I live near this place and popped in for info one day on the diving. I found the staff to be most…read morehelpful and informative. I have not as yet tried out the diving but I know its popular as I see people heading off in their wet suits. There was two shops but now its just one but Im sure its business as usual.

This is a fantastic local swimming pool. They hold public swimming sessions and also run swimming…read moreclubs there. My daughter has attended Aqua Bears swimming club held there for over two years on a Saturday morning. There are swimming classes for young beginners, right up to the more experienced swimmers. I have also attended classes for pregnant mums, which were a good way to meet new friends. Importantly the changing rooms are clean and in good repair; the toilets have been recently refurbished. There is a free car park attached and there is usually attendants who are very helpful. I can thoroughly recommend this swimming pool.

I can say I've accepted my fate as a lifetime foodie, and therefore have always been applying to…read moregyms. I find the Manchester Aquatics Centre to be up there with the best, in terms of size and accessibility. Conveniently located right off of Oxford road, it's easy to get to by bus (considering there's limited parking on-site). For swimmers: it's an impressive facility with 3 Olympic-size pools, but beware, it is bustling almost every weekend with swim events! Luckily for families, they have a great children's play pool with fountains and small slides. There are also two large water slides, but they've been roped off for quite some time now. For gym junkies: there's an entire (heavy) weight room downstairs, and upstairs you'll find an impressive cardio room, dance studio, functional gym, and plenty of mats for individual workouts. The upstairs stretches as long as the three pools, giving a lot of space for personal fitness. However, the functional gym is quite small - with only one or two machines for each muscle group. So if it's busy, expect to be waiting in between sets. 17-19:30 are the gym's peak hours, mostly quiet over the weekends aside from the humdrum of the swim events. There are plenty of treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals and rowing machines for all the cardio-lovers out there, and the gym offers spin classes and a variety of workout classes as well. They also offer affordable monthly/yearly memberships that won't break the bank. The staff is very accommodating to help you find the right kind of membership to suit your personal fitness goals. Also, check out their personal trainers. They're well-qualified, and very friendly!

Sometimes you desperately need a short sharp shock of smushed fruit after your swim. Restorative…read moreVitamin C and lovely stuff. I kind of didn't want to walk all the way over to Amber Café on my way to Petersfield, and I'd noticed the little café at the Aquatics Centre a few times. It seemed to offer way more healthy treats than the archetypal vending machines at the South Manchester leisure centres (hey, they have those too. Hello Nice 'n' Spicy Nik-Naks!), and there was proper coffee too, so I sauntered up to the counter all exhausted with my hair all soggy (I refuse on principle to use my 20ps for hairdryers that wouldn't make a jot of difference to my multilayered thick hair) and asked about their smoothies. They could indeed do them to take away, but they only had about three options available on the generous list which didn't bother me in the slightest. I went for... come on, how could I resist the name?... THE IMMUNISER. It sounds like some kind of *machine*! It incorporated strawberry, kiwi and pineapple, three of my absolute favourite fruits, and it was awesome. Just the right portion and only a little over £2, how can one complain? I'll definitely be using this as regularly as my morning fruit shoot before breakfast. Thanks, Manchester Sports and Leisure! Nom.

Massive venue. Great staff…read more Quality route setting. Coffee is freshly ground and the music is pumping too. Although could be louder at times. Give it a check out. The do student prices. NHS unfortunately not. Small shop on site too for gear.

Great place for bouldering (and some short climbing self belays). Fantastic atmosphere, everyone is…read morefriendly.

A dive centre needs to fulfill a few basic requirements, good range of stock, knowledgeable staff…read moreand reasonable prices. Probe luckily has all three but is let down by the slightly cold reception you get from the staff. I popped in midweek to have a look around for some new bits of kit and though the staff were clearly knowledgeable and pointed me in the direction of the kit I required I was made to feel like an inconvenience. On a busy main road Probe has plenty of passing trade one would imagine but their window displays and signs look unkempt which is not the most attractive advert for a business where attention to details is vital. They have a small parking area at the back with a second public door so you dont have to walk all the way around the block which if carrying heavy dive kit is great news. Overall decent but not my recommendation unless you absolutely have to.

A great place for all different ages there are so many different leaves you can try and the staff…read moreare so friendly and patient with makes it the perfect place to go to

Excellent place to do bouldering. First time properly bouldering so had a 1 hour induction first…read moreand then stayed for almost 2 hours afterwards. Good induction showing around the place, how to climb properly and warm up etc. I signed up via Groupon which was £15 for induction, 1 year membership and 3 free sessions (inc. shoe hire). The induction alone costs £15. All details about costs are on their web site. Dont think it mentioned shoe hire on the site - its £2.50. (Hands sore now and a bit "raw" now!! - and starting to feel forearms tighten!)

Decent local leisure centre, a wee bit tired and was annoying the hairdryers weren't working in the…read moremiddle of winter but nice for a bit of a splash about at the weekend - the relatively small pool was full of kids so you can't swim laps at that time but it's nice and warm (apparently sometimes almost too warm!) so doesn't matter you can't move that much.

Has an excellent reputation for it's swimming tuition. Along with the pool, it has squash court,…read moregym, health spa and soft centre and runs numerous classes - fitness, aerobics, pilates etc. Run as a charity. A very valuable local resource. For more info http://www.bollingtonleisure.co.uk .

Lyme view marina is a lovely place to have a walk around.. It is predominantly for narrow boats but…read morethere is also a cafe (which is currently being refurbished) here. I only came here due to my job but I will definitely be back in the future to explore further along the tow path which apparently links up to Lyme Park.

Picture-esque views beautifully expected here with good access to the nearby towns Prestbury and…read morePoynton. Local shops are available all around this area to stock up and also easy access to the Peak District just a stone's throw away offering a good number of cycle rides and walks. Definitely a place to stop at if enjoying the waterways and to enjoy the nearby towns. For those who don't own a canal boat, this is still a good place to walk around peacefully and enjoy the bustle of a marina.