally never disappoints.
Forget ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’ for karaoke songs – we’ll take a cacophony of inaudible throwback pop music, whilst another bloke and his hype man try and MC over a totally ill-fitting beat any day of the week.
And that’s handy because you’ll find those kinds of shenanigans happening at this place all the time.
It’s simultaneously one of the most no-nonsense and somehow a non-stop shenanigan-filled paradise. They also look after their own and consider their regulars part of the family. Case and point: they threw their very own ‘Dancing Queen’ Molly a big bash for her 86th birthday and it’s such wholesome viewing.
At this point, it’s worth flagging that we have nothing but envy for these folks and anyone who’s just out there having the time of their lives on any random weeknight.
Yes, it produced plenty of laughs for those watching online in recent times but this lot won’t mind one bit – not only is the pub seeing more and more new faces through the door but that’s the whole point of a pub, isn’t it? Going for a pint with your nearest and dearest and having a laugh.
Not only is it very Manchester but it’s Britain at its very best.
We hope to see you at The Chestergate pub in Stockport for a pint or two sometime soon and we’re making a bit of a prat of ourselves, don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll have the cameras ready for you.
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2021 
