Basil boarded his first short commuter train and tube when he was three months old and took it in his stride. We made our first long-distance trip when he was six months on board Virgin Trains and that didn't seem to faze him either – click for cuteness! Now we probably do a couple of train trips per year to see my folks up North.

However, we’ve not done first class together so when Virgin Trains asked us review their service for dog friendliness, needless to say we were all over the opportunity for an upgrade. Better still, we were allowed to bring a couple of mates along for the ride - @winnythecorgi and his dog mum Rachel Oates. So this post is dedicated to dog-friendly travel with Virgin Trains, along with some handy dogs on trains wisdom of my own. 

When you’re hot-pawing around town from one pawbiz event to another, it's nice to let your fur down and enjoy some dog-friendly adventures in the woods. That’s what #BigEarsBoysClub founding members Basil and Winston did on a recent trip to Epping Forest – an endless landscape of dog-friendly fun. 

Shoreditch and Hoxton were the original Fri-Sun party spots of my twenties, and even though the area has changed significantly sprawling London’s own Silicon Valley and chains a-plenty, I still have a lot of love for this area. When it comes to drinks, eats, shopping and fun the area still retains its appeal with loads of great spots to offer, and with its relaxed vibe it's a pretty good place to hangout with your hound too.