A park I've visited many, many times, ever since I was a kid. Now when we're up visiting family…read moreit's where I take the nephews as there's so much to do here (as long as it isn't raining - Wacky Warehouse further down the promenade is our go-to place for those days). In recent years it's had a major refurb with new facilities (which was long overdue). So alongside the historically well-maintained flowerbeds and woodland walks, there's a great crazy golf course (the old one was well past its best), swing boats, a play area for younger children, trampolines, merry-go-round, tennis and basketball courts, aqua play area, miniature train and a large 'natural' adventure playground. There's a cafe near the crazy golf which sells Lewis's Ice Cream which is fantastic. A lovely place for a stroll on a nice day, with lots of different activities for the nippers (just remember to bring a pocket-full of pound coins - they'll want a go on everything!).

This is a fantastic park and one of my favourite spots in Newcastle-also the oldest green space in…read morethe city! The main attraction is definitely the beautiful and secluded lake that provides a lovely walk and ample benches for soaking up the sunshine. This also proves popular with runners and fisherman! Great for wildlife but be careful of the birds as they can be overly protective when they have chicks. If you're looking for a tranquil haven away from the city centre then this is perfect. Multiple green spaces for lounging around or having a barbecue as well as having tennis courts,a basketball court and a bowling green. It is usually the venue of choice for certain summer events too like gay pride and the Newcastle green festival.

Wonderful park! When I first saw this place, I was amazed right away!…read more If you want peaceful, there are areas for that. This is where I always stay every time I wish to unwind. This park is very popular for runners. There are four tennis courts and a basketball court. There is a playground for children as well, which makes it popular for families. The best feature of this park is the pond.

Once a bit of a grim park, with vandelism and very few amenities, Cross Flatts Park has had a lot…read moreof input from the local community in recent years. It now boasts modernised play areas and basketball courts. There is a summer programme of bands in the park, held every Sunday throughout the summer months that provide free music for the community, from brass bands to steel pans. It also hosts the now annual Cross Flatts Park Festival, where there are country style competitions, stalls, art, entertainment and a variety of food available and community initiatives attending. Also in the summer months is the ever popular dog show, which caters for the traditional categories, as well as the funny 'waggiest' tail category. There are also many opportunities to be involved in planting in the park, as well as regular clean ups, which will often end in tea and cakes!

Go there every morning for a walk and it's always calm and filled with friendly people. There's…read moreoften events going on which liven the area and get people together like beeston festival! I often go there with my friends and family during the day to just chill and hang out at the parks there and play tennis with my dad there quite often too! An amazing place especially if you live in beeston!

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.

Myrtle Park is an excellent place to get away from it all, with the flowing river near by and the…read moreBINGLEY MUSIC LIVE taking place every year around the first weekend in september. This years event takes place between the 4th and 6th September, making it the first year that it has streched over 3 nights. The park also has many picturesque areas to just sit down and chill out during those hot summer months, where you can sit in the shade under a tree.

Myrtle Park is located very handily right in the center of Bingley…read more It's a typical municipal park, with lovely walks, wooded areas and lots of things to do for all the family. There is a large and recently renovated children's play area which will keep the young 'uns occupied while you have a rest, and a small snack bar where you can get ice creams and drinks too. There is a large bowling lawn and tennis courts (if you bring your own equipment you can sneak on for free rather than pay to rent rackets). There's also a basketball court, and also a large field near the river where you can play ball games such as cricket or football. There is plenty of space and weather permitting is the perfect place for a sunny bbq!

Now it's my welcome pleasure to say that the parks in Leeds are pretty much spot on. They all have…read moresomething good to shout about and yet are all that little bit different. East End Park is a good example of that. It's a Victorian Park (although I didn't see any corset clad women to speak of) and pretty too. The main appeal though is it's encouragement to keep the kids off the streets and active. That's not to exclude other age ranges but the facilities include tennis courts, football pitches, basketball court, playground and even a teen shelter. You've also got a bowling green for those a tad older. They are also big on sports camps throughout the summer months and have a popular annual bonfire. The Friends of East End Park are also devoted to improving and maintaining the park itself, so it's pretty much well looked after. You could do far worse than a trip out here if you want something of an outdoors nature to do.

A purpose built swimming and sports centre named after the Bradford boxing champion. Easy access…read morefrom the M606/M62 motorways although if there has been an event on it can be difficult to get in or out of the car parks. The usual car park is a strange shape with hills all round it. In my view it would have been better to have disposed of some of these hills. Inside there is a big swimming pool which is an irregular shape. There is one part of it though that you can do conventional lengths in. The rest of it is more of a fun pool. There are various waterfalls and there are two good slides which you either pay separately for or are forced to pay in with the swimming at some sessions. There are always plenty of attendants about. There is a seating area next to the pool for doting parents/grandparents etc or just if you fancy a break from swimming. There is access to the cafe but it isn't very close by and you cannot go in your swimming gear. There are various sports halls of different sizes, a fully-equipped gym and squash courts. The main hall also hosts large sports functions, computer fairs and is used for counting at the elections. This has tiered seating at one end. They do a range of classes such as Pilates, kickboxing, karate, spinning etc. There is/was a climbing area but I am not sure if this is now dyfunct as I haven't seen anyone using it for some years now. The changing rooms are below standard in my opinion. They are cold, the toilets aren't very clean, the ceilings are usually festooned with soggy toilet paper bombs that have dried out (nice!). The changing area for the dry sports are often littered with rubbish and the showers in this part aren't very private ie male attendants have walked through while female sportspeople are showering. There is no door to the shower area. The cafe has the usual chips with everything type fare and buns and biscuits. They do wave to those who are trying to be healthy by providing fruit and basic uninspiring salads and jacket potatoes (although I have often found they have run out of these). There is also a bar and function room within the building but it is nothing to write home about.

You can do almost anything in this sport centre, which is conveniently located in just before the…read moreOdsal roundabout in Bradford. Firstly, there are loads of car parking spaces so there will always be somewhere to park. The range of sports offered is excellent. Firstly, the pool is seen as probably the major attraction. They have a coupld of slides available for those just wanting to have a good time but there's also space for those just wanting to get some exercise (although I'd suggest not going on a peak time at the weekend as kids parties tend to be very popular). I have participated in a number of activities here, rollerblading, indoor/outdoor football, basketball.. you name it and they are likely to have it. The facilities are not the best in the world but to me that's not really that important a factor. I see this place as somewhere where you can have some fun. Whether you want to go to get exercise or prefer to go with others and have fun Richard Dunn's is a quality venue.

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.

If you want a swimming session on the cheap, Castle Leisure Centre is a good bet. It is only a…read morecouple of pounds (although the last time I went I was a student) and a quick swim here in their standard 25m pool and there is easy enough to fit into your schedule whilst not requiring some direct debit out of the your account each month.. But if guilting yourself into exercise is more your thing they have a fitness suite too, membership to which starts at £18 a month. Then again those who like me are more into team and racket sports are served by badminton, netball, squash and basketball courts plus two football pitches. No frills leisure centre in a good central location and low prices.

This is the winner of the linked gyms, just because of the spin classes. Debbie makes everyone feel…read moremore than welcome and once you have been a couple of times she uses your name, although when you get to this stage you are prime target for ribbing! The pool opening hours are not great- but you can always use radcliffe which has better opening times. Staff are always friendly and helpful