Duke visits... Duke visits Norfolk, Suffolk and visits the movies
- September 2025

Well, it has been a busy few weeks with more heatwaves than I’ve had hot dinners! Us hounds don’t cope well in heatwaves, and some Hoos are not keen on them either.

We found ourselves in June booked to go away for a long weekend to Norfolk/Suffolk just as the heatwave hit. Our plans had been to incorporate a couple of art trails in both counties whilst we were away and enjoy some days out at some National Trust places, but the weather put pay to that somewhat.

We did manage to complete the art trail round Woodbridge on the Friday as although it was still warm, there was a nice breeze, and we were able to keep in the shade at times.

Woodbridge is very dog friendly and has a nice range of shops, lots of them being independent stores, with some nice pubs and cafes.

We found all the hares the town had to offer, bought some little gifts along our route, and I got the odd cuddle here and there by shoppers or shop owners. We chilled out for a snack and cold drink in the local bakers where well behaved dogs are allowed inside. It is open daily but can get busy at lunchtimes, so we opted for a mid-afternoon snack.

Within easy reach of the town centre, you can take a stroll along the harbour walls and enjoy a drink at the many bars and restaurants that overlook the river.





We continued our art trail hunting on the Saturday by heading into Norwich city centre. We headed out early as it was due to get very toasty by lunchtime, so knew our time to be out was limited. This art trail was different to the one in Woodbridge and focussed on safari animals, being elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos, and gorillas. We managed to find a few of each type on our travels around the city, again with a number of shops being dog friendly, including some with some fabulous air con which we may have stayed a little longer in. It is a large city with plenty of shops, shopping centres, a large market area, restaurants and cafes, and a cathedral which is dog friendly. Unfortunately, the heat kicked up a gear that day, and we all started to melt by lunchtime, so we didn’t get to explore as much as we would have liked, but we hope to go back and visit again on a day with a temperature in the high teens or low 20s.













Aware that the heat was going to get worse as the days went on, we decided to do something different on the Sunday. It was mum’s birthday so wanted to go out but was aware that the day was due to reach low to mid 30s. Mum started to google things and found a dog friendly cinema showing for the Sunday morning in one of the local towns near where we were staying. I’d never been to the cinema before, but the advert stated there were free water and treats, and my seat was also free. The Hoos had to pay for their seat and refreshments, but we booked tickets, I had to be booked a seat also, and it was in a small cosy cinema, and each group mostly had a row to themselves with their dog.



We parked in a multi storey car park, so the car would stay a bit cooler for when we returned and walked across Bury St Edmunds to the cinema. This was a reasonable walk so I could empty any tanks I needed to en route. I arrived and was greeted by a queue of guests with their furry friends.

These screenings only happen around every 4-6 weeks and only on a Sunday morning. The film is a set film; on this occasion it was F1 – The Movie. To be fair, not a film my Hoos would have chosen to see as they are not big F1 fans, however, the film had a good story and was enjoyable (so I was told). Just outside the screen was a doggy refreshment zone, with bowls, a jug of water, a jar of treats and blankets. There were a few other pointy noses there too, which I got to meet after the film in the foyer. The screening has the volume a little lower to protect our sensitive ears, and the lights are left on low over the seating area so Hoos can see where we are, and it doesn’t freak out any pooches.



Dogs are allowed to occupy the seat they have booked as long as a blanket is placed onto the seat, and they were fixed lowered seats, so no chance of a dog falling down the back of the seat. Hoos had planned ahead and taken my fold up bed and after realising that I was too long to turn round in the row of seats and then having to back me out again, I eventually settled on my bed at the start of the row. A lurcher sat between its owners on the seat, and as we were leaving there was some spaniel needing to be woken up who was out for the count curled up in its bed on the chair.



And the best thing about the cinema, hours after hours of chilly air con, so not a pant from me in sight.

There are limited cinemas that do these showings, but you can search online to see if there is one by you or maybe wherever you might be visiting on the right day. Not all dogs will like the experience, and you should assess your dog as to whether they are likely to settle in this environment. It can take a few minutes for some dogs to adapt but as Hoos if you can see your dog is not enjoying it you must be willing to forego seeing your movie and put the wellbeing of your dog first and leave if you need to.



Straight from the cinema, we walked a couple of streets and headed to Mowgli, the Indian Food restaurant that is dog friendly. I quickly laid down again on my bed, as I had been upright for all of 5 minutes whilst the Hoos had a meal out for mum’s birthday.

A little wander round the shops en route back to the car as it was quite hot and humid by now. Bury St Edmunds has a good mix of shops and a large market on some days, with plenty of them being dog friendly. There is a nice park at the bottom of town too, but too hot for that on this occasion.

Although not the mini break we had planned, we managed to get out at times and enjoy ourselves.
Love and licks
Duke

www.dukesdoggieadventures.wordpress.com