Considering I eat and drink out as much as possible, there has to be some sort of action plan when…read moreit comes to shifting the pounds. That's why I'm exceptionally lucky to live next door to Alexandra park, a leafy oasis in the red brick jungle of Edgeley. Not only are there 3 reservoirs with a multitude of fishermen hogging the banks, there's also tennis, basketball and football courts all free and fully unlocked to the public 24/7. There's also the Edgeley crown green bowls pitches to the north of the park which are super popular with an older clientele, plus there's all ages going for it in the tai chi each morning. It's a great place to go for an early morning run, walk your dog (wow - everyone seems to know each other!) and I personally go to shoot a few hoops most morning to get my basketball on (wind permitting...) Perfect for folks with kids - there's a huge playground onsite!

When the Queensway Tunnel was dug beneath the river, the subsequent rubbish pulled from the ground…read morewas dumped and landscaped into what is now Otterspool Prom. Here you can do everything there is to possibly do on a riverside promenade; things such as walk, ride a bike, look at the water and...um...well that's about it. I suppose you could rollerblade if you wanted. If it's a warm day and you don't mind the style your hair will be sculpted into by the blustering gales, you can follow the prom and its interconnecting paths right up to the Pier Head. If you don't fancy that, try and unearth the ruins of the 1984 Garden Festival, which lies hidden by tree trunks and weeds. You don't know how overtly creepy something is until you accidentally stumble across a kid's overgrown swing park. I still have nightmares.

What a spectacular view. Did you ever see such a coastline? Especially when the waves are choppy…read moreand the wind blustery. I absolutely love the promenade; walking along beside the river with the breathtaking view of the Welsh hills in the background is really relaxing, there's lots of cyclists and dog-walkers around and it's a lovely environment on a clear sunny day. The park which was renovated through the 'Pride in our Proms' project is Amazing. It's a mini world of Big Kid heaven... for me anyway I regressed about 10 years and was on the swings, seesaw and monkey bars, and when we'd totally worn ourselves out running around and taking cool scenic pictures of the sunset we went for a well earned pint from the Otterspool pub which is handily a hop skip and a cartwheel across the park. Go fly a kite, see the sights, play on the park and grab a pint!

I was very surprised by how large this park is. I entered near the bike shop and had a lovely…read morewander through pat of the park. Gorgeous trees, plenty of wide spaces. Lots of clean trails that seem well maintained, a few benches to sit and read. I had planned to just do a quick stroll, but will have to come back to do it all as it was larger than I had expected.

I've never really been *to* this park, but I have walked through it on numerous occasions, as it…read moremakes for a more scenic walk from Didsbury to Tesco/the cinema/Nando's than the main road does. For a Manchester park it seems to have very few scallies hanging about in it, making it a very pleasant place for a quick stroll or even a picnic (maybe). There is a football pitch, which apparently has an air raid shelter underneath it, a kids play area and a bowling green. Alongside Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens, Old Parsonage Gardens, Marie Louise Gardens and Fog Lane Park, Didsbury Park contributes to the leafy green spaces which make a welcome break from the café culture and bus fumes of Wilmslow Road.

I'd prefer to keep this place to myself but seeing as I'm trying to share some pretty cool places…read moreI'll only tell all my Yelp friends about how nice this place is - we can keep it to ourselves and those who are smart enough to use our app regularly! Basically this place is super cool, situated in lovely woods just through from Cheadle Hulme with an entrance very close to Life Leisure swimming pools - a perfect place to spend a lovely summer day - maybe with friends, maybe with family, maybe with a special someone - or maybe all together at the same time. There's a carpark which was £1 for 2 hours and from here you can walk up to their gardens and park area which are rather secluded but still have plenty of opportunity to sunbathe - in fact there were loads of groups of people when we visited enjoying picnics, ball games and good times - very very chilled atmosphere! There's also a full free BMX track if that floats your boat, a kiddie play ground and a cafe and ice cream huts. Overall a lovely place to spend a nice day - now it's time to zoom off and look at those weather forecasts!

Bruntwood Park provides recreational and sporting facilities to all. it also offers a play area of…read moreexcellence to the Borough of Stockport and to many visitors from the North West region. There are a variety of facilities available in the Park. An eighteen-hole par 3 pitch and putt course utilises existing contours and is in harmony with the existing mature trees. A fully accessible child's playground occupies a central position providing adventure and fun for children with all the equipment carefully chosen and landscaped. Refreshments are offered at a refreshment kiosk and the original Victorian conservatory has been converted into a restaurant catering for Park users wishing to relax in pleasant surroundings. A great day out for all tastes and interests.

After 6 months whining about how there is nowhere good to run near me, I belatedly discovered the…read morejoys of the Fred Perry Way (a 14 mile path from Reddish through Stockport and Bramhall to Woodford) which at one point spits you out near the entrance to this delightful nature reserve. Bigger than it appears at first glance, it has beautiful bluebells in the spring and a lovely brook that adorable dogs and children splash about it. The paths appear well laid enough to be passable even after significant rain and it's definitely a good place to run. Apparently some of it is considered ancient wood and you actually reach some kind of farmland at one end - I spotted cows and possibly strawberries!

Yesterday afternoon we decided to visit somewhere new. So, out came the A to Z - Vernon Park looked…read morequite big and accessible and we hadn't been there before. Unfortunately I forgot that A to Zs do not show contour lines so after a bit of a slog up the hill from Stockport we finally reached the park, which was full of families and dog walkers enjoying the rare winter sun. We picked up a map from the visitor centre, which made everything look bigger than it was (the pond was really just a large fountain), however, park (which has been restored to its Victorian splendour with the help of a whopping lottery grant) was immaculately kept and very pleasant for a Sunday stroll. I was quite looking forward to the maze, but the fact that you could step over and around the conifers made it a little disappointing. It would be fun for kids, or Borrowers though. If you want to extend your walk then it's possible to walk down the River Goyt (walking boots or wellies advisable) towards a beautiful red brick mill and back up towards Vernon Park through the adjacent Memorial Park.

Getting drunk and falling over can be fun. Drinking enough coffee to stay awake for a decade can…read morealso be fun. Sometimes though I need more in my life. Unfortunately Johnny Depp doesn't see it that way so I turn to something else extremely cute instead; animals. There are plenty of places in Leeds where you can get up close and personal (not too personal mind, there is a name for people like that) with various creatures of the animal kingdom and Ponderosa serves as a great example of that. What's also immense about this place are the facilities offered to disabled and able bodied children alike. Indeed, it did start off as a place to help disabled children and has grown to open it's doors to all. You'll get to see allsorts of animals. You'll even get to see llamas and an emu. How cool is that and no Orville or that silly man who sticks his hand up puppets for a living, in sight. You'll also get a chance to see pigs, peacocks, highland cows, goats, horses, donkeys and birds of prey. It's a cracking day out Wallace and one I highly recommend. Just remember to take a kid with you or you may look a bit daft like me.

Ponderosa Farm, I was delighted when a friends took me to this little gem hidden away in…read moreHeckmondwike West Yorkshire. I couldn't believe the huge range of animals they have far better than anything similar I have visited in the past. This place is really child friendly with so much for them to see. We bought a bag of feed for 50p to feed the farm animals and it was a lovely experience seeing the animals so close. The farm animal include pigs, goats and sheep as well as rabbits. But whats great about Pondarose is all other animals they keep. There were birds of prey which included a beautiful Kestrel. Also Meerkats which were just having there feed when we saw them first which happened to be baby chicks which I found a bit gross and perhaps might have been a bit upsetting for children to see but when we went back later they were playing around and were very cute I would have loved to have taken one home. There was also a reptile house which we went to. I was slightly surprised they as we walk through part of the house in the tropical plants was what appeared to be sum kind of large lizards just wondering about which did make me feel slightly uneasy but I just stayed where it was and I am a bit of wimp. They had a snake out with a handler in one room and I was too scared to go in but its a great way to get kids interested in animals we saw them handling lots of animals so its great fun as well as they learning lots too they staff we were friendly and seem to enjoying sharing all there knowledge about the animals with everyone. Also whats great is dotted around the site are many different play area's for the children with tonnes of climbing frames and slides for them. There is a coffee shop serving cold sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, ice cream & refreshments. Disabled access. As well as plenty of picnic areas. there are toilets and a nice little gift shop. There is so much to do make sure you allow yourself enough time to see everything. I recommend going on a dry day to get the most out of Pondarose. Open from 10am - 4pm 7 days a week Monday through Sunday. We are open all year round only closing for Christmas and New Year. (Dates are confirmed nearer the time). Admission 4.00 pounds adults 3.50 children under 2's are free From Manchester: Come off the M62 at Junction 26 - turn right onto the A638 - Follow this road through Cleckheaton - Turn right at the clock tower in Heckmondwike centre. The centre is sign posted on the right. Turn down Station lane, under the railway bridge, past Al Murad tiles and we are the next left turn. From Leeds: Turn off M62 at Junction 27 (Showcase Cinema) and pick up the A62 towards Huddersfield. Through 6 sets of light and turn left into Heckmondwike centre - then turn right at the clock tower in Heckmondwike centre. The centre is sign posted on the right. Turn down Station lane, under the railway bridge, past Al Murad tiles and we are the next left turn

Great park. Nicer than the main Royton park. Quieter, more spacious and it doesn't seem like your…read morein Royton A good play area to kids, great for riding bikes, jogging etc. Great for picnics as well, however on the downside is there is no toilets.