I'm sure in a past life (over the past decade) I used to spend most of my weekends going to watch…read morebands and falling in and out of clubs - enjoying the scene and living for the music. Fast forward to the present day and now that I'm reinvented as a family man I spend my weekends in the great outdoors, at play parks and on many occasions staring at random animals. My 1 year old daughter can't get enough of our cats and this has now moved through into a general affinity for all creatures with 4 legs that don't use a knife and fork to eat their dinner with! So on Sunday we hit the Reddish Vale Farm which is a bit of a hidden gem, amazingly tucked down the road from Reddish South rail station and the high street. It was £4 entry - cards charge £1 extra if less than a fiver...which is a pretty high charge but they will quite happily let you have a free animal mask instead of just losing a pound... Overall this probably ins't in the Jurassic Park leagues of animal excitement - but there are lots of baby chicks, baby rabbits etc to keep the little ones happy and plenty of generic farm animals that you expect to see. There's also quite a few picnic benches meaning you can take your own food and take a load off - just make sure you sit on the far side away from the "barnyard smells" You'd be doing well to last here for more than 2 hours in terms of what there is to do and a penny more than £4 would seem overpriced but it was a fun day out and definitely worth visiting.

From the owner: Reddish Vale Farm and Riding Schoolread more

Manchester is really a great city. It doesn't have infinite choice like London but that's pretty…read moreoverwhelming. Instead, it has enough cool places to keep you occupied for years but at the same time mean you can become a regular places with fomo. Plus, it still keeps surprising you. Manchester has some of the coolest event venues I've ever been to, such as Victoria Warehouse and the gorgeous Albert Hall. The Victorian Gothic Monastery perhaps out impresses even those venues. A Franciscan church and friary from the 1860s, it was formerly on the top 100 most endangered monuments in the world. Now beautifully restored, I entered through the lovely cloisters and was stunned entering the soaring nave, made even more striking with coloured lighting plus an aerialist display! I attended for a large work party of about 250 people. It's a really huge space so any less than this and it might feel a bit empty - imagine how big the weddings here are! We really enjoyed our salmon starter, which had a well-balanced lemon and caper dressing. The chicken supreme was standard but not dry at all and I thought good for a catered meal. The lemon tart for dessert was very nice, although too large portion for most If you're looking for somewhere really special to have an event, this has to be on your list.

I recently went to a 60th here for my Grandad. We went in during the day to set up our decorations…read morelike balloons and things and everyone was fairly helpful. They weren't exactly bending over backwards to help us but they were there and they let us move chairs around and things like that. My grandmother had paid the low sum to hire out the room (to the left as you walk in) plus a buffet spread and she had booked her own DJ. The party space had tables and chairs enough for 60-70 people, more than we actually needed - it was an intimate affair - and a stage for the DJ to play from plus a "dance floor" with the private bar to the right. There were also private toilets for our party, The main social club is to the right and its a fairly nice drinking place but is not really anything out of the ordinary.

I tried to get my 21st birthday party here, but sadly they were all booked up which is no surprise…read morehere at all. It is a great place to have a birthday celebration here. The rooms are slightly large if not a bit out dated but can fit a large number of people in. There is a fully stocked bar and it is really cheap as well for drinks. Also if you book a room for a party you can also order a buffet as well so all your guests have food. It is not much but a good idea. I would say that if you decide to hold a party here, you should book well in advance as places like these go fast!

Visited Bramall Hall on a trip to Manchester and loved it. We took a picnic and sat in the grounds…read moreto eat, then took a tour of the house. Beautiful old fire places and artefacts. Really helpful staff to answer questions. Signs and video screens around to read or not read as you choose. The gardens were spectacular and we bought duck food to feed the ducks and geese. Parking was a problem - the "large car park" was not large an probably had 30 spaces. This with another smaller car park was not enough. We did a trip with a multisite pass for Bramall Hall, Stockport Hat Works and the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport - highly recommend this day out!

A large park / small estate with an impressive timber-framed hall, ponds, playparks, Bramall Hall…read morewas once the seat of the Davenport family and is now owned by the local council. It is a great place to take visitors and children alike; the hall itself is very impressive.

I have been riding here for many years and have never had any problems. The horses provide…read morechallenges and enjoyment that help you to continue learning and developing. There is something for everyone to do, for the parents on the cold winter evenings there is even a heated viewing area. Go ahead and try it for yourself. I have tried almost everything that is on offer, from having a party there where the content was tailored to the abilities of the riders, it would be something I would recommend doing. Through the Stable Management courses I learnt a lot regarding the horses and how to look after them, they now also have a pony club which compliments their stable management teachings.

A good riding school, particularly for children. a good range of horses used in the lessons. They…read moreoffer childrens parties which include a ride on a horse and party games. They offer lessons for all ages and abilities and have regular jumping competions. They also offer hacks out around the local area and to middlewood way. It now has a coffee shop where you can view the lessons from, which is handy if it rains. There are two outdoor schools which are used, which arent that big but big enough. They also do childrens stable management day courses.

The Armitage Centre is fine. As Rob says, its got all you need for a little fitness centre, and…read morethere aren't any others in the area. Though it is open to the public, I think you'd feel a little out of place as a non-student, though there are a few gym buffs who have been knocking about in there every day since I first went four years ago. The gym itself is very small, but has everything you need, and has TechnoGym equipment, which seems almost everywhere these days, probably because it's the best. Its exactly the same equipment they have at Virgin Active, and though much more squashed together, its less than half the price to use. Another great thing about the Armitage is the little 5-a-side football pitches, which you can either rent out or play on in a league. Leagues run every night of the week so its convenient for everyone. If it rains heavily its probably worth cancelling though, as the concrete pitches are not level and huge puddles make playing a serious health issue. They're the only pitches nearby except Power League, which is incredibly expensive. Nothing special but nothing wrong with it.

Manchester University's all in one sports centre! It welcomes a student's interest to sports but at…read morethe same time is open to all; the costs vary due to the same. It houses sports some basketball courts to massive football fields to the 5-a-side as well at the back. Not only this, but it caters as a conference and exhibition centre. Thus, it functions as a conventional sports centre during the university semesters and then as the exhibition centre, giving people a chance to always be a part of it. It also has Netball, hockey and volleyball courts giving you the chance to explore whatever interests you! It also has a fully equipped gym which attracts quite a lot of students with their student deals et al! Its a great all in one place to come work-out, play around and catch up with friends! I've always loved the fresh atmosphere it cities!

Came here for a Girl Guiding UK celebration evening at the start of September…read more It was really easy to find, easy parking and welcoming staff. The hall itself is very grand, old style and a great space to have big celebrations like weddings in. We had a prepaid hot buffet which included a choice of veggie lasange or beef and ale pie with chips and an array of cold sandwiches, garlic bread and salads. The buffet wasn't out of this world but was a standard buffet that I would expect for the price we paid each (£5)