We've got one impressive garden down and now time for another. This time it's the Valley Gardens…read more I'm thinking I may get a call from the BBC about my own gardening show soon so I'll crack on, although I'll insist on wearing a bra. It is an English Heritage Grade II Listed gardens and oozes colour and vibrance. The woodland, known as Pine Woods, covers 17 acres and is a joy to totter around. There are plenty of spring flowers all ready to unfold for the season and the design and thought are first rate. The historical buildings such as the Sun Pavilion and Colonnades sit alongside a wide variety of outdoor games, children's play area and the Magnesia Well Café. You've even got a very well maintained outdoor paddling pool area when the sun comes out and summer rocks up. They put on loads of musical concerts on Sunday afternoons running from May to August and it really is a place to be when the rain isn't pelting down. There aren't too many nicer Sunday afternoon things to do than wander around the various sections and enjoy an ice cream by the lake. I think we've established that if Harrogate gardens were a beer they'd probably be a well known one that is probably the best in the world, and that's a lot of probablys in one sentence. Get yourselves along for sure.

I don't know what it is about Yorkshire but they really do take a lot of pride in their gardens and…read morethis is no exception. My favourite place in the world for a post dinner stroll on a Sunday evening in the Summer. Last year they opened a playground which, were I six, I would love! Just beautiful.

Here is my all out assault to shock you. It doesn't involve nudity or personal revelations, purely…read moremy depth of interests. Oh yes my friends, this time it's some green fingered action. You cannot talk about festivals without giving the flower shows a mention. Quite simply Harrogate does them to another level and attracts people from across the UK. The Spring Flower show is regarding as one of the main players that kick starts the horticultural season off. Forget your Chelsea and Tatton Park, this is where it begins. What you'll get is a huge collection of all things gardening and all in one convenient location. Try this little lot for good measure: floristry arranging, fruit and vegetable demonstrations, garden design, cookery theatre, a garden road show, food marquees and loads of crafts. Phew and breathe. You can come away inspired and fully stocked for the upcoming months. It really is a must for those of a flower persuasion. It's on April 22nd to 25th so mark it in your diary now and even book your tickets online right now.

The Forbidden Corner is one of our favourite days out. It is an attraction that appeals to all…read moremembers of the family, with so many hidden surprises to uncover. You must pre-book your tickets because availability is limited in order to help prevent the attraction from getting overcrowded. You can discover a whole lot more about what's on offer at The Forbidden Corner on Attractions Near Me - https://www.attractionsnearme.co.uk/places/activities/the-forbidden-corner/

A quirky, creepy, corner, hidden away in deepest darkest Yorkshire? I'm sure you're wondering what…read morethis is all about? The Forbidden Corner takes twisted imagination, and turns it into genuine childlike wonder. It's a take on traditional country gardens, walled around the outside, with some interesting things on the inside. Within the twists and turns, there's lots to see, including bears playing cards, frogs on a fountain, a talking crow, and so much more. I'm not going to go into more detail there at risk of spoiling the surprise. So, why should you go? You should go if you want to rekindle your childhood sense of whimsy, of discovering hidden things, of exploring, of secret passageways and concealed paths. You're bound to find something here that makes you smile! There's both a café and a restaurant on site. The café serves the usual sandwiches, pies and pasties, wholes the restaurant has a more extensive menu. You can also take picnic, but can't eat it inside - there is a picnic area outside, and your ticket let's you go in and out as many times as you want. To go, you have to book in advance and pick a time slot. There isn't a limit on how long you can stay in, just when you can enter. I'd suggest booking as soon as you can, and picking out an early time. We spent about five hours, and that felt like a good length of time to be there. I'll be going back in the future - it was great fun, and well worth the trip.

I consider deliciouslyorkshire to be an invaluable resource to showcase the region. Whether it is…read moreto guide potential visitors or to re-familiarise myself with highlights of the area, the company provides information of fantastic quality. The whole company is based around promoting the vast amount of food and drink produced within Yorkshire and the Humber. Its focus on regional ingredients and celebrating in the culinary delights that make the area distinctive, is wonderful to read. Allowing the consumer to be aware of the origins and traceability of their food is what powers the company, highlighting individual businesses. In their fifth year, deliciouslyorkshire award accolades in a range of categories including best products, best retailers, and best innovation. Their passion is infectious. The company is extremely proactive in their approach to promotion, recently holding a stall at a food and drink exhibition in Birmingham, with imminent appearances at York Easter Market and Harrogate Spring Flower Show. There are vast databases on their website which encourage the consumer to support the local economy. The information is presented in a direct way, offering specific village shops, butchers and local businesses to visit. Similarly, deliciouslyorkshire provides the reader with restaurants which use locally sourced ingredients to dine out, and also advice on which hotels to frequent in the region. I can not speak highly enough of the calibre of the company and the informative nature of the website. Well worth a session navigating yourself around the useful links, discovering the regions hidden charms.

What's not to love (unless you don't like steam trains). We…read morebooked in for the steam trip with full English breakfast departing from Bolton Abbey station. What a treat riding in comfort on this lovely railway hauled by a beautiful engine. The breakfast was excellent and, despite limited preparation space and time pressures, the staff were extremely pleasant and cheerful, coped with allergies and requests (although allergies were dealt with in a highly satisfactory manner it is advisable to give them prior notice of any special dietary needs). Back at the station there is a lovely café with a roaring log fire and a gift shop. Many of the station buildings are original and have original features. There is also a miniature railway if you fancy a bit more train time.

Quite a cool activity to go and do but really it's only a novelty and will likely only thrill 3 of…read morethe below people: 1. Kids and toddlers 2. Rail enthusiasts 3. Old people/nostalgia heads! The train takes probably 30 mins from station to station, you then have around 30 mins to chill out and look around the station which has a couple of food places, a toy shop and a charity shop (some bargains to be had - 30p a book with me picking up a copy of Trainspotting for this price - I wonder how many olds have accidently bought it thinking they would be reading about the Flying Scotsman and then found themselves fully up to date on the 90's smack scene in Edinburgh...) at £10 a pop for adults (kids under 5 free) it's not cheap but something to do for the day whilst holidaying down here.

Perhaps it's the waning allure of those same old crystal stalls, pretzels, and such like that's…read moreaffected my love for the German Market, or perhaps it's the lingering shock of a very un-tasty doughnut that has done it. There's a few things that have bothered me in the last few years about the Christkindelmarkt, but this particular offending confection was rather upsetting. The custard was sour, and the icing was fizzy. I did not expect that palate of flavour when biting into such an item, which promised in appearance to be delicious. In any case, that's not the sole reason that I'm now just 'a-ok' with the market. As much as I can confirm it to be genuine, as on my Berlin travels their markets were identikit to the stalls that grace Leeds each year, I'm not too much of a fan of the music in the big beer hall. I realise that to be truly authentic we'd require a strange mix of 90s dance (yes, that was my experience) but I'd much rather that than essentially Amarillo style tunes. Perhaps I'm grumpy. The things I love: The mulled wine, the loveliness of meeting people for a drink outside, the Christmas spirit, the shiny exciting foodstuffs, the cheese sausage hotdog. That guy was excellent -full of flavour, full of proper melted cheese, and really frankfurter-y in taste. Truly yummy. The waffles were cooked straight off, and not from a packet, and smothered in a slick spill of Nutella. Not for those who can't handle a sickly amount of spread. The things I don't love so much: The slightly grumpy staff. Most of the stall holders encountered on my visit were not particularly friendly. I do appreciate they work all hours on this thing, but y'know. The security staff were excellent though, and had all the banter come closing. The doughnuts, as described above. The fact that we could have a Leeds market, with local traders, where the money comes back into the city. I'm sure we could make our own Christmas style market with local produce and suchlike. Perhaps an idea for the LCC suggestion box... In any case, I'll certainly be back. It's a great place to meet friends, have a mug of mulled goodness together, and catch up. Since I didn't get to stuff my face with pancakes, chocolate covered marshmallows, and the other varied goodies, a revisit is a must. Plus, call me a big kid, but I kinda fancy a go on the carousel...

Now I like a good excuse to dive out of my hum-drum lifestyle and experience different and diverse…read morecultures. But I feel like I have come away from the German Christmas market a little cheated. I like everything that there is to eat and drink. Chocolate, beer, wine sausage etc... But £5 a sausage with a little bit of sauce. Rowena even asked for extra curry sauce as the teeny tiny serving of sauce was clearly not enough. It wasn't even curry sauce but a warm spicy tomato ketchup. The chips were very dry too. The chocolate looked and smelled amazing but I am not a chocolate person as I don't have a sweet tooth. Roweena however dived straight in and ravished a skewer of white chocolate covered marsh mellows. My gripe is that the wares weren't very diverse. So unless I was willing to join a very long line of people waiting to get into the beer tent. Which was playing very un Christmas and definitely not German music. The experience was quite a short one. And although Rowena can try and deny it until the cows come home. She did indeed make me eat sausage!

Never knew Manchester had a Chinatown but apparently it's the second biggest one outside of London…read more That being said, it encompasses only a few blocks (that we could see) but still it's fun to wander around and window shop - and have some dim sum or other more authentic dishes other than kung pao or general Tso chicken.

Manchester is a beautiful city itself. Having Chinatown adds an extra oomph. I didn't hit any…read morevendors when I was there for my UK trip but I just walked through it since I wasn't staying in Manchester and was waiting to go to Sheffield. 153/2017

Leeds International Concert Season began in September of last year and ends in March of this year…read more It is a collection of lunchtime concerts and performances, held every Monday in between, and featuring a range of organists, collectives and choirs, and if you know someone who appreciates this type of musical experience then spread the word. The acoustics in the Leeds Town Hall are amazing, as they are in many town halls, granted, but after having experienced the sheer volume and encompassing feeling of music when these concerts play, it's worth the trip to the town hall just for the sheer hell of it. The genre of music tends to play towards the classical side of things, with the exception being choral appearances, but don't let that put you off, more inspire you to expand horizons. With Simon Lindley taking master residence as the city organist, his talents are truly worth appreciating, but it's also worth experiencing the University of Huddersfield Brass Band and the Leeds Cathedral Choir. From what I can gather the majority of performances are free to attend, I believe the exception is the Christmas and Easter performances, so it may not be the coolest thing to do, but it's quality and something a little different, and who knows, your gran or grandad might appreciate a lunchtime concert if nothing else.

The Jury of us four is out on this one. Firstly it's pricy for what it is - essentially live…read moretheatre - where you walk through mostly dark walkways into rooms where 'actors' tell their part of an overall story. It's mildly amusing with a penchant for turning off lights to get a shock factor and it's well - delivered. The script is cleverly written and they link into the theatrics but truth be told while I enjoyed it as it went along I wouldn't return again for free. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't been yet but one recurring thing; it occurs three times - funny the first time, tedious the second time and downright annoying the third time. If you want discount you'll only get it on line and you need to have booked at least two days prior to your visit. There's no discount for pensioners nor Blue Light workers.

This is fun and interesting way to learn history. The staff were friendly and helpful, front desk…read moreperson was very good and helpful. The shows were great with occasional scare. The new attraction is great and highly enjoyable. Would highly recommend as it fun for to suit most ages.

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Nicely coinciding with the…read morereturn of Dancing on Ice, Millennium Square's annual Ice Cube hath returned. It's nice to see the Millennium Square space turned so easily into a large stomping ground for amateur skaters. I realise that since early December we've had some serious snow, with seemingly more to come, but the novelty of outdoor skating rinks rarely wears off. Plus this one actually looks safe, unlike some I've seen where there are hearty pools of wet located mid skate flow like potholes in the road. There's a decent size to skate around too, the last few I've been to in surrounding areas haven't been conducive to multiple persons gliding around, and there was definitely no room for a triple salchow, and plus points include, plenty of room to watch your friends and family skate around and fall on their backsides, and if it's a typical winter's day, there is a purpose built pavilion and café. It looks kinda special at night time, all lit up with multi coloured spots, very nice three month addition. Is it free to participate? Nope. Adults will pay £8.50 for between an hour or 90 minutes on the ice, depending on what time you arrive, kids, £6.50, students £7.50, and prices include skate hire but not locker hire. Depending on your perspective it's either a rip off or a bargain, but I think it's great. If you avoid Saturdays when all kidlets are off school, you can get a good dance around the ice pretty person free.

Apparently in it's 10th year running the 'ice cube' in Millennium Square provides show-offs and…read morenovices and distinct change to weekend revelries. Crammed with cheery circling friends, prancing pros and courting couples attempting to hold hands there is also a wee baby rink for smaller inexperienced people. I got a lovely view of all these happenings from atop o' the Carriageworks on Friday night. There is also a small exhibition about the melting polar circle around the edge too.