Meet some of the people working the Grand National weekend, making sure it's extra special.
For three days every April the city comes alive as it prepares to host the world's most famous steeplechase. The Grand National Festival takes months of planning for local authorities and local businesses.
Thousands of people descend on Aintree every year during this time, including people from Merseyside and those from across the country. However, not everyone will be able to attend as some will be working.
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The ECHO spoke to some of those people who will be part of making sure racegoers will have the best time. One of the people we spoke to was Arriva bus driver Glyn Jones, from Kirkby.
The 57-year-old will be operating the Aintree Racecourse internal shuttle bus over the course of the three days. But this isn't his first rodeo and has been doing it since 2010.
Speaking to the ECHO, Glyn said: "I am probably one of the most experienced ones there now, I have been doing it since 2010. One of the managers called me in to do an errand and when I finished the errand he said 'well done and how do you feel about doing the National on Saturday and that's how it all came about.
"I had to pass a test and then I have been there ever since. The first time I done it I said to my mum 'I am on a high' and I didn't come down until the Tuesday.
"It's such a fantastic experience because I have obviously been a follower of the National and the things you see on TV, we see behind the scenes. The greatest thrill for me was seeing the young horses out training of a morning with the apprentice jockeys and trainers.
"You think those horses are big and the adult horses come out and they are huge."
Glyn said he will be working from 10.30am until around 7.30pm and loves doing it. He said it is an honour "to represent the company but also to represent Liverpool as well."
The bus driver said he gets to "shake hands with hundreds of people" and added: "I get to meet quite a lot of people from all over the country. What it's all about and what the managers at Aintree Racecourse emphasised to us is the Aintree experience.
"Anything that is good and anything you can do to go the extra mile to help people, to get people to where they want to be because we see people going around the course but there's people with disabilities as well.
"They need a bit more space. We have up to eight buses internal on the Saturday, but sometimes we will use one bus if there is a person with a disability, a wheelchair user for example, we will use one bus and it is not a problem.
"We have got the staff there, the means to do it and we will just do it to make sure everyone has a good day."
Glyn said the drivers never get any tips on what horse to pick but will do their own sweepstake at work. The 57-year-old said they have also managed to reunite lost property with people over the years.
He said: "It can be anything from umbrellas to expensive sunglasses, expensive coats. The furthest one I remember getting back was to someone in Scotland.
"They had left an expensive coat through ringing Aintree, they got in touch with Arriva and the management at Arriva then posted it back to him. Didn't charge him for the post but put it down to Aintree experience."
Hannah Jones, from Crosby, owns Lady Muck beauty salon. The 33-year-old started with just one location in 2012 when she opened the Crosby branch and one quickly turned into four, and there are now branches of Lady Muck in Crosby, Bootle, Aintree, and West Derby.
The 33-year-old said her Aintree salon on Long Lane will be busy day and night during the Grand National weekend to make sure her customers hair, makeup and nails are perfect. As any Grand National fan will know, the festival is not just about the horse racing - fashion plays a huge part too.
Speaking to the ECHO, Hannah said: "We will be in from 5am most days working right through, right until the night time. The girls will obviously be up early getting the prep ready that day, but the prep also starts in the night time ready for the next day."
The beauty salon owner said she is expecting more than 100 people over the course of the three days and added it's "really exciting time in the city".
She added: "People book months in advance. They start messaging in January wanting to book in ready for it."
It is also extra special for the salon in Aintree this year, as the it turns one in May. This is salon's first Grand National as Lady Muck.
Wayne Reynolds, from Huyton, is the landlord of The Queens on Warbreck Moor in Aintree. He said he has gone all out to make sure people have the best time at the "unofficial afterparty of Aintree Racecourse".
Speaking to the ECHO, he said: "We have changed all the outside, we have a big marquee, two outside bars - one is a converted Range Rover, another is a horsebox. It's going to look absolutely amazing.
"I'm excited and looking forward to it. It's a massive occasion and I have been to The National myself before and to be part of it, obviously in a different way, but we go all out to be the unofficial afterparty of Aintree Racecourse.
"So the company I work with, we go all out, we really go all out to try and make it with the entertainment, especially outside with the big marquee, bars outside and different types of stuff going on every year."
Wayne said last year the pub took between 12,000 and 15,000 sales during the Grand National weekend and expects this year to be "massive".
He added: "Obviously not everyone stays all day. You have people popping in having one or two beforehand, the train queues are massive and taxis are almost impossible so you get that people stay for a little bit.
"I imagine there will be thousands coming through the door in the next few days."
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