It's doing these Yelp reviews in Merseyside's Southport, the go-to for Liverpudlians looking for a…read morebit of seaside fresh air, that makes me realise I spent most of my youth here. The Brunette, my oldest friend, lived in Churchtown during our schooldays and despite the fact that we and our social circle were a bunch of moody teenagers who wore Doc Martens and locked ourselves in our bedrooms listening to Nirvana, we just loved a trip to the Botanic Gardens down the road from her. I have photos still of the times we spent there, and there amongst all that black eyeliner, ripped denim and scowling adolescence, are smiles. We got so inspired by the place that a friend of mine wanted to take romantically inspired photos of us posing with blossom trees and water features in the background. Nothing lifts a mood swing like feeding the ducks. Years later I'm older, wiser, I probably still use too much Kohl but I've certainly curbed my impressions of Kevin the Teenager. 'That's so unfah I HATE you!' *Door slam* Well, we all still have our spoilt brat moments. But one thing that will always remain is the way the Botanic Gardens did and still does brighten my day. Having opened in 1874 they are traditionally Victorian, harbouring incredible floral displays, gorgeous walkpaths, a winding lake that stretches the length of the complex and the potential to take boat trips. The duckies are always great, particularly in spring when the babies come out to play, so take plenty of bread. There are benches for picnics, free parking available, a café if you need to stop to rest or haven't brought a packed lunch, a pottery shop, a gift shop, free admission and even a regular bus that stops at the site directly from Southport's central Lord Street. So even if you're just mooching around the town you've no excuse not to come here. As starkly beautiful in winter as it is Technicolor and gorgeous in summer, don't miss out on this superb attraction.

I wish there were more public gardens like this around. Such a nice place to go when you have a…read morerelaxed day off. Love the birds and animals they have there (they're caged, which is to be expected). Peacocks! Pheasants! All sorts of parrots! Yaaaay... :) They have nice trails. We walked by the pond and fed the ducks. There were so many of them that swarmed us. And seagulls came to try to steal their food. Was good fun. I like the playground as well. Even though I'm not a little kid, I think they actually have some fun swings and things. Lots of families come through (for obvious reasons). Lots of dog walkers as well. They have a cafe, and you can sit down for a drink or go inside to look at their goods. All kitschy stuff, mind, but why not support the botanical gardens when possible? There are a few fun and random things there. And food. The thing about it is that I've heard from those who have lived in this area for a long time that there have been serious cutbacks from the former glories of the botanical gardens? The greenhouses are closed off, the flowers have been removed from some parts of it, and there are cutbacks in staff as well. It's kind of sad because I think it could be a really pretty place if it's maintained. In any case, it's worth going for a visit, even for just a short stroll.

I love this park; it's so small, yet so dense and so remarkably quiet: it's beautiful. I have…read morealways liked it; there is something calming about wandering its secluded paths: a real sense of security. While it is always clean and tidy, the rusting Narnian fountain and aging monuments give a sense of abandonment which is only heightened by the lack of people. Far from a criticism, I think this only adds to the character of the place. Marvel at the huge horse chestnut trees and gather some of their offerings, walk beneath the overhanging ivy-covered branches, or just sit.

Balls Wood is the hidden gem of Maghull for those who love parks and the great outdoors in general…read more You could walk right by this park and not notice it--in fact I did at first. Through this camouflaged archway lies a hidden little patch of green. If you long for green and trees and fresh air as much as I do, this is a great place to walk, sit, breath, and drink in the natural world around you. I was taken aback, actually, because it reminded me a little bit of the fields across the road from my grandparents' old stone house back in the USA. As you walk through the arch you have trees on both sides of the mown grass, and you have to walk quite a ways before you come to the open clearing. Apparently this patch of land is home to a bit of wildlife as well so if you're lucky and you time it right, you might spot some cunning and adorable critters.

In Southport lies the most *chilling* encounter I have ever experienced in my life! I was truly…read moreterrified! It started innocently enough by walking along the Pier and seeing a little store at the end of the boardwalk. It had all these old fashioned Penny arcade games that I imagine that once was popular back in its heyday. We wandered around to find more games to play until we came upon the scariest sight! It was an old automaton doll dressed in a sailor boy's suit. The doll was sitting inside a glass case and it advertised in paint "Have a laugh with Jolly Jack." The doll had the most sadistic upturned smile and its eyes were rolled back in its head giving it an eerie, possessed look! Its arms hung limply at its side. The rivets on its sailor costume had rusted over and bled into the white fabric which gave it an appearance of dried blood! We had no idea what we would encounter if we paid a penny, but we were way too curious not to. Lukas bravely put a penny in the machine and then we stood back and watched with trepidation. Immediately, Jolly Jack's chest started to rumble up and down like it was trying to catch its breath and then suddenly it broke out into the most shrill and skin crawling laugh I've ever heard! Its whole body bobbed up and down and its head rolled side to side while the mouth cackled in that demonic laugh! I've always had a thing about dolls, but this one topped them all! It just kept laughing! It was by far one of the creepiest things I've ever encountered. Eventually the doll stopped twisting and lolling around and settled back into its original position. It took us a little while to get over the heebie-jeebies. Unfortunately, we saw two young Englishwomen behind us putting money into Jolly Jack. We tried to warn them, but it was too late! From the horrified expressions and their dropped jaws we could tell there is equally traumatized. They walked away in the daze never to return. Lukas and I still have reoccurring nightmares from this!"

The pier itself is a lovely scenic walk with nice views . The arcade at the end of the pier however…read moreis a bit of a let down, most the vintage arcade games take your money but dont work .

There are many Fairy Glens in the country and this is a beautiful example. Basically it just a…read moresmall woods surrounding a stream but there is a lovely wood walk there and in the spring the bluebells are stunning, If you listen very hard you may even hear the Fairies playing in the woods. Just down the road from Parbold Hill and the Wiggin Tree easy to get to and a nice walk for the dog.

Southport beach seems unique to me in that it's the only beach I've been to where you can almost…read morenever see the sea. It's so far away! This actually makes it an ideal place to learn to drive in the evening, you can bring your car down here and give your kids a go, pull handbrake turns, and generally ruin the underside... remember to wash the salt off. The seafront has that lovely dilapidated British coastal resort feel...

Nice walk and good views and you can also collect shells and the prints are amazing the beach is…read moreenormous and the sea is nice and clean

Coronation Park is a fairly small piece of land in the centre of Ormskirk and is suprisingly a…read morequiet getaway from the noisy traffic that surrounds its borders. There are several trees, velvety lawn and flowerbeds that are well taken care of as you sit down and just watch the world go by. I find this a fantastic place to relax on a sunny day. It is a brilliant place to be with family and friends whether it's for a picnic or a gentle stroll. There are a number of benches where you can just laze and perhaps read a book whilst you escape the thoughts of everyday life, albeit in a pleasant and untroubled area.

During a recent trip to Ormskirk, I was walking past the area where Coronation Park is and realised…read morethat I'd never actually properly noticed it before. I've been to Ormskirk regularly for several years but mainly in the town centre area and so consequently had kind of forgotten Coronation Park even existed. Perhaps it was just because it was a particularly nice day, but the park was buzzing with many people either lazing on the grass or playing football in the sun. The park itself is fairly large and manages to fit in both large grassy areas and lovely garden areas filled with plants and benches. There is also a bandstand halfway down the park which often hosts bands and a small skate park at the far end, making it a perfect stop off for young skateboarders. Due to my experiences with Formby parks, I usually only associate parks with underage drinking and mouthy youths but Coronation Park managed to show me that they can be a lovely place to go and relax in the sun (on the odd occasion that happens).

Lively little place fir family days out/dog walking. The place is avsolutely huge and fab for…read morepicnics, ball games etc. Their food hut is fantastic it cost about £8 to feed three of us! They also have a maze if you need to keep the kids occupied for a while and little home crafted/art stores if youre early enough in the day to see those I'd highly reccomend it

A huge park in Leyland, and a really good place to take the kids on a summer's day. In addition to…read morethe acres of grass, there's a lot to do: a narrow-gauge steam railway provides cheap rides around the park; there's quite a tricky maze to get lost in; and the playground is large and had plenty of equipment where energy can be expended. There's a large car park (although I'm not 100% certain whether it's large enough to cope at peak times) and the place is well sign-posted from the town centre. It was a bit boggy in places when we visited, but then we did go towards the end of a typically wet British summer. All in all, though, well worth a visit.