Latest news with #MasterBlaster
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
All of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools in time for the hot weather
There are waterparks with areas for toddlers too SPLASH IN All of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools in time for the hot weather IF you're looking for a place to escape the hot weather this week, we've got your back. From lazy rivers to wave pools, here is a round up of all the UK's waterparks to visit this weekend. 8 The UK is home to a large number of waterparks including both indoor and outdoor parks Credit: Trip Advisor Coral Reef, Bracknell Coral Reef is one of the largest interactive water worlds in England, with five waterslides, an erupting volcano and a pirate ship. The swimming pool itself features rapids, a bubble pool, a children's area and fountains. And there is even a little luxury at the park for adults, in the adults-only Coral Spa. The spa is home to three saunas, a Japanese steam room, spa pool, cool pool and even heated sun loungers. Family swim sessions with water slide access cost from £18.60 per adult and £13.20 per child. Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent Waterworld is an indoor aqua park with over 30 different rides. One ride - Thunderbolt - is also the UK's first trap door waterslide. For visitors wanting some fresh air, there's an outdoor pool too. And once you are done in the water, the site also has an Adventure Mini Golf with two 18-hole, tiki-themed golf courses. More recently the waterpark gained M Club Spa and Fitness facility as well. Scots waterpark crowned 'best in the country' to reopen in weeks Admission costs £24 per person. Alton Towers Waterpark, Staffordshire Alton Towers Resort isn't just home to rollercoasters - it also has its own waterpark. Visitors can enjoy lazy rivers, water cannons and the 'Master Blaster' water rollercoaster. Then outside there is even more, with the Bubbly Wubbly pool and Flash Floods flume ride. Tickets to the waterpark cost from £18 per person. 8 Alton Towers Resort has its own waterpark with slides and a lazy river Credit: Alamy The Wave Waterpark, Coventry The Wave Waterpark in Coventry is home to a range of attractions for a variety of ages. For example, there is a splash zone for little ones but also water slides for older kids. Tickets cost from £12.50 per person. Splashdown Poole, Dorset In Poole, Splashdown is home to 13 indoor and outdoor flume rides for visitors to venture on. One ride - named Baron's Revenge - drops riders eight metres vertically into the dark. And for younger kids, there are two under five's splash zones. Sessions cost from £19 per person. 8 There are two under five's splash zones at Splashdown in Poole Credit: Splashdown Waterpark Poole Splashdown Quaywest, Devon This isn't the only Splashdown site in the UK as there is another one further along the coast on the English Riviera in Devon. Known as Splashdown Quaywest, this site is the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark. In comparison to the Poole site, this park is home to 11 flume rides. Last year, the attraction also launched Shipwreck Island - a giant aqua-play area with slides and sprays for little ones. For parents wanting to chill whilst the kids have a splash, there is also a sun terrace. Admission costs from £19 per person, aged over nine-years-old. 8 Splashdown Quaywest in Devon is the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark Credit: Instagram/Splashdownwaterparks SC2, Rhyl in Wales SC2 waterpark in Wales includes a number of rides, a beach-style paddling pool and a number of play features. For toddlers, there is also Piranha Play with a number of interactive features including buckets, a water wheel and showers. The waterpark reopened on July 5, following a 17month closure due to storm damage. It also has new additions such as an adventure play structure inside of the Rainforest Diner cafe - which has an updated menu too. Tickets cost from £18.50 per adult and £15 per child, over the age of three. Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool Located in the popular seaside town of Blackpool, Sandcastle Waterpark is the UK's largest indoor waterpark. The waterpark has a number of family-friendly flumes - with 18 attractions overall - and it is all set inside a tropical 29C degree climate. General admission costs from £26.95 per person. 8 Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool features tropical 29C degree climate Credit: Named Waterpark Time Capsule, Scotland Reopening at the end of July following a six-month closure, Time Capsule in Scotland features a number of different slides including Tornado Tantrum and a 25metre swimming pool. Visitors can even test their strength in the Tsunami wave pool. And Cove Island is also a great spot for little kids wanting to enjoy a calmer water play. Tickets cost from £6 per child and £8.10 per adult. Center Parcs Waterparks, various Center Parcs sites across the country all feature their signature waterpark - Subtropical Swimming Paradise. Center Parcs have five sites across the UK - Longleat Forest, Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest. And at each park's Paradise there are a number of different attractions and various pools. For example, there are wave pools, children's pools, slides and rides - all set in a tropical world with palm trees. Day passes can be purchased for the Center Parcs sites costing from £30 per child and between £37 and £49 per adult. 8 Center Parcs sites across the country all feature their signature waterpark - Subtropical Swimming Paradise Credit: handout Butlin's waterparks, various All three Butlin's sites - in Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minhead - also have a waterpark - and you don't need to stay to access them. Butlin's Splash Waterworlds feature flumes, racing rapids, meandering rivers and shallow pools for tots. Day passes vary in price depending on which resort you are visiting. Haven waterparks, various In total, Haven operates 38 holiday parks across the UK and a number of Haven parks have great waterparks with a range of attractions. Sites like Seashore, Seton Sands, Craig Tara, Primose Valley and Hafan Y Mor are the best for waterparks, according to the holiday company itself. There are slides, flumes, lazy rivers and pools - both indoor and outdoor - to explore. You need to be staying at one of the Haven parks to use the water attractions. Alpamare, Scarborough Located in Scarborough, Alpamare is an indoor waterpark with four water slides and the Wellness at Alpamare Spa. There are also two outdoor pools, a restaurant and bar at the site. 8 Alpamare is an indoor waterpark with four water slides in Scotland Credit: Alamy Admission costs from £12 per person. Blue Lagoon Water Park, Wales Blue Lagoon Water Park is a subtropical indoor waterpark in Wales and is home to a number of slides, flumes, a lazy river and spa pools. Despite the park being closed to the general public most of the year, it does host charity open days for the public. The next open day is on October 28 and each event runs for two-and-a-half-hours from 6.30pm to 9pm. Entry costs £11.55 per person. LC Swansea, Wales The LC in Swansea is Wales' biggest indoor waterpark and boasts a number of slides and waves. In addition, there is also a lazy river, an interactive pool with a mini slide for small kids and tipping buckets. The destination runs three different kinds of sessions - Toddler Splash for ages zero to three, General Splash - a quieter session in the main pool of the waterpark - and Full Feature Sessions with the waves, lazy river and slides. Full feature sessions cost £39.50 per adult and £7.70 per child. All the lidos in the UK have also been mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even free to enter. Plus, the UK lidos, sea pools and splash pads that are free to get into – perfect for the hot weather.
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
All of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools in time for the hot weather
IF you're looking for a place to escape the hot weather this week, we've got your back. From lazy rivers to wave pools, here is a round up of all the UK's 8 The UK is home to a large number of waterparks including both indoor and outdoor parks Credit: Trip Advisor Coral Reef, Bracknell Coral Reef is one of the largest interactive water worlds in England , with five waterslides, an erupting volcano and a pirate ship. The swimming pool itself features rapids, a bubble pool , a And there is even a little luxury at the park for adults, in the adults-only Coral Spa. The spa is home to three saunas, a Japanese steam room, spa pool , cool pool and even heated Read more on travel inspo Family swim sessions with water slide access cost from £18.60 per adult and £13.20 per child. Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent Waterworld is an One ride - Thunderbolt - is also the UK's first trap door waterslide. For visitors wanting some fresh air, there's an outdoor pool too. Most read in News Travel And once you are done in the water, the site also has an Adventure Mini Golf with two 18-hole, tiki-themed More recently the waterpark gained M Club Spa and Fitness facility as well. Scots waterpark crowned 'best in the country' to reopen in weeks Admission costs £24 per person. Alton Towers Waterpark, Staffordshire Alton Towers Resort isn't just home to rollercoasters - it also has its own waterpark. Visitors can enjoy lazy rivers, water cannons and the 'Master Blaster' water rollercoaster. Then outside there is even more, with the Bubbly Wubbly pool and Flash Floods Tickets to the waterpark cost from £18 per person. 8 Alton Towers Resort has its own waterpark with slides and a lazy river Credit: Alamy The Wave Waterpark, Coventry The Wave Waterpark in For example, there is a Tickets cost from £12.50 per person. Splashdown Poole, Dorset In One ride - named Baron's Revenge - drops riders eight metres vertically into the dark. And for younger kids, there are two under five's splash zones. Sessions cost from £19 per person. 8 There are two under five's splash zones at Splashdown in Poole Credit: Splashdown Waterpark Poole Splashdown Quaywest, Devon This isn't the only Splashdown site in the UK as there is another one further along the coast on the Known as Splashdown Quaywest, this site is the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark. In comparison to the Poole site, this park is home to 11 flume rides. Last year, the attraction also launched Shipwreck Island - a giant aqua-play area with slides and sprays for little ones. For parents wanting to chill whilst the kids have a splash, there is also a Admission costs from £19 per person, aged over nine-years-old. 8 Splashdown Quaywest in Devon is the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark Credit: Instagram/Splashdownwaterparks SC2, Rhyl in Wales SC2 waterpark in Wales includes a number of rides, a beach-style paddling pool and a number of play features . For toddlers, there is also Piranha Play with a number of interactive features including buckets, a water wheel and showers. The waterpark reopened on July 5, following a 17month closure due to storm damage. It also has new additions such as an adventure play structure inside of the Rainforest Diner cafe - which has an updated menu too. Tickets cost from £18.50 per adult and £15 per child, over the age of three. Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool Located in the popular seaside town of Blackpool, Sandcastle Waterpark is the UK's largest indoor waterpark. The waterpark has a number of family-friendly flumes - with 18 attractions overall - and it is all set inside a tropical 29C degree climate. General admission costs from £26.95 per person. 8 Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool features tropical 29C degree climate Credit: Named Waterpark Time Capsule, Scotland Reopening at the end of July following a six-month closure, Time Capsule in Scotland features a number of different slides including Tornado Tantrum and a 25metre Visitors can even test their strength in the Tsunami wave pool. And Cove Island is also a great spot for little kids wanting to enjoy a calmer water play. Tickets cost from £6 per child and £8.10 per adult. Center Parcs Waterparks, various Swimming Paradise. Center Parcs have five sites across the UK - Longleat Forest, Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest. And at each park's Paradise there are a number of different attractions and various pools. For example, there are wave pools, children's pools, slides and rides - all set in a tropical world with palm trees. Day passes can be purchased for the 8 Center Parcs sites across the country all feature their signature waterpark - Subtropical Swimming Paradise Credit: handout Butlin's waterparks, various All three Butlin's Splash Waterworlds feature flumes, racing rapids, meandering rivers and shallow pools for tots. Day passes vary in price depending on which resort you are visiting. Haven waterparks, various In total, Haven operates 38 holiday parks across the UK and a number of Sites like Seashore, Seton Sands, Craig Tara, Primose Valley and Hafan Y Mor are the best for waterparks, according to the There are slides, flumes, lazy rivers and pools - both indoor and outdoor - to explore. You need to be staying at one of the Haven parks to use the water attractions. Alpamare, Scarborough Located in There are also two outdoor pools, a restaurant and bar at the site. 8 Alpamare is an indoor waterpark with four water slides in Scotland Credit: Alamy Admission costs from £12 per person. Blue Lagoon Water Park, Wales Blue Lagoon Water Park is a Wales and is home to a number of slides, flumes, a lazy river and spa pools. Despite the park being closed to the general public most of the year, it does host charity open days for the public. The next open day is on October 28 and each event runs for two-and-a-half-hours from 6.30pm to 9pm. Entry costs £11.55 per person. LC Swansea, Wales The LC in Swansea is Wales ' biggest indoor waterpark and boasts a number of slides and waves. In addition, there is also a lazy river, an interactive pool with a mini slide for small kids and tipping buckets. The destination runs three different kinds of sessions - Toddler Splash for ages zero to three, General Splash - a quieter session in the main pool of the waterpark - and Full Feature Sessions with the waves, lazy river and Full feature sessions cost £39.50 per adult and £7.70 per child. All the lidos in the UK have also been mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even free to enter. Plus, the weather . 8 A number of holiday parks also have waterparks Credit: Splashdownwaterparks
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
All of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools in time for the hot weather
IF you're looking for a place to escape the hot weather this week, we've got your back. From lazy rivers to wave pools, here is a round up of all the UK's waterparks to visit this weekend. 8 Coral Reef, Bracknell Coral Reef is one of the largest interactive water worlds in England, with five waterslides, an erupting volcano and a pirate ship. The swimming pool itself features rapids, a bubble pool, a children's area and fountains. And there is even a little luxury at the park for adults, in the adults-only Coral Spa. The spa is home to three saunas, a Japanese steam room, spa pool, cool pool and even heated sun loungers. Family swim sessions with water slide access cost from £18.60 per adult and £13.20 per child. Waterworld, Stoke-on-Trent Waterworld is an indoor aqua park with over 30 different rides. One ride - Thunderbolt - is also the UK's first trap door waterslide. For visitors wanting some fresh air, there's an outdoor pool too. And once you are done in the water, the site also has an Adventure Mini Golf with two 18-hole, tiki-themed golf courses. More recently the waterpark gained M Club Spa and Fitness facility as well. Admission costs £24 per person. Alton Towers Waterpark, Staffordshire Alton Towers Resort isn't just home to rollercoasters - it also has its own waterpark. Visitors can enjoy lazy rivers, water cannons and the 'Master Blaster' water rollercoaster. Then outside there is even more, with the Bubbly Wubbly pool and Flash Floods flume ride. Tickets to the waterpark cost from £18 per person. 8 The Wave Waterpark, Coventry The Wave Waterpark in Coventry is home to a range of attractions for a variety of ages. For example, there is a splash zone for little ones but also water slides for older kids. Tickets cost from £12.50 per person. Splashdown Poole, Dorset In Poole, Splashdown is home to 13 indoor and outdoor flume rides for visitors to venture on. One ride - named Baron's Revenge - drops riders eight metres vertically into the dark. And for younger kids, there are two under five's splash zones. Sessions cost from £19 per person. 8 Splashdown Quaywest, Devon This isn't the only Splashdown site in the UK as there is another one further along the coast on the English Riviera in Devon. Known as Splashdown Quaywest, this site is the UK's biggest outdoor waterpark. And this park is home to 11 flume rides and an aqua play area for children under 12 years old. For parents wanting to chill whilst the kids have a splash, there is also a sun terrace. Admission costs from £19 per person, aged over nine-years-old. 8 SC2, Rhyl in Wales SC2 waterpark in Wales includes a number of rides, a beach-style paddling pool and a number of play features. For toddlers, there is also Piranha Play with a number of interactive features including buckets, a water wheel and showers. Tickets cost from £18.50 per adult and £15 per child, over the age of three. Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool Located in the popular seaside town of Blackpool, Sandcastle Waterpark is the UK's largest indoor waterpark. The waterpark has a number of family-friendly flumes - with 18 attractions overall - and it is all set inside a tropical 29C degree climate. General admission costs from £26.95 per person. 8 Time Capsule, Scotland Reopening at the end of July following a six-month closure, Time Capsule in Scotland features a number of different slides including Tornado Tantrum and a 25metre swimming pool. Visitors can even test their strength in the Tsunami wave pool. And Cove Island is also a great spot for little kids wanting to enjoy a calmer water play. Tickets cost from £6 per child and £8.10 per adult. Center Parcs Waterparks, various Center Parcs sites across the country all feature their signature waterpark - Subtropical Swimming Paradise. Center Parcs have five sites across the UK - Longleat Forest, Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Woburn Forest and Elveden Forest. And at each park's Paradise there are a number of different attractions and various pools. For example, there are wave pools, children's pools, slides and rides - all set in a tropical world with palm trees. Day passes can be purchased for the Center Parcs sites costing from £30 per child and between £37 and £49 per adult. 8 Butlin's waterparks, various All three Butlin's sites - in Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minhead - also have a waterpark - and you don't need to stay to access them. Butlin's Splash Waterworlds feature flumes, racing rapids, meandering rivers and shallow pools for tots. Day passes vary in price depending on which resort you are visiting. Haven waterparks, various In total, Haven operates 38 holiday parks across the UK and a number of Haven parks have great waterparks with a range of attractions. Sites like Seashore, Seton Sands, Craig Tara, Primose Valley and Hafan Y Mor are the best for waterparks, according to the holiday company itself. There are slides, flumes, lazy rivers and pools - both indoor and outdoor - to explore. You need to be staying at one of the Haven parks to use the water attractions. Alpamare, Scarborough Located in Scarborough, Alpamare is an indoor waterpark with four water slides and the Wellness at Alpamare Spa. There are also two outdoor pools, a restaurant and bar at the site. Admission costs from £12 per person. Blue Lagoon Water Park, Wales Blue Lagoon Water Park is a subtropical indoor waterpark in Wales and is home to a number of slides, flumes, a lazy river and spa pools. Despite the park being closed to the general public most of the year, it does host charity open days for the public. The next open day is on October 28 and each event runs for two-and-a-half-hours from 6.30pm to 9pm. Entry costs £11.55 per person. LC Swansea, Wales The LC in Swansea is Wales' biggest indoor waterpark and boasts a number of slides and waves. In addition, there is also a lazy river, an interactive pool with a mini slide for small kids and tipping buckets. The destination runs three different kinds of sessions - Toddler Splash for ages zero to three, General Splash - a quieter session in the main pool of the waterpark - and Full Feature Sessions with the waves, lazy river and slides. Full feature sessions cost £39.50 per adult and £7.70 per child. All the lidos in the UK have also been mapped – with water slides, cocktail bars and some are even free to enter. Plus, the UK lidos, sea pools and splash pads that are free to get into – perfect for the hot weather. 8
Japan Today
22-06-2025
- General
- Japan Today
Tomato tarts from Japanese dessert shop will make you rethink what a tomato is
By Master Blaster, SoraNews24 For ages, the debate has raged on whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. In the U.S., the Supreme Court ruled in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable because it is eaten as a part of meals. Meanwhile, the EU's Court of Justice deemed tomatoes to be fruits because they can be made into jams. And yet, I have to imagine that all the courts in the world would agree that whether fruit or vegetable, putting tomato in a dessert sounds kind of gross. That didn't stop dessert store chain Qu'il Fait Bon from trying it though, as our writer Maro recently discovered. She visited a Qu'il Fait Bon for the first time in a while because she knew they changed their lineup to use seasonal fruits in their tarts. She immediately saw that the large menu posted out front looked a little different, but nothing prepared her for just how drastic a change they'd made. One of their new items that came out this month was the OSMIC Fruit Tomato 10 Tart for 799 yen a slice. OSMIC is a brand of tomatoes known for their exceptionally high sweetness. Current OSMIC tomatoes can go as high as 13 degrees Brix (Brix being the measurement for sugar content) which is in the neighborhood of a peach or strawberry, whereas an average tomato is around 7 degrees Brix. In the case of this tart, the tomatoes used have a brix of 10, making them fairly sweeter than those normally sold in supermarkets, but even with that Maro wondered if they would work in a dessert. Not wanting to pass up the chance to try it, she bought a slice to take home, but just before she did she spotted another oddity, Edamame Tart. Boiled soybeans don't have the same fruit-vegetable mystique about them unless you count crude limericks about flatulence, so this tart was possibly even more surprising and she bought a slice of it too, also for 799 yen. After getting home, Maro unboxed her tarts and took a piece of the tomato one first. From the moment it touched her tongue, she could tell this was an exquisite tomato and remarkably sweet. It had the sweetness of a dried tomato but with the juiciness of a fresh one. The cream inside was rich like cream cheese and had a sourness that worked well with the incredible sweetness of the tomato. It tasted unlike any tart she had before and it had a very sophisticated feel to it. There was even tomato mixed into the crust, giving it a bold red color. Next, it was time to try the Edamame Tart. In addition to having edamame on top, there was edamame mousse and edamame custard filling inside, ensuring a deep soybean flavor. After taking a bite Maro realized that this wasn't nearly as strange as she expected, in fact, it was just like zunda, a sweet edamame paste that's popular in the northeast part of Japan. They were pretty ambitious dessert ingredients but Qu'il Fait Bon pulled them off perfectly. Also, even though this shop has locations all over Japan, the tomato tart is only available at the Grand Maison Ginza, Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi, Tokyo Dome City, Shizuoka, and Hamamatsu stores. The Edamame Tart is even rarer and can only be bought in the Shizuoka store. Qu'il Fait Bon has many other delicious offerings though, and it's entirely possible they might have something different but equally daring in other locations too, so check it out if you can. Related: Qu'il Fait Bon Photos ©SoraNews24 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- What's white and sweet and smells like your first love? This tart made from white strawberries! -- Awesome tempura soba noodle breakfast makes this Tokyo hotel near Akihabara a budget travel hero -- Japan's Mister Donut teams up with Disney for first time for Mickey and Minnie Sweets External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
16-06-2025
- Science
- Japan Today
World's first 'transparent paper cup' developed in Japan
By Master Blaster, SoraNews24 If you're like me, you probably always worry about foreign matter entering your drink, whether it's a Junebug or a dose of strychnine from one of the many, many people out to get you. That's why I dislike paper cups that make it more difficult to see what's inside at all times. Many in the beverage business agree, just not for the same paranoid reasons. For them, a clear cup highlights the attractive colors of their drinks and acts as a subtle form of advertising to all within eyeshot. Unfortunately, when it comes to transparency, the main options are expensive and fragile glass or plastic which has been rapidly choking our oceans. But now, a research team with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) thinks they have a solution to everyone's cup problems. This team has developed a thick paper that is also transparent. It's sturdy enough and resistant enough to moisture that it can be used as a cup, but it also biodegrades like paper, and when submerged in the sea for four months it almost completely breaks down. Image: JAMSTEC That's because it's made of cellophane, the well-known material that looks a lot like plastic but is actually closer to paper because it's made of the same material, cellulose. Cellophane has been around for a long time, but until now it could only be produced in very thin sheets, incapable of forming a sturdy enough cup. JAMSTEC was able to produce cellophane in thickness of 0.3 to 0.7, up to 14 times thicker than previously thought possible. ▼ This news report shows that it was easier said than done and took 640 attempts over five years. With the potential that it could be used in other ways as a plastic substitute, readers of the news online were full of hope and pride in the researchers of their country. 'It's people like this, who think of things the rest of us don't, that are saving the world.' 'This is what we get when institutions get the funding to do proper research.' 'I can't get over learning cellophane tape is actually paper.' 'I have so much respect for people who can invent things like this and it makes me proud to be Japanese.' 'I hope this can completely replace plastic.' 'I'd be happy if they used this instead of paper for straws.' 'I was wondering why marine researchers were doing this, but they want to protect the ocean. That's just wonderful.' 'I just work every day and hang out on weekends, while these people work to make the world better. It's not that Japanese people are amazing. These people are amazing.' 'I've been waiting for something like this that gives me real hope for the future.' Before we get too hopeful, there is a catch. According to JAMSTEC, this material costs about 1,000 times as much as current plastics to produce. That being said, plastics have had a considerable head start, and with some research into mass production of this cellophane, it could still become the norm for packaging and more someday. Until then, my legions of foes and Mother Nature's hordes of insects will continue to have the upper hand when it comes to invading my loosely monitored drinks, but at least hope is on the horizon. Source: TV Asahi, JAMSTEC, YouTube/ANNnewsCH Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws -- Sayonara, paper straws? Starbucks Japan rolls out new biomass plastic straws, we test them out -- No more plastic cups — Starbucks Japan aims to get rid of plastic in stores with new initiatives External Link © Japan Today
