An amazing Art Gallery in the middle of a hidden gem of a place that is the Healey Dell Nature…read morereserve in Rochdale. The artist Phyllis Hargreaves, is available during the weekends and is more than happy to give a tour around her Gallery. Lots of spaces in Healey Dell for the kids to explore and burn off some steam, a Cafe next door to sit and relax, all in all, a really good way to spend the day

There is nothing intimidating about Novus Contemporary Art, a family owned gallery in Didsbury, and…read morethat's what I love about it. There are probably some art purists out there who hate the concept of a gallery that is warm, welcoming, reasonably priced and varied, but for me these can only be pluses. Supporting local artists as well as established names, you can see everything from abstract to still life in originals, limited edition prints, sculptures, ceramics and glass. I've become something of a familiar face in here because everyone is so welcoming and happy for you to spend as much time as you like appreciating the art. There's nothing bad I can say about this place.

Millyard Gallery in Uppermill is quite extraordinary. They show all different kinds of artwork such…read moreas oil paintings and sketches. There is a vast array of different artwork here and it really is lovely to go and have a look at what local artists have produced as well as artists old and new. I love walking around admiring peoples' work and wondering how they came up with some ideas as their work really is something! They also do workshops here for budding artists such as watercolour landscapes and oil techniques as well as outdoor painting in oil. Take a look at their website for more information.

This not for profit gallery, on three floors, is bursting with character. On the first floor the…read morebuilding is still laid complete with table, chairs and a kitchen sink.. The People's Gallery wants a local art market with itself at the heart. Art produced by locals and bought by locals at affordable prices. The three artists in residence, if you like, are Tracy, Carol and Liz whose studio takes up the second floor have some interesting works, often beautiful and rarely over the £100 mark to buy. The gallery also runs art classes- one for adults on Tuesdays 7 till 9 and another session for children on Saturdays 10 till 12. The work produced in these classes is on show in the back room of the first floor and ranges in quality (and subsequently whether or not it is framed, it seems). The subjects range from landscapes and pets to tasteful nudes and I particularly liked a work in progress with gold masquerade masks emerging from the painting. You can put deposits down on any of the paintings and then collect them when either you pay in full or the exhibition is over.

What a lifesaver the Witzend Gallery on Trinity Street in Stalybridge has been. This small gallery…read moredisplays a fair number of paintings and offers a respected picture framing service but what I'm talking about is their amazing Book Search service. Whilst I was at university, they managed to find me various books for cheap including the weighty tomes of an Oxford Classical Dictionary and a Classical Atlas. Fair enough it wasn't as easy (for them) as a click on Amazon but, let's face it, with the ridiculous standard 10 days to allow for delivery on websites like that, I got them in the same amount of time if not quicker. I thankyou Witzend for your contribution to my esteemed education.

Number 10 is a really nice little shop/art gallery in Rochdale that sells a wide variety of arty…read morethings,from hand made cards to sculptures to paintings to jewlery and many more things in between,most although not everything is made by local artists.. They also have regular galleries where for a small fee you can show off your wares and maybe make a few quid in the process. Because Ange was showing a couple of her piccies we were invited to the open evening where members of the public could rub shoulders with the artists and spotty little herberts like me. A really nice spread was also put on,which was a nice touch. It is a real gem in a town centre that is seriously lacking in other little indie gems...

This is such a beautiful building, and the perfect space for such a wonderful gallery. Dedicated to…read morepromoting originals from top UK artists as well as emerging artists, you can tell that a lot of care goes into displaying and maintaining the paintings. Hung on the tiled walls, they have works from my personal favourites, James Lawrence Isherwood and Arthur Delaney to name but two. Apart from the wonderful canvases, there's a bespoke framing service and a very large selection of cards and unique wrapping papers which I'm sure serves as the gallery's bread and butter in between artwork sales. A delight.

This is a lovely spacious old sandstone building with a high ceiling and a fine display of fine art…read moreprints and contemporary paintings. The guy that works in here is so chilled out, and will personally see to your art needs being carefully dealt with. There is a large counter which displays the wide range of bespoke frames offered here. On sale also is a good selection of greeting cards including the National Trust range and wrapping paper of various sorts. You can pick up a well framed unique piece of Art for around £200.

The independent organisation and registered charity has a lot to offer visitors. Personally I think…read moreit is one of the best museums around and has been going for years. This museum has a lot to offer in history, It has a beautiful setting right next to the Huddersfield Canal and is part of an old Victorian Mill. This is a great place for adults and kids and stuff to take part in. The museum looks at all areas of Saddleworth such as textile industry and family names. It really is good fun learning about the past of this town. Take a look at their website for more information,

Castle Galleries is a franchise with stores across the country, I've visited the Leeds, York and…read moreLondon branches as well as Manchester. They're all pretty similar and the staff are usually very friendly and happy to chat. There are two stores in Manchester, one on Deansgate and one in the Trafford Centre. As a student I frequently popped in to the Manchester store on Deansgate, I find they house beautiful pieces and the staff are very chilled out and helpful. Whether you buy or not is besides the point. Over the years I've been to various launches and events, drank copious amounts of free wine and even won a book in a raffle! So it was only fair that once I started 'adulting' (working, saving, being a grown up *yawn*) I bought my first piece from here - see attached picture. It wasn't cheap, but I adore it and it makes me smile every time I look at it. I found the painting online for a little cheaper than the gallery price and when asked they matched the online price which was excellent. I felt incredibly drawn to Bob's paintings from the first moment I saw his work. There was something warm and familiar, soothing even about his style. The almost gloomy settings appealed to me, I love the way he uses light and dark to bring the paintings to life. I came to learn that Bob Barker was born and raised in Bradford and that his workshop isn't far from where I grew up! His background is reflected through his work. This connection plus the fact that I love his style of painting meant I needed to own a piece! The piece I bought really spoke to me, I was going through a bit of a rough patch at the time I bought it and now whenever I look at it, it reminds me that I'll be ok, 'Whatever the weather' :)

Castle Galleries on Deansgate is the Manchester arm of a pretty big chain - the UK's leading art…read morestore according to their website.. I'd never heard of it before so went in to have a look at what they had to offer. Beats waiting for the bus across the road anyway. I saw some interesting stuff from a few artists - most notably Paul Corfield's Dorset inspired candy coloured landscapes and Jeff Rowland's beautiful, dark, rain filled scenes. Prices ranged from just over a hundred for glycee on paper to £300-£700 for canvases. If you're not in the market for a piece it is still worth having a look around; the staff here aren't all steely and unfriendly if it becomes obvious that you are not buying as with some art stores and small private galleries. They are a bit Bob Dylan mad at the moment - they have limited edition prints from his Drawn Blank Series. So if you are a fan of legends in one area of creativity branching out into another then you might consider one of these crazy pieces.