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!

As picturesque as it gets in Bolton, the Jumbles is a firm favourite for locals and outsiders…read morealike. This was at full testimony on my last walk (Sunday) when the weather had perked up a little as almost half of Bolton had decided to do the same! That could sound quite negative but it's definitely not, theres room and space for all. Most would say it's better when the sun is shining and you don't need to wrap up like you're about to tackle an blizzard on Snowdon, but sometimes it's just as beautiful to walk round when it's bitterly cold and the trees are frosting in stead of blooming. I'm very lucky to have this on my doorstep although I don't utilise it enough. If you're looking for a new walking route or a different reservoir to explore, make the Jumbles your next stop - and call in at my house for a cuppa on your way out!

A little know gem of Warrington with bucket loads of history attached. It's got 2 main areas, open…read moregrass land and the willow marshes. Great dog walking area.

This is a wonderful, natural environment. Excellent for those who like to walk away from all the…read moretraffic and noise, but still be in contact with civilisation. It can be accessed from Farrell Street or Manchester Road (via Peacock Avenue) and has some pathways laid out, suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. Once again, it is often necessary to watch out for bicyclists, but most are very courteous here. The odd kids on stolen and/or illegal motorcycles are not. Contrary to popular knowledge of the law, these are not legal on what used to be called common land and still need a license, tax and insurance - none of which they have. Rant over! Just off the laid paths is a quite large area which is the actual twiggery - water and marshland completely enclosed in shrubbery which is more akin to jungle than parkland. The authorities have had built raised, wooden walkways throughout this area without destroying the natural aspects - it is possible to see all manner of animal and birdlife if one is quiet enough. I have watched heron fishing in the pond near the entrance as well as kingfishers and wagtails. On St George's Day, we usually manage to pick enough dandelions for the next year's dandelion wine - more than two gallons some years.

After last years epidemic of baby births, sorry that sounded shallow. After the delight that was…read moremany of my friends and colleagues creating or expanding their families (better) the seasons are changing and as we move out of Winter into Spring and hopefully balmier climates, talk has turned on where's a nice and safe place to take the kids that isn't pure saccharine wacky zany child fun, and is parent and friends of parent friendly, eg, friends of parents won't balk at the idea of spending time with the kidlets because it's "just too much fun(!)" Anyhoo, an excellent compromise or combination, of green, flowers, pretty, play areas, etc is Pudsey Park. My idea to take friends kidlets here stemmed from the glowing reports this park has. Prior job projects included something on open spaces in West Yorkshire, and Pudsey Park comes in top of the list with regards to awards and such. It's been a Green Flag award winner every year since 2003, a worthy acheivement. The park is always clean, and I've never had any trouble, plus in half term and Summer holidays, there's plenty of families about, which is nice for the kids to play about, without being too loud and annoying for anyone enjoying the park sans child. So what's to do here? If you enter the park at the Car Park side, you'll immediately notice the playground, and there's a basketball court, and a skate park. Wandering through there's a bowling green, flower gardens, a glass house filled with exotic plants and a pets corner and aquarium and aviary. For replenishments there's also a little cafe too. At the moment the park is undergoing some regeneration, so there are some major developments going on, and the structure and layout of the park is changing. But when it's all done and dusted it should be even better than ever.

I'm feeling the love for all things slightly off centre. No I'm not having another Mel meltdown, I…read moremean I'm quite liking exploring the deeper depths of our beloved Leeds and it's Pudsey. Since I'm on a park ting (getting all street again, word up), I thought it'd be rude not to look this bad boy up. Now most of the parks have been reasonable to good it has to be said but this one is a perfectly formed package. It should shout about itself, it's a Greenflag winner and has been on many occasions. That's probably because it's very well maintained and has loads of stuff for the kids. Pet's corner is a nice touch and they keep on reconstructing areas left, right and centre so it's only going to get better. You've got exotic fish and birds and a tropical greenhouse. So get your best silly hat and cargo shorts out and go jungle trekking in your own back yard. There are plenty of flowers and tree lined walks. Plus, skate park, green bowls and a bandstand. Altogether with some air trumpet now.

Another great free park in Warrington…read more Forest Park is a lovely place for a wander, dog walking or a picnic. There are several hydes for bird watchers and a tower that looks out towards Trafford and Manchester. The little pond seems much smaller to me now that it did when I was younger but this is a lovely nature area and you can often see dragon flies and other insects and animals around the park. Theres a lot of peet around so some of the ground maybe a little springy. Theres a visitors centre with some information available and lovely clean modern toilets. There are also benches and picnic areas in the Park. Theres a good sized car park with plenty of shadey parts for you to park in. Its free and pretty so pay a visit!!!

This is a quaint little nature reserve just outside the centre of Warrington. If you dont drive you…read morecan get there by taking a bus from Warrington town centre to Hag Fold, the bus itself stops right outside the park gates which is very handy! If your unsure about the stop as the driver who will be more than happy to oblige. Birchwood Forest Park is part of a larger linear network of walks and cycleways which link together all over the Birchwood district of Warrington. You can get to Hag Fold, Birchwood Shopping Centre and Risley Moss to name but 3 locations. So its worth spending some time exploring! Be sure to call into the Rangers office as they have free maps of the area so you can follow them and see where all the paths go incase you get lost! Apart from offering information the Rangers office also have the all important public toilets which are also wheelchair accessable. The park itself has lots of pathways to explore, many of which have proper cover surfaces which again are perfect for those in wheelchairs or for those with pushchairs or prams. There is a large bird hide which you can climb up and see for miles! Theres some stunning views to be seen and of course lots of wildlife and birds too. You will need to take your own drinks and refreshments as there are no facilities here but there are plenty of picnic tables which is handy.

One of our favourite Bolton parks -- small but perfectly formed, as they say. There's an excellent…read morechildren's playground: the Council have recently spent a huge amount of money updating the swings, slides and so on and it's been money well spent. Our kids (aged 3 and 5) love going there and letting off some steam. Apart from the playground there's a bowling green and plenty of grass to play football/cricket/whatever -- although to be honest that's about it. It's just over the road from a local secondary school so it may be best avoided at certain times of the week, but during the holidays and at weekends it's a good place to visit.

Dovedale is a disaster waiting to happen. People climbing the mountains with large rocks nearly…read moremissing people head. Witnessed a small rock hitting a poor young child. Seen delinquents rolling rocks from the top of the mountain. If those rocks hit anyone it's game over for that person. Multiple barbecues being held on site with people smoking shishas. No security on site. No signs of any rangers in site. Litter everywhere. A disaster waiting to happen from what I saw today

Go up river since it can get quite busy if you go only to the southern end car park and walk from…read morethere - we went further north and it quickly quietened down. Also explore the hills and valleys nearby - wonderful

Some really nice walk a park for the little ones, a place to feed the ducks. Icecream van and…read moreburger van, toilets, grass areas for picnics, picnic benchs , we thoroughly enjoyed our day here.

Plenty for the children , feeding ducks then they're is a park also very good for dog walking…read more Spacious car parking looks like they are on for improving as there is work going on.

A small children's play area off Wigan Road…read more There's a very good playground there: Bolton Council have recently invested some money in their children's play facilities, and they have put in quite a bit of new equipment here. As a consequence it's a really good facility with plenty to keep the kids amused and to help them burn of some energy. Apart from the playground, though, there's not much here! And the parking isn't great either -- you have to park on Wigan Road itself really. But all in all, it's a decent resource to have in the neighbourhood -- we certainly like it!

This is a lovely little park in Trafford between Urmston and Flixton and has a minature steam…read morerailway that is run by a small group of dedicated steam engine enthuastics and cost 20p for a ride around the park. It runs on sunday and is really popular with parents with children. There is also a small playground and the icecream van is usually there to serve the public. There are a number of events staged at this park throughout the year including Fireworks on Bonfire night and Railway engine steam and track weekend.

I think this is a really lovely park. Theres a large grass field that people walk their dogs on,…read moreplay football, frisbie or fly a kyte when the weathers nice. Then there are 2 seperate play areas, that aren't so new nowadays, but are still relatively modern and in good condition. The smaller park is for younger children, sort of 6 and under ish with a climbing frame and young child swings. And a larger park with a spiders web climbing frame amongst other things for older children. Theres a bowling green too and a minature steam train track that runs round the edge of the park. When I say minature, I mean in comparison to the real thing, but these tow seats around the track behind the train and its driver. Its about 20p, something which inflation doesn't seem to have effected, as its beenthat price for about the last 15+ years. But the trains are perfect for any small child who loves Thomas. They usually only run on a sunday. Theres usually an ice cream van around as its a popular park. There are events on throughout the year, usually around the 1st bank holiday in May for May Day Steam where the trains run for the whole weekend and theres a beer tent, model trains, boats, planes, crafts, sweets, bouncy castle, mini fair, steam engines, old bikes, cars, tractors and a good way to spend a day or afternoon over the Bank holiday, especially if the weathers not so good or you don't want to travel too far. They usually do something around Bonfire night too, although sadly I don't think they have the huge bonfire anymore that they used to have.