It's easy to forget with everything else we've had to deal with of late, but from the beginning of May a number of popular Yorkshire beaches will close to dogs for the summer.
The seasonal restrictions, which stretch from 1st May to 30th September every year, see our four-legged friends banned from many of Yorkshire's largest beaches in preparation for the seasonal influx of tourists.
With staycations on the rise, we expect local authorities will be hotter on the rules than ever - so make sure you don't get caught out.
Many people have also got new puppies during lockdown, meaning there are more new dog owners in the area than ever before.
With this in mind, we thought it would be a good time to remind you of the Yorkshire beaches you can - and cannot - visit with your pooch this summer.
Which banned beaches do I need to avoid?
Banned beaches to avoid include Bridlington North and South, Filey, Hornsea, Sansend, Scarborough South and North Bays and Withernsea.
At Bridlington, dog walkers are not to cross the areas between the northern end of North Marine Promenade and the north-eastern face of the North Pier, or between the southern face of the South Pier and the eastern face of Princess Mary Promenade Sea Wall.
Filey, placed tenth last year on a list of the UK's favourite beaches, also bans dogs over the summer. Walkers need to look out for the northernmost side of the beach slipway, which separates the Coble Landing from the Promenade. Everywhere from here to the southernmost point of the sea wall at Royal Parade is out of bounds.
Hornsea, another popular Yorkshire beach included in the 2014 Good Beach Guide, excludes dogs between the concrete ramp at Headland View and the steps south of Sands Lane.
Everything at Sansend is out of bounds for pups, from the steps below the public conveniences below Sandhills to the slipway at the southern end of Bank Bottom car park. Similarly in Scarborough, both the North and South Bays are entirely off-limits to dogs.
At Whitby, dogs are allowed at Tate Hill if they are kept on a lead - but must avoid the West Beach, from the west Pier to the promenade from the east side of the beach steps adjacent to the western end of the beach chalets.
Which beaches can I take my dog to in Yorkshire?
Fortunately, not every beach is off limits to man's best friend this summer.
Hunmanby Gap - just 4 miles from Filey, this beach is absolutely massive and extends right along to Reighton Sands. A car park at the end of Sands Road charges £1 per hour up to 3 hours or £5 for all day, and there's also a dog-friendly beach cafe if you fancy a slice of cake afterwards.
Fraisthorpe Beach - part of Bridlington Bay, popular with dog walkers all year round. There's a private car park at the top of the beach, charges vary according to the season but even in summer it’s only £3.00 for the day. Sometimes you can also get dog lollies at the Cowshed Cafe (because ice cream isn't just for humans).
Runswick Bay - 9 miles north of Whitby, arguably one of Yorkshire's prettiest beaches. Parking available, dog friendly pub in the village.
Cayton Bay - 3 miles south of Scarborough. check out the WW11 pill boxes at the northern end of the beach. Surf shop in carpark sells coffees.
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Take a look inside the huge Tulip Festival that’s just opened in Yorkshire with over one million tulips
Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival is back and it's just as beautiful as we remember.
Spring has officially sprung and with it, so does Farmer Copley's iconic Tulip Festival that officially opened last Sunday.
Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family really know how to get you feeling ready for the season ahead.
Just moments after entering the festival, we can assure you that winter will feel like a distant memory.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Spanning over 8 acres, Jack and the team have planted over 600,00 tulip bulbs consisting of 100+ different varieties of all shapes and colours that arrived directly from the Netherlands.
In addition to the 500,000 planted last year, that means there's over one million tulips to enjoy - now that is pretty impressive if you ask us.
Varieties include Carnaval de Rio, Tom Pouce, Gavota, Lily Flowering Mix, Blushing Appledorn, Wedding Dress and Rodolfo.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The festival includes five sections that have been split by 5 metre walkways enabling the best customer interaction in the field.
There's two dedicated pick your own areas where a mix of bulbs have been planted to ensure that visitors have a wide range of tulips to explore, pick from and create the perfect bunch of tulips. How lovely is that?
Of course there's plenty of photo opportunities, fairground rides and a bar to enjoy the view with a tipple or two.
This really is the perfect family-friendly day out and with the weather looking gorgeous (for now), we'd take the opportunity to see the tulips looking their best whilst you can.
The festival is on until Sunday 3 May 2026, with tickets starting from just £9.
To find out more and to book your ticket, take a look at Farmer Copleys website. We'll see you in the tulip fields.
Popular Channel 4 series The Dog House is looking for people from Yorkshire to adopt rescue dogs
Emily Sergeant
Could you give a rescue dog a second chance in life? Now’s your chance.
The next series of hit Channel 4 show The Dog House is currently in the works, with producers on the lookout for people willing to give rescue dogs a forever home, and people from Yorkshire are being encouraged to apply.
Since first hitting our screens back in 2019, the award-winning series – which is currently in partnership with Woodgreen Pets Charity – has captured the hearts of viewers across the UK, sharing emotional stories of rescue dogs and the people hoping to give them a forever home.
Viewers get to watch incredible journeys of rescue dogs finding their perfect match.
Image: Channel 4
But the show demonstrates that it’s not just the dogs who are being rescued, many of their new owners also find their lives transformed in the process.
“Once again, we’ll be following the expert team of dog-matchers, meeting this year’s rescue dogs, and of course, getting to the know the amazing people who are looking to offer them a lifelong home,” a casting call for The Dog House reads on the Channel 4 website.
“We’re looking for people who are considering taking the incredible step of welcoming a rescue dog into their lives and are happy to share their reasons for doing so.
“If that’s you, then we’d love to get you know you.”
Does this sound like you then? Channel 4 is keen to hear the reasons why you may be looking for a new canine companion, so anyone who fancies applying for the show is asked to fill out an application form online.
Georgina Pellant -
5th May 2021 
