No weekend in Blackpool would be complete without a visit to the Pleasure Beach... indeed, it is many people's very reason for making the trip to the seaside resort. Come rain or high wind (and both came!) the rides offer the perfect cure for your hangover. No, wait a minute... that's exactly what they don't offer. Which is why I left it it until very late in the day before I finally set foot on the Big Dipper to be hurled around the old wooden track at breakneck speeds...

The newest ride, Infusion, is apparently the world's first suspended, looping rollercoaster completely over water... this, we have to say, is a rather tenuous claim (the 'water' under the ride is little more than a shallow pond), but nevertheless everyone went back for more so it must have been good!

Between us we pretty much sampled all the rides, with some even braving the Pepsi Max Big One more than once (the fools!). The rain didn't dampen the day - a fabulous afternoon of entertainment. Perhaps with the exception of the pretty grim all-you-can-eat pizza/pasta place that we ended up having a bite at which wasn't exactly inspiring. Take your own food, or plan to eat out of the park if you're spending more than a few hours there.