Xscape Yorkshire is in a great location, just off the M62 in Castleford. It's a great place for…read moreleisure activities or to grab a bite to eat. There are many things to do here, which would certainly be suitable for families, adventure seekers, cinema lovers and co, including Tenpin bowling, a Cineworld Cinema. There is also a gym and rock climbing area. For food and drink, you're also tempted by a wide array of brands including Nando's, Ask Italian and Pizza Express. There is also a Starbucks here, although it didn't look too welcoming. It felt so uncomfortable that they openly admitted they did not trust customers to have food items in the fridges, and kept them all in the back - I totally understand loss prevention but I've never seen any Starbucks locations do this other than this one. The car park is HUGE, it felt way too big, but I'm sure due to the varied things to do and eat here, it can get quite busy, especially in such a peak location, being right off the motorway it makes it easily accessible through all points of the country. PRO TIP: If you're going on a longer journey, make this a stop off to get a bite to eat or something to drink, you have a selection of brands and you're not paying the high prices of motorway service stations. There is a small selection of shops here too, but nothing too special, this isn't really a place you'd come to shop. There's a sporting goods store and a WHSmith Travel location as I could recall, that's pretty much it. 4* - I like this place, it's pretty cool and certainly a good spot for a family day out.

Good shopping/recreational centre but very expensive. Fun for all the family. The 4D golf was a bit…read morerubbish.

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.

A fantastic park in Leeds -- comparable to Heaton Park in Manchester in terms of size and…read morefacilities. There's certainly lots to do for all ages. As one might expect, there's acres of space to walk the dog, run around in, play games or just explore; there are several very attractive more formal gardens; there's a children's playground, two lakes, bandstands, a folly, a Visitor's Centre, at least one cafe, etc etc. And, of course, there's Roundhay Tropical World, which has a Qype entry in its own right. Car parking isn't too bad, although on the day we went (admittedly during half-term) we were lucky to find a space. There was also a slight lack of signage -- since this was our first visit, we could have done with more maps around. Some of the maps we found seemed to be Emergency Maps designed to show where the nearest life-belt was rather than anything more substantive about the place. That said, it is an excellent place for some fresh air -- highly recommended.

This park is huge and has something for everyone - Flat areas of grass for sports and picnicing;…read moreplay areas; wooded areas for mountain biking and dog walking; lakes for rowing; The Mansion and Cafe for food and drink..... It can get very busy when there is the slightest bit of sun. But there is another car park on Weatherby Road, or on street parking on Princess Road or Park Lane. For dog walkers - 'The Gorge' is always a lot quiter than walking round the lakes!

Gotts park is actually used as a golf course, but is perfect for a stroll, flying balls permitting!…read more I always access Gotts Park by crossing the canal coming from Kirkstall Road via the slightly creepy area with the transformer station. After the bridge over the canal there is a really pretty path up through the trees, which create a kind of tunnel. Turning off to the right at the top of the path you reach a gentle hill up toward the mansion, a grade two listed building that seems to watch over the park with its large windowey eyes...or is that just me? Before you reach the mansion's lawn there is a towering dead-looking tree that has a dramatic weather-beaten look, somehow reflecting the sense of history evoked by the grand, imposing mansion behind. Following a path along the side of the mansion leads you to the extremely popular 'spoon', probably the best grassy sledging hill in Leeds, with an amazing view of the city. During our week of snow I doubt there was a moment when there wasn't someone hurtling down it at great speed. When I joined in the fun there was a bunch of snow boarders who seemed to be enjoying the ride. I have yet to explore the entire park, but its combination of perfect slopes and brilliant views gets my vote!

On a mission to find something different to do with my free time that didn't require massive…read moreplanning and organisation, namely transport efforts to reach it I found Gotts Park Golf Course. Close to many residential areas so you don't need a car to get to it and open to all it is a far cry from the immaculate greens of private clubs but that's why I felt comfortable (let alone felt like I could afford it) the topography will pride you with a mini-work out and challenging holes. It's got a pretty nice hazy view at this time of year too, try and get there in the afternoon for best light of the surrounding area this may not be the optimum time for a round.

Ahh, Hyde Park. I thought I'd update my review, since it's been eons since I last show it some…read morelove. I've always been confused that everyone calls it Hyde Park, but it's actually Woodhouse Moor. What's up with that? I'll have to do some research and find out. I do love this park, even though there are down sides. The positives include amazingly huge trees, which often house my favourite birds - crows - who you'll find pecking about the place doing their thing. It's lovely to walk through, summer or winter, with these behemoths towering over the paths. The amount of green space makes this city feel much less of a city, and even on a summer's day when filled with students, you can find a spot to enjoy the green. There's also a WWII bunker, but, thankfully, it is closed off. I imagine it'd be terrifyingly claustrophobic in there. They're pretty strict about barbecues, which is probably a good thing, as people have a tendency to be lazy at the best of times - even on Unity day when it's encouraged to use the many bins, litter is just scattered around. And as mentioned previously, Unity day is one of the awesome yearly reasons to come out to the park. This year I had a delicious lunch from Sukhothai, and listened to some fabulous local live music. Also, some heavy boom music, which is all part of the experience. Last night a crew of us went to celebrate bonfire night here again, and whilst it's probably worth trekking to Roundhay more, I'm actually really fond of the underdog. I mean, you really have to work at being able to see anything. They place the fireworks so that they go off just at where the tree tops are, for most of the audience, and the fire safety brigade means you're actually about a mile from the blaze. (Which, naturally, means there's little heat or light to be seen.) But I love the naff-ness of it. And this year there were at least 10 really loud huge fireworks to finish, so I was pleased. 15 minutes of boom, and about 40 of making sure you don't lose anyone in the crowd. All part of the funs! The mulled wine I made also helped. But, jokes aside, I do love this place. And it could be the fond memories and being a country girl that does it, but I'll recommend a wander through Hyde Park to anyone. Bring a guitar, bring friends, bring your skates. Or just your imagination!

Woodhouse Moor consists of three parts…read more Formal Park: The main park area (which is usually referred to as Hyde Park) a 26 hectares square of green including a kids area, skate park, tennis court, basket ball court and allotments. This part of the Moor is predominantly used by students during the summer season, playing frisbee, eating picnics, drinking and generally making a mess. I don't mean to sound like a grouch, I for one absolutely love getting merry on the park and basking in the sun but I always clean up after myself. Unfortunately many people do not. During early August the park area also plays host to Unity Day, a fantastic celebration of culture and community with the aim of bringing people together. This is not to be missed. Monument (upper): A small piece of green home to a statue of Henry Rowland Marsden. It is adjacent to a strip of takeaways and plays host to nothing more than the occasional magpie or seagull. Somewhere I have sat and scoffed a pizza out of pure convenience, but otherwise would not have given a second thought. However, there are some little lonely looking steps that once were used for mounting horses, kind of interesting! Ish? Cinder (lower): Cinder is on the other side of the road from Monument and is a semi grassy, mainly gravelly spot on which the fair always parks its bum. The fair is like many other, and is more scary than fun due to it's gobby teenagers and rowdier of the locals. I have seen the odd jumble sale on here though which is always worth a visit.

I love me some green space and this is a nice bit of it. Rothwell (Springhead) Park is a lovely…read moremixture of open space, wooded areas, activities and nature. There is a small aviary (which is easy to miss as it is tucked away near the rose garden), a skate park (the domain of local youth particularly after dark), newly refurbished, lit tennis courts, crown green bowling and a massive open space where local events are often held. In common with many Local authority parks the equipment in the play areas has seen better days. In my opinion the main lack in this park is a nice cafe with out door seating

Sometimes we all need to get a nice big helping of fresh air to blast away those work blues or for…read moreme likely hangover. Luckily we're spoilt for choice here. One such place I love to go is Potternewton Park. It's out of the city off Harehills Lane and is well maintained. You've got formal gardens and picnic areas for a start. The active among you can also feel the deep burn with a game of tennis. Lesser assertion is needed for a cheeky spot of bowls and there is often some football going on. What it's also good for is bringing the community together with some annual events. The West Indian Carnival and Reggae Concert is a must. It's a vibrant mix of costumes, music and food and is great when the sun basks down and lights up a beautiful summer's day. If you feel like some greenery and open space then look no further.

Potternewton Park is a great green space in the Chapel Allerton/Harehills area. The surrounding…read morestreets are full of beautiful old style terraced houses and so it's a lovely addition to the area for the local children and teens to go for a wander. I've driven past it so many times on the way to work it seemed only right to stop by and check it out. At the top end there are some really lovely shrubbery arrangements, which I realise isn't the thing most people are interested in, but I quite enjoyed sitting and eating a sandwich with all the greenery around me. Further down there is a play area for the younger kids, which certainly looks more exciting than the likes of parks from when I was a kid, and there are basket ball courts and a skate area for the older ones too. As an adult there is simply a large expanse of beautiful green parkland for an afternoon stroll/sunny picnic. All in all it's a lovely place to visit if the busy roads and city life is stressing you out.

I'm heading towards a run way, is that a good sign? Actually it is because I want to be in Yeadon…read more We're only talking ten miles out of the city centre and if it's good enough for an airport then surely it's good enough for you? Well let's see if Nunroyd Park can tempt you. The big seller of this beauty for me is the pond. Now I'm not a big fisher (or angler as I know people can get shirty about the difference!?!) but if I were then I'd spend my Sunday mornings here. Just pick up a pass and you're away. For me, I don't need to wait for a fish to get caught on the end of a sharp thing and I'm happy to have a good old meander around. And there is plenty of open grass for me to do that. The beck is nice too and worth a look at. There are also plenty of sports pitches for those who so wish and a skateboard park. Dude, I should really get into this skating lark, it looks rad and like totally awesome. Errmm on second thoughts...

On a recent trip out to Rawdon my friend and I discovered this lovely park. We had just been for…read morecoffee and a cake so it was the perfect time to go for a wee wander and like a beacon of the great outdoors, there she was - Micklefield Park. Essentially this park is made up of lots of little sections, all segmented by pathways and gorgeous trees and foliage. Some of the areas have quaint tudor style hedge arrangements, organised into symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing patterns, which are lovely to look at. There are also quirky bits of wall with windows which, I have no idea why, are definitely a feature. I guess it's just another point of interest but it all felt a bit Alice in Wonderland which made it feel interesting and special. There was also a huge field area, presumably for ball games, a bench area where one could enjoy a quiet read, a children's play area and a few different specific floral areas - such as the Rose Garden, which I am sure had it not been December and snowing like a blizzard, would have been a beautiful sight. All in all a really nice little place for a wander. Probably glorious in the summer too!

This message will terminate after five seconds. Your mission Melissa, if you choose to accept it is…read moreto gather a comprehensive insight into the greenways of Leeds. In doing so, you should not become labelled a tramp or start drinking Special Brew. Mission accepted so I'm off to Rawdon. Micklefield Park is a bit further out then some of the other ones in Leeds but it's still a tidy little number. I was told it's near to the library but that's about as useful as a chocolate teapot to me. However, on finding it I do see said building and wonder at what joys reside in there. Oh well I'll save libraries to another day. Back to the task in hand. Yet again I find a pleasant and tranquil corner of the city with lots of stuff to keep ma, pa and John Boy happy for an afternoon. There are a few well kept gardens and of course the compulsory bowling green. You've also got a kids area and tennis courts. The raucous din points me towards the skate park area and I quickly move on for a stroll around the grounds. It's pretty and it's ours, good work Leeds council on maintaining a nice area.