I

s that a brontosaurus poking its head above the bushes? Actually, yes it is. Undeterred by the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago, the inventive people at Blackpool Zoo created a ‘Dinosaur Safari’ trail, that gives youngsters a rather eye-opening experience of what it must have been like to walk in the shadow of these frightening beasts.

Don’t worry, though, they’re all models (we’ve checked). Of course, this being a zoo, there’s lots of living, breathing wildlife here, too – more than 1,500 animals to be exact. So if you’re a fan of the western lowland gorilla, the orangutan or the African lion, you’ve come to the right place.

There’s something here to tickle everyone’s creepy crawly fancy, from crocodiles and rattlesnakes, to sea lions and emus. And because it’s all based only a couple of miles down the road from Blackpool seafront, so you could easily combine it with a day at the beach…