Each year, around a quarter of a million people make the ambitious journey up to the summit of England’s third highest peak.
Most hikers know what they’re getting themselves into with Helvellyn.
As the highest point of the Helvellyn range – which is a north–south line of mountains to the north of Ambleside in the heart of the Lake District national park – Helvellyn is the third tallest mountain in England, just behind Scafell Pike and Scafell, and as you can imagine, given that it tends to be one of the peaks on the list for walkers to tackle before they get to the country’s tallest, it’s a pretty popular.
With several different routes able to be trekked, it’s believed that around 250,000 people make it to the top of Helvellyn every year.
While reaching the summit is what matters most, the journey to the top can be just as important – but it seems some aren’t as keen on that journey as others, and two viral TripAdvisor reviews that’ve been left recently couldn’t prove that more.
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One reviewer literally claimed it was the “worst experience of my life”.
Tourist moans one of Lake District’s tallest mountains is ‘too hilly’ in ridiculous review / Credit: Flickr
Taking to TripAdvisor in February, one review, quite literally, said Helvellyn was “far too hilly” and claimed that “spoiled a nice walk”, before adding that “there were also no facilities at the summit, not even a coffee shop.”
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Expanding on the sentiments of that review further, the other review blasts the mountain even more, taking aim at the lack of facilites, again, and then even pointing out how “smug” the other walkers up there were.
The review reads: “I had to go to the bathroom halfway through the hike and there were no facilities. I ended up having to go behind a rock and it was extremely inconvenient. I mean, how could they not have a single toilet on this entire hike? Do they expect people to just hold it in or something? Ridiculous.
“Secondly, all the other hikers on the trail seemed to be annoyingly competent and made the hike look way too easy, bunch of smug gits.”
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Another reviewer said climbing Helvellyn was “the worst experience of my life” / Credit: Flickr
To top it all off, they then claimed the view from the top was “mediocre”.
“The views from the top were not even that impressive. I mean, seriously? That’s all we get after all this hard work? A mediocre view of some hills and a lake? I’ve seen better views from my backyard. I would not recommend this hike to anyone.
“Save yourself the hassle and just stay at home. Trust me, you won’t be missing out on anything.”
Well, you can’t please everyone, can you?
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 and confirms launch date
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has officially unveiled its Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026, and has revealed when it’ll be arriving in stores.
Spooky season may not have even arrived yet, but it won’t be long before the most wonderful time of the year is here and most of the UK’s major supermarkets have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas food, drink, and gifts galore.
Tesco has now unveiled all the sandwiches and snacks forming part of its iconic lunchtime meal deal selection.
10 new seasonal mains and sides have been launched this year, as well as some classics and returning fan favourites too.
The retailer says its food on-the-go experts have worked hard to bring a variety of festive flavours and great-quality ingredients together this year, with something on offer to cater to all tastes and preferences.
Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 / Credit: Tesco
Available in stores and online from next week, with Tesco Clubcard members paying just £3.80 or £5.50 to upgrade to a Premium Meal Deal, some of the all-new main options you can choose from in 2026’s festive lineup include the Fully Loaded Chicken, Stuffing, Braised Red Cabbage & Cranberry Sauce Sandwich, the Christmas Triple Sandwich, and the Pork Meatball Wrap with smoky sage and onion mayonnaise.
Other returning favourites include the Brie and Cranberry Sandwich, the Currywurst Sausage Sub, and the absolute classic Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich.
For veggies and vegans, there’s a new Tesco Plant Chef Christmas Veg Fest Wrap, and for those who follow a gluten free diet, you can grab the Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings sandwich.
When it comes to snacks to accompany those mains, the festive Mini Pork Pies and Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls are returning to the lineup this year, alongside some new additions like the Pretzels with Salted Caramel Soft Cheese Dip, and Mini Cheese Twists.
The 2026 Tesco Christmas Meal Deal range will be in stores across the UK from Monday 12 October, and there’s thousands of combinations to try.
Featured Image – Tesco
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th February 2023 
