Last year I decided to try some of this windsurfing lark at The Channel view leisure centre,…read morededicated water to all things water sports related. I went on the absolute beginners course which to begin with is expensive. £124 for two days. But once you get your level one it goes down to £34 for 5 sesh so gets better as you do. What consists of the beginners course is to begin with an on land simulator to make you feel an utter charlie. YOu are embarrassingly guided by qualified wind surfing tutors. You are then allowed out in the wet stuff after a few hours and this is where the real fun begins. Expect to get wet, col and spend more time off your board than on it...Well me anyway. It was so much fun my face was hearting from smiling so much over the two days. It's a great way to meet people and you become quite close to your group over the time and I still speak to a couple of the people I met there. There is so much more at CBWAC with Kayaking, sailing, rowing and power boating. If summer pops up this year you must visit here!

This Centre is housed in a purpose-built facility in South Cardiff, on the edge of the River Taff…read moreby Cardiff Bay. Despite the name, they actually offer activities both in the water and on land - including climbing (using Channel View's indoor climbing wall and automatic belaying equipment, as well as the outside bouldering facility); archery; bell boating in a vessel up the Taff; bush survival skills; trail biking; sailing; windsurfing; course and sea fishing; rowing; etc. For parties and corporate days they do day packages, and this is what I've experienced - all great fun, with excellent tuition and guidance, and a choice of 16 different activities (though obviously you have to choose in advance and book which you want to do, as there's not enough time to fit all of them in!). Great for a team day out away from the office.

An old church might seem like an odd place to have a climbing wall but it actually works…read moresurprisingly well. The high walls are perfect, with climbs in excess of thirty feet. The view when you get to the top is amazing as well; you literally get a totally different perspective on the building. Plus, it doesn't have that hot sweaty feeling that some climbing walls have - all the space means you can breathe a little better. All the space means the sound gets soaked up a bit too - sometimes gyms can sound like factories with all the machines going, but this place certainly doesn't. Usually the only sounds that will interrupt your thoughts are the echoes of whatever the receptionist has decided to put on the sound system. As well as conventional climbing walls there's a large bouldering area, with soft crash mats that have caught my body on the many occasions that my fingers have decided to give out. The atmosphere's great though, and nobody judges you if your new or just a bit crap like me. If you do want to improve they have excellent instructors on hand, who are very patient (they get a lot of school groups in here so they have plenty of practice. Bristol Climbing Centre is unique, a great place to learn to climb, and a wonderful environment to do it in.

it just never ceases to amaze me the wealth of exiting and slightly unusual things to do in and…read morearound Bristol. Set within an old church, god knows how much effort must have been put in to convert the building to a climbing centre, the South West's biggest Climbing centre - if you didn't know! There are all sorts of levels of walls and sessions available to accommodate for the real beginner (which is where I was) and the more experiences climber. 12 meters doesn't sound very high until you get half way up it and feel like you might be able to reach the clouds with your next step up! They run things like Easter courses so great for kids but also for adults.

The Apex Park is an informal leisure and wildlife park, created around the former clay pits - now…read moresmall lakes - of the Apex Brick works. The works closed in 1966, and the park was created and opened in 1972. The park, consisting of grassland, trees and hedgerows, covers some 42 acres. There are two main lakes: the larger, central one has an attractive hour-glass shape and its banks are lined with rushes. There are walks around this lake with park benches, and footpaths branch off to go to Highbridge (along the line of the old railway) and to Burnham's South Promenade, following the river bank of the River Brue (very muddy after wet weather!). There is a large car park off Marine Drive, which leads to a broad slipway into the lake. The other lake forms the park's north west boundary and lies partly within the Haven Holiday Village. Popular activities include BMX biking, model radio-controlled boating, jogging (there's a 'trim-trail' with various pieces of keep-fit apparatus) and fishing - the lakes are stocked with carp and bream. Dog obedience sessions also take place most Sunday mornings in good weather, and there's a children's play area and skate park. As well as the fish, wildlife includes birds, including geese, ducks, swans and various different types of sea bird, and the hedgerows contain a variety of different types of trees and bushes, home to insect and bird life. NB: The Highbridge Angling Association holds the fishing rights for the Apex Park. Permits can be obtained from Thyers Tackle Shop, 1A Church St, Highbridge - telephone 01278 786934.

Apex park is a beautiful wildlife reserve consisting of lakes, fish, sea birds, outdoor gym and…read morecarpark. There is loads to do with the features of the park including skating at the skate park, a rope climb and dog poo total wipeout. There is also adult entertainment with the odd dogger in the carpark on a summer Sunday evening. Overall apex park is a beautiful visit with activities fort all the family

Very simple fun, but my step-kids (6-11) LOVE running around the maze chasing each other and trying…read moreto find their way to the middle (with a bit of cheating!). The maze is made up of bricks laid into the ground, so there's very little to hurt themsleves on and it looks crazy as they dart left and right trying (or pretending) to stay on the paths.

This is a perfect place to take young family members who like to run around and make noise!…read more I recently took a young niece here, and she absolutely loved it - an added bonus was that she was so tired out by the end of it her mum said she slept like a log! I remember going to something like this when I was really young too, it offers a ideal mix between being able to see and touch animals like rabbits and pigs, to an adventure playground with those big slides that probably aren't so big when your a grown up but are huge when your little that you sort of drop off almost vertically, with your bum hardly touching the slide! There's also a nature trail. The park is great in nice weather, not so good in the rain but there are still inside things to do. It is also quite reasonable priced - £7.00 adult and £6.50 child, check their website for special offers.

This is a large, leafy recreational area covering 50 acres just outside Bristol with an animal…read morefarm, riverside walks, playgrounds and picnic areas. With stacks to entertain children, it's also a pleasant space for adults, and even when it's sunny and busy there seems to be plenty of space for everyone. For kids, the play arena has trampolines, slides, rope climbing structures and go karts, plus mini golf and the Strawberry Line miniature train. The six or so shire horses kept at the park are a big attraction, and there are lots of smaller animals to see, and even handle (under supervision). The park has falconry displays at the weekends (and during school holidays), plus a nature trail along the river (with a junior assault course running parallel to it). Adults cost £7.50, children (and OAPs) £7, and little ones under 2 go free. The park's open every day from April - end of October, then the indoor play barn is open on weekends and school holidays.

Great place to buy anything you want at bargain prices with the ability to open your own franchised…read moreshop for FREE and make money on your own purchases by way of Cashback

If you're a Christmas-lover, you're going to love Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, full stop. I came…read morehere on the 23rd and the atmosphere was fantastic. ~ Atmosphere: Really where the stars come from! Even though the place is super crowded, it wasn't dirty because there was constantly staff walking around ensuring that all the litter left by drunk people were cleaned up. There's music playing and be sure to snag a seat by huge German sausage BBQ pit, the smell is divine! The Christmas decor was top notch as well, with the traditional wood cabins for all the food stalls and shops. ~ Variety: The main reason why they don't get a full 5 stars from me. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of things to do if you have kids. A good 3/4 of the event space is composed of kid-friendly rides! Guaranteed that your children would be massively entertained for hours here. Unfortunately, my partner and I didn't have any kids and adult entertainment is limited. There's ice skating, a bar, ice sculpture viewing, and a ferris wheel. A small selection of things that doesn't really populate an entire evening (though I guess you can spend plenty of time at the bar). ~ Food: The food they had here was definitely amazing, though I'm slightly disappointed at the choices. They had plenty of drinks options, but only sausages for hot food. Desserts however include crepes; nutella crepes anybody?! They were absolutely delicious! --- Overall, Winter Wonderland gets a 4 stars from me. Lacking in entertainment for adults, but what I did get I was really happy with!

The Winter Wonderland is the most Christmasy thing to possibly do this side of the North Pole…read more Now be warned this make-shift park is only open from November and closes in the January, so try and plan your visit around these dates if you fancy a 'festive fancy'. With an ice-rink, fairground, tents filled to the brim with winter warmers and treats, if your not feeling festive by the time you've left your name must be Ebaneezer. Even me, the harshest Christmas critic left planning on putting a tree up. With so much to do and such a pretty, happy atmosphere this is a must for people who still believe in the guy with the red suit. The ice rink is a nice size and plays up to the date chart music mixed in with the odd carol. Staff have that friendly aura that usually only comes with Disney Land. The hot chocolate, although slightly pricey is seriously out of this world and if you feel like being really cheeky add a sneaky Baileys. I'm off now to play; 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!'

Awesome. Great…read morefacilities. Great views. Walk on the tracks or get off into the bush. Check out the rugby pitch or maybe the dry ski slope. Great park for kids and a decent size skate park.

Large beautiful park with some lovely walks, Walk up to the Grotto, the Folly, Penygarn or just…read morestroll around the park on the flat. Home of Pontypool Rugby Club - on match days don't expect to park anywhere near. I have fond memories of Pontypool Park from my childhood. Recently revisiting I was alarmed to see they had cut down quite a few large beautiful mature trees. I hope that they don't continue with this desecration as some parts of the park seemed a little bit boggy, probably due to there being less moisture taken out by the removed trees. I certainly hope that 'the powers that be' take good care of this oasis of calm for the benefit of future generations.

Brilliant! If you want to practise your swing and get a basket o fgolf balls at a very reasonable…read moreprice, then you're at the right place. Swingrite now has automatic golf tees so you don't even have to place the ball on the tee yourself! It has indoor and outdoor mats and also a shop selling golf equipment.

Great facility in the Taunton area,fabulous for honing your swing,especially during wet weather or…read morewinter months. Mike Steadman is probably the finest teacher in the South West,but hurry before he retires completly!

Previously known as the Welsh International Climbing Centre, the Summit Centre is where I learnt to…read moreclimb, and it is a really friendly and well-designed bouldering and climbing facility. It's located about half an hour's drive from Cardiff in The Parc Taff Bargoed area, and the climbing wall features 400+ routes over an impressive 20,000 square feet of surface. There are 8 metre overhangs, Grades between 4a and 9a, both top roped routes (better for beginners) and lead routes (for more advanced), a self-belay device (enabling people to climb without a partner), smaller children's walls, and a dedicated bouldering room. The instructors I've learnt with have been really encouraging, friendly and good fun. All the staff there seem to love their jobs, too. The centre also offers 3-star bunkhouse accommodation for groups (although living in Cardiff I've never stayed overnight) and offers other adventure pursuits both on site and in the surrounding countryside - including gorge walking, kayaking, high ropes, canyoning, abseiling and caving.