Birmingham woman travels 1,500 miles taking pet hamster's ashes on European tour

A woman travelled more than 1,500 miles taking her pet hamster's ashes on a tour of his "favourite" places - including the Louvre and Buckingham Palace.

Lisa Murray-Lang, 47, carried Spud in a vial on a necklace to some of Europe's most recognisable sights. She visited London, Paris and Amsterdam at the end of last year - with Spud hanging around her neck.

Lisa, from Birmingham, had made models of the cities for Spud to play in during Covid, which he loved. So she decided to take his ashes along in death - and posed for photos in famous locations. It comes after she spent £3.5k and travelled 7,000 miles to scatter some of his ashes on a beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lisa, a dog walker, said: "It's a nice warm feeling that we're still travelling together.

"I have a sense that he's still present on our adventures. Wherever we travelled I made sure his necklace was on view. The locket hangs so he's just above my heart.

"It's so comforting to know he's with me all the time."

Lisa got Spud, who she named after a character in the Irvine Welsh book Trainspotting, in June 2019. She then spent hours during the pandemic making her pet models of famous locations - both real and fictional.

Lisa made dozens of miniature real-life sets including Hogwarts, Coronation Street and 10 Downing Street as well as European cities. Spud sadly passed away in 2022 aged three years and seven months.

Greiving Lisa then spent £3.5k and travelled 7,000 miles to scatter his ashes on a beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. But, unable to let him go completely, she kept some of the Syrian hamster's ashes with her.

And late last year she and Spud toured Europe. They visited the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in Paris over six days in September.

They then went to Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, and 10 Downing Street on a two-day trip to London in November before hopping on the Eurostar for a five-day jaunt to Amsterdam at the start of December. There Spud was taken to the Van Gogh museum and a cat rescue centre - on a canal boat.

Lisa, who also has four cats, said: "Spud loved the model of Buckingham Palace I made him.

"He used to stick his head over the top next to the flag and give a royal wave. And his first adventure was my cardboard model of an art gallery. I put works of art all over the walls and he used to stop and look intently at all of them - so it was important to go to the Van Gogh museum and the Louvre."

Lisa says having Spud close to her heart helped her get through some tough times late last year.

Husband William, 66, spent weeks seriously ill. Lisa said: "It made such a difference to be able to hold Spud and pray for the best."

She plans to take Spud to Harry Potter World next. Her new pet hamster, Begbie, who is nearly one, is enjoying all the cardboard models that Spud used to run around in.

Lisa said: "I made a model of Italy for Begbie. He loves travelling too."