Our little tester Tia Hanson, three, of Bentley, will be going out and about with her mum testing out family entertainments and attractions in our area and giving her verdict on what's hot and what's not when it comes to a family day out.

This week, the pair enjoyed the thrills and spills of the big top with a trip to Circus Starr at Sandall Park.

ROLL up, roll up - Circus Starr came to town for one night only - and the performers shone brightly with everything you'd expect from a night at the big top.

Raising cash for St John's Hospice, the circus came for its annual visit last Friday and packed in hundreds of people of all ages for two shows at 4.45pm and 7pm.

We opted for the later one and it was dusk as we arrived adding to the magic and excitement as the children inside the tent waved around lightsticks and tucked into the popcorn.

As you'd expect, we were treated to the usual variety of performances - clowns, acrobatics, daredevil stuff on the high wire and even a little girl who can't have been about more than four or five who bounded round the circus ring with lots of energy and enthusiasm throughout.

Some of the clown routines were a little tired though - and I've lost count of the number of times I've seen the Ghostbusters routine. But the acrobatics troupe (who went under two names for their routines - Matrix and Troupe Julio) were pretty impressive and had the crowd on the edge of their seats.

The main thing is, the children certainly enjoyed it, laughing and giggling and shouting along in all the right places - and of course, it was for a very good cause which made it all the more special.

Tia said: "I liked the clowns, they were funny and made me laugh. And I liked dancing to the music too. But the Ghostbusters were a bit scary and I had to sit on my mummy's knee for that bit."