You can feel the tension building, quite literally, once you are safely strapped into the spherical cage of the Slingshot, waiting to be fired 200 feet up into the air.
Two elasticated ropes are attached to the carriage, pulled tight to create the potential energy required and sitting, waiting for the release is when the butterflies kick in.
All around the coloured lights are flashing, and the repetitive thud of the pumping techno dance music is interspersed with the theme tune from Star Wars.
The anticipation is excruciating.
‘Bye’.
That was all the guy said, and a split second later WHOOSH.
My daughter and I were rocketing upward experiencing the most intense G-forces before becoming weightless and plummeting back to earth with stomach-churning speed.
Boooiiiiiiing.
The bungee cords kicked and the cage rolled at breakneck speed before shooting back into the air, and down again until finally we came to rest.
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The ride lasts about a minute, but is intense and leaves you full of adrenaline, ready for the next fix.
A trip to the Hoppings on Newcastle’s Town Moor was a rite of passage as a youngster growing up on Tyneside in the late eighties and early 90s.
The travelling fair, which has some of the biggest, highest and fastest rides in Europe, returned to the region on Friday.
So, it was with a degree of nostalgia and genuine excitement I took my own kids, now aged 11 and 12.
There was nothing like the Slingshot back in my day.
As soon as we parked up, the sweet smell and candy floss and donuts and the irresistible whiff of fried onions transported me back to my childhood.
It was baking hot and the straw underfoot smelt fresh; the ground was rock hard as opposed to muddy and squelchy as I recalled from the days of yore.
The forecast downpours could change that though as the week goes on.
This is the 141st time the Hoppings has been at the Town Moor and now has around 350 attractions and sideshows with some of the most daredevil rides in the world.
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It includes the first-ever landing at the event of the nail-biting Rocket Ride, which will see riders lifted 60 metres in the air before being spun round in a corkscrew-like motion before landing back on Earth.
We didn’t try that one, but did go on an old classic, the Rotor - the one like being in a washing machine where you stick to the wall - which was every bit as dizzying as i remember.
The kids enjoyed driving the dodgem cars, the Wild Mouse roller coaster and an insane upside-down spinning ride called Rock Rage.
They are far braver than I ever was.
There are of course traditional favourites such as the waltzers, the helter-skelter, the ghost train and the fun houses as well as more white-knuckle rides such as the Meteorite, Matterhorn and Extreme.
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For little ones, the flying planes and dumbos provide a gentler ride and there are also slides, inflatables and bungee trampolines so there is something for everyone.
We tried out Oxegen, which spins riders around before tipping onto its side, and Super Trouper, which starts sedately enough and builds speed before the carriage dips and sways.
As well as an amazing array of rides there are loads of traditional sideshows with the rifle range, coconut shies and hook-a-duck firm favourites with all ages.
The fun fair’s food and drink village, Feast Street, has been extended this year, with more stalls than ever and the addition of a stage with live entertainment every day.
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Last year the Hoppings brought in 500,000 visitors and organisers hope to attract even bigger crowds this time round.
Ryan Crow, of Crow Events, said: “It really is the perfect family entertainment.
“There are rides and attractions for all ages, the chance to have fun, to maybe win a souvenir of the day and to enjoy food, drink and some of the best attractions to be found anywhere in Europe.”
The Hoppings runs until Sunday 25 June and full details of the entertainment programme at Feast Street are available here.
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