All jobs have their ups and downs - but this is a different story.
It's fair to say it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but with plenty of thrill-seekers out there walking among us, the popular Lancashire seaside town resort has announced that it's currently recruiting, and is looking for one brave soul to take on the all-important role of 'Rollercoaster Test Rider'.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach needs someone with an "exceptional sense of fun and excitement" about them to make sure that all major rides at the resort have the necessary thrill-factor needed in time for the launch of the new season next month.
The successful candidate will be tasked with testing numerous rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach to give valuable feedback on a number of key factors like speed, thrills, and excitement levels.
They'll also be asked to give their thoughts on where they think improvements could be made at the park to "increase the fun factor" on different rides, as well as work with the Operations Department, where needed, to come up with "fun and thrilling ideas" for future projects.
The role isn't just limited to here the North West either, as the official Rollercoaster Test Rider will also be given the chance to travel to other European theme parks on a mission to test out the different rides there, and ultimately bring feedback and reports back to Blackpool.
So, what exactly do you need to be in with the chance of securing the role?
Blackpool Pleasure Beach needs someone to test-ride its rollercoasters / Credit: Blackpool Pleasure Beach
For starters, you just need to be at least 1.32m (4ft 3in) tall to be able to ride the rollercoasters, but you'll also need to have a good head for heights, a strong stomach, and will also need to like going upside down, as that's a pretty important part of the job.
A bit of previous experience of riding rollercoasters and thrill rides is also "preferred" for this temporary role, according to the job description.
Applications are now open and any thrill-seeker applying will need to make sure they're available to spend a day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach during w/c Monday 13 March, should they be successful in the role.
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
The Hoot -
22nd February 2023 
