Thanks to Freedom2Choose's list of hotels which welcome smokers, I had a very nice stay at the hotel above in South Shields in the North East managed by Best Western Hotels.
The hotel has one whole floor of smoking rooms which you can book in advance. Me and my other half went because our middle daughter and second grandbaby live in North Shields. It's a lovely place I might never have discovered but for Jessica falling for a Geordie and deciding to settle there.
South Shields is a stone's throw from North Shields - if you can swim across the mouth of the Tyne - but by road it is several miles and involves trips through the Tyne Tunnel to get there at a cost of £1.20 each way.
Hampy couldn't help but comment "robbing bastards" loudly each time he threw the money into the change slot because although we just had the required amount of money in change on our first trip through, the Tunnel operators would not accept copper. We had a one pound coin, a ten pence piece, four 2ps and two 1ps but to get through, we had to give £2 because the Tunnel operators do not give change. Nice little earner there! Robbing bastards indeed!
South Shields itself was a lovely English seaside town with beautiful scenery, a nice beach, lots of stuff about fishing and a memorial in honour of those lost at sea. It also had a fun fair and an arcade which isn't really our cup of tea. As townies, me and Hampy also struggled with the continuos fish menu but we both got quite a taste for it by the end of the two days away. .. but we won't be rushing to our local Iceland any time soon to get the frozen variety we are more used to now we've had a taste of the proper stuff.
Hampy was a bit bemused at my constant paranoia about smoking in a hotel that allowed smoking. Despite the fact that I didn't have to, I still hung out of the window to smoke, I emptied the ashtray constantly into a self seal plastic bag before disposing of that in the bathroom bin with lid to prevent any stale smells getting out. I reasoned that as the hotel welcomed smokers, the least we could do was show them that we are not smelly, inconsiderate, or "dangerous". Treating the room with respect was very important to me. I also stayed at the same hotel during my last trip to the NE and that time I wrote a letter to management thanking them for providing this facility at a time when smokers are being marginalised and discriminated against. I would urge any other smokers to do the same if staying at a smoking hotel. I think they need to be encouraged before the Govt or the antis direct their health venom towards these places in a bid to guilt trip them into withdrawing what is a very welcome service.
Our next trip will be camping in Hampshire with a tent to see my big brother who lives on a camp site. I will also stop off at Cheltenham overnight on the way back to Lincoln to see my eldest daughter, Candy. First stop will be F2C's list of smoking hotels in the area and we hope we can find a place as pleasant as The Sea Hotel. Meanwhile, if anyone knows of any other excellent, non-discriminatory hotels or B&Bs that welcome smokers, please let me know.