Oh we do like to be beside the seaside

I had thought that yesterday's blog on the joys of bluebell woods might be a little bit old fashioned, but it seems I'm actually right on-trend (ha!) because today the BBC has announced that our favourite seaside attraction is ... the donkey rides at Weston-super-Mare.

Pipped to the post were joint-runners up Cornwall's Newlyn Art Gallery and the Southwold Pier in Suffolk. But all in all it's a heart-warming choice: the Mager family have been running donkey rides at Weston for over a 100 years - going as far back as 1886 - and breed their own donkeys ("ensuring that their gentle temperament and good conformation are passed down through the generations", according to the website), or re-train rescued animals. "They usually take to this very well as they enjoy being active and love peoples attention", the Magers assure us.

Even better, for the five months of the year when they're not working, the donkeys get to go on 'holiday' to local farms. Sweet! And if you wanted proof as to how long the British public have enjoyed donkey rides at Weston-Super-Mare, here's how it used to be in 1924: