A service station on the M62 near Leeds has just been handed the unfortunate title of the worst in the UK.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s the second year in a row it’s been given the honour.
Merely a couple of weeks after the glorious Tebay Services – also known as the little slice of motorway service station heaven just off the M6 in Cumbria was named the best the country has to offer, a new survey has taken a look at the flip side.
If Tebay Services is the gold-standard for service stations, then at the other end of the spectrum, we’ve got Hartshead Moor East on the M62.
For the second year running, this service station situated between the two major northern cities of Manchester and Leeds has been the one that motorists have said they’d least likely to recommend to a friend.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Run by and branded as Welcome Break, with popular food, drink, and retail chains such as Starbucks, KFC, Subway, Waitrose, WHSmith, and more operating inside of it, Hartshead Moor East has found itself at the bottom of an annual survey by Transport Focus – which is currently in its sixth year.
To compile the list of best and worst in the UK for 2023, the independent watchdog spoke to more than 30,000 visitors at 120 motorway services, and asked them about their views on the toilets, customer service, value of the food and drink, and electric vehicle charging facilities.
As a whole, motorway services performed well this year, with 94% of visitors saying they they were satisfied with their visit, which is up from 93% in 2022.
? Calling all motorway enthusiasts, we spoke to more than 30,000 people to find the best motorway services.
? The 2023 Motorway Services User Survey winner is... @motoway Rugby - for the second year in a row. Congratulations.
But when it comes to Hartshead Moor East, it was given the lowest overall satisfaction rating at 84%.
Visitors particularly pointed to the fact work to refurbish the toilets was underway during the survey period and portable toilets were in place.
Speaking on the results of the annual survey that Hartshead Moor East would rather forget, Anthony Smith – Chief Executive of Transport Focus – said: “Our survey shows motorway services offer a great experience with friendly and helpful staff and provide drivers with the opportunity to rest, relax and take a break before continuing their journey.
“But there is still room for improvement.
“This includes making sure the range of food and drink on offer is good value for money for visitors as cost of living increases continue to bite.”
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
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.”
Emily Sergeant -
6th October 2023 
