An American author who has travelled extensively around the world has said that Blackpool is the ‘weirdest place’ he’s visited.
In a hilarious Twitter thread, Jeff VanderMeer broke down why he found his visit to the seaside town so bizarre.
The author’s Tweet has now been shared by hundreds of people – who are mostly in agreement.
Jeff wrote: “Weirdest place I’ve ever been, btw, since it’s coming up in the news… is Blackpool, England.
Blackpool. Credit: Unsplash
“That includes over 40 countries I’ve been to. Absolutely and unnervingly at the top of the list.”
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He later explained: “Look, take too many tweets to explain why.
“Maybe the combo of sleazy and family-friendly, the weird night vibe of jubilation and violence.
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Weirdest place I've ever been, btw, since it's coming up in the news… is Blackpool, England. That includes over 40 countries I've been to. Absolutely and unnervingly at the top of the list.
“The donkeys on the beach. The effed up types of architecture shoved together in the same buildings. The slapping thing at the end of alley.”
Even those of us who love the north west town have agreed that it is a bit of an odd place to visit, when you put it like that.
Many locals have been sharing their own favourite quirks, like one person who mentioned the swimming pool whose letters have fallen off, leaving it the ‘heated i door swi ig poo’.
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this is such slander blackpool is a bit weird but also if ur a kid the whole place is basically a wondrous theme park. and there’s the famous heated i door swi ig poo https://t.co/Fjh1YWIh2opic.twitter.com/s40KTB5Mon
Another wrote: “I went there with 300 people for a conference in Feb 2018 – someone put a welcome banner up on a motorway bridge (???), we were the only people in town and I truly thought we were going to be hunted and eaten by locals.”
Someone else theorised: “That place is basically a gateway to a hellish dimension that isn’t quite all the way open yet. That’s what the lights are about. One year, they’ll get the configuration right and when that happens we’re doomed.”
One person, who has read Jeff’s book Annihilation (later turned into a film starring Natalie Portman), pointed out: “The author of f***ing Annihilation, one of the weirdest & most disturbing novels I’ve ever read, says that Blackpool is the weirdest place he’s ever been…”
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Another Twitter user said: “When an American dunks on somewhere in the UK, there is usually a lot of “U WOT M8?” in the quote tweets. Not this time.”
Featured image: Unsplash
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One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Daisy Jackson -
10th February 2022 
