Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
Getting There
By far the easiest way to get to Alton Towers is by car, it takes just over two hours. So grab a housemate with a car and start begging! It really is worth the trip.
Prices
If you book online its possible to save 20% on tickets, making them £29. This may sound like a lot of money, but if you look around it is possible to get a better deal than this. On Friday 7th November there is an NUS day being held, meaning those with an NUS card can get into the park for £15. Lastminute.com are also selling tickets over Halloween for just £10.
What to do
My favourite ride of all time is Nemesis; it may be twice as old as some other rides but it still stands out. One of the best features is the loop the loop, made even better by the fact your feet are dangling free beneath you. The queue for the front seats may seem excessive, but believe me, it's worth the wait.
The newest attraction at Alton Towers is Rita Queen of Speed. This is one of the best rides I’ve been on in years. The ride starts by hurtling you forward, reaching 100 km p/h in 2.5 seconds. It really is a fun ride and a great way to start the day.
More terrifying but a definite must is Oblivion. On this ride you are left suspended over a 180 foot vertical drop for a few horrifying seconds before being released and dropped into a seemingly tiny hole frothing with dry ice. All in all, the ride takes about a minute, but it seemed the longest minute of my life…
If all these thrill rides aren’t really your thing and you fancy being scared in another way, Duel – The Haunted House gives you the opportunity to shoot back at the bad guys, whilst being scared out of your mind. Personal favourites/ horrifying memories are small men suddenly appearing at your side and giant spiders coming down over your heads… I certainly won’t be on that at Halloween.
For a more unusual ride, Hex is what you need. It is situated in the tower ruins and tells the story of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his encounters with a beggar woman. This however is not the unusual part, riders move through a series of rooms until they are seated. The room then appears to move/ the seats seems to spin around the room and ceiling. I realise that this is all special effects, but it really is quite unnerving! I always leave wondering what on earth they’ve done.
What to eat
There are many places to grab food and drinks inside the park but most of these are ludicrously overpriced so I’d recommend bringing your own lunch and buying some chips or something small if you feel like warming up!
The bottom line
Alton Towers is a brilliant day out; it has something for everyone and if you shop around it doesn’t have to be expensive, so grab a few friends and get going.
See you on Nemesis
what if you can't get there by car?
Launch yourself from the cannon shortly to be mounted on Central Hall 
... or pressure a society social secretary to organise a trip and ride in the YUSU minibus.
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