Don't tell Boy Three, but I'm planning to take him and his brothers to the Sealife Centre at Loch Lomond. I love it there. I find sitting under the huge glass tank and watching the busy fish very soothing,
The otters are incredibly cute, if a little whiffy. (The transparent baby sea horses are fascinating. I gaze at the sharks looking for evidence of their killer instinct and fail to find any.
The last time we went, Boy One and I, didn't go according to plan. He's normally an adventurous chap, but nothing would persuade him to pass under the archway to the - perfectly safe and dry - underwater world. The patient and kind staff spent a long time trying to coax him but found him more stubborn than the most intractable crustacean. Eventually, I gave up and we settled for a delicious lunch at the farmer's market, a spin on the funfair and transformation into a very serious tiger.
I reckoned it would be quite a long time before we went back, but we have been offered the chance of a free trip so I'm delighted to be considering a hearts-and-minds campaign on the three-year-old.
I'm not quite sure where to start but it might have something to do bribery - jelly babies may be offered.
A promise of an encounter with the Sealife Centre's newest inhabitant the Giant Pacific Shark, might whet his appetite. Apparently they are known to snack on sharks, can grow to have an arm-span of more than 4metres and are stone deaf.
Of course it's not all about live fish - there will be plenty of recently dead ones to get to grips with too. Our trip is thanks to Ladbrokes Casino, who are celebrating the launch of their new range of online slot games, including the new sea life themed Octopays game. They sent us vouchers in exchange for this post.
