With thousands of reviews left by the Great British public each day, TripAdvisor truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
Whether it’s an opinion on a restaurant, hotel, or popular tourist attraction you’re after, or just a general review of a place you’ve never been to before, people tend to refer to TripAdvisor if they’re looking for a genuine account of the user experience.
Of course though, we also know it’s the place to go if you fancy a laugh from time to time.
Given that the tourism platform is open to everyone to have their say, it also attracts its fair share of comical reviews, with some so ridiculous and down-right unbelievable that they’ll have you questioning if they’re actually serious or not.
And now, the Lake District has proved to be the punching bag once again – this time for one of its most notorious roads.
A recent review of Hardknott Pass in Broughton-in-Furness – which is known is one of the UK’s most challenging roads to drive on, given that it has a gradient of one in three, and several sharp and steep bends with an unpredictable surface – has seen one tourist brand it “hell on earth”.
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Tourist calls notorious Lake District road ‘hell on earth’ in hilarious TripAdvisor review / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The lengthy – and pretty hilarious – review left in December 2022 reads: “Gorgeous views, but this road is HELL ON EARTH.
“Daddy thought it would be fun to set off on a little ‘drive through the hills’ on this soggy Lake District Day. Decided to head up this road so we could take the children to visit the Roman Ruins. Had a nice little look around and then thought it would be clever to crack on even further up the road, but holy cr*p.
“Hairpin turns so steep and tight I thought we were all going to die.
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“My 10-year-old son to the rear right of me asking for his inhaler due to a full blown panic attack. Eight-year-old daughter directly behind me pulling my hair yelling ‘yaaaaaaaaaaas’ and ‘yeeeehaaaaawwwww’ round every bend like she is riding a horse. 26-week-old foetus in my stomach punching the living daylights out of me from inside me due to severe dislike of possible G-Forces.
“Husband to my right with white knuckles on the steering wheel and a toothy, nervous grin that made him look like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit for a good twenty minutes.”
She ended the brilliantly-detailed review urging other tourists to “do yourself a favour and walk it instead.”
Can’t really argue with that.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
3rd March 2023 
