A trio of American visitors have given Hartlepool a big thumbs-up after a weekend visit!
Town businessman Paul Gough played host last weekend as Natty Bandasak from New Jersey, Ryan Seifert of Texas and Cody Barnett from Kansas were in town.
Mr Gough, who as well as running the Physio Rooms in Raby Road, also heads up a media business which specialises in coaching physios and PTs across the globe.
And while the visitors from the US were in London for a business seminar he hosted, Paul couldn’t wait to get them to his home town.
“They saw all the sights – and loved it,’’ he smiled. “I wanted them to see the real Hartlepool and the real people rather than being cooped up in London for 10 days.
“Cody said to me ‘If you would have told me 5 years ago I would be visiting a place little place called Hartlepool in England then I wouldn’t have believed you’ and I told him that if five years ago you’d have told me someone from Kansas wanted to visit me in Hartlepool, I wouldn’t have believed them either’ – but he loved it!”
Natty said: “I’ve loved visiting here – I could move here just to drink the gravy I had with my Sunday dinner at The Golden Lion!
“It’s a cool town, right on the coast and it was good fun at Seaton Carew – fish and chips and spending time in the amusement arcades before a blast along the beach.”
Ryan, who brought his young family and wife along with him, joked: “We saw the Monkey Statue at the Marina in Hartlepool! Everyone in London was asking why we were in London and where we were headed. When we said we were going to Hartlepool they all asked why!
“But it’s a really great town, we stayed in the Marina and it’s a lovely place to visit. I can’t wait to come back and sample the Yorkshire puddings again!”