Just had a lovely half hour with our two spaniels. It was very hot but the dogs found shady places…read moreunder the trees. Lovely meadow, well fenced in. Easy parking. Will definitely book again.

I think this park has been really nicely done and what looks like a small patch of grass from…read moreStretford Road actually extends way back with a nice adventure playground for kids plus football pitch. Whoever was saying they couldn't understand the Treasure Island theme of the playground someone missed the giant climbing frame in the shape of a shipwreck... Obviously it's never going to be the most peaceful place to sit, owing to its roadside location, but the grass bordering Stretford Road slopes up to some trees which is ideal for sitting on a sunny day. A nice place to stop by for a little while.

Hulme Park is decent. It's a green space in the middle of Hulme, which alone makes it nicer than…read moreanything else in Hulme. According to the council, it is the first large scale new park to have been built in Manchester for over 50 years, and was built in 1999 at a cost of £3 million pounds. Sounds reasonable, however... The council also claim that the recreational facilities on offer include an adventure playground with a Treasure Island theme, a high quality football pitch, a basketball/netball court, a skateboard area, a "sunken sensory garden" and last but by no means least, a granite paved performance area "known as" Zion Square, and picnic tables. I'm afraid I find myself obligated to dispel the images conjured up by a few of these descriptions. I would describe them as perhaps more than a little over the top. A bit of embellishment on the council's part here to say the least! Why have they tried to make a small green park sound like a suitable venue for a family holiday? As for the adventure playground, there's a few swings and slides which are pretty nice for kids, but the Treasure Island theme remains a mystery to me. High quality football pitch, not really but there is a place to play football. The skate park exists, so no problems there. As for the "sunken sensory garden", come off it! All there is is normal grass! I don't even know what a 'paved performance area' is but I do know that this concrete slab is not the talk of the townspeople who affectionately refer to it as 'Zion square'. Sounds like a Shakespearean market. It's a decent place to take the dog for a poo, and its got a nice view of the Hilton hotel, why didn't the council just say that?

Hi Mike. You have proved that it is definitely possible to teach an old dog new tricks! Your advice…read morehas transformed our relationship with Angel, our 11-year-old rescued Bichon. We've had her for about a year but her possessiveness over food and resources was getting much worse and we were really worried that things were not going to work out with our current family situation. After one home visit from you, we have put in place all of the advice and training measures you suggested and everything is going really well. The daily growling incidents have reduced considerably now we know how to avoid and distract. Mealtimes in particular have improved - we are putting only small amounts of food in her bowl, then putting it down after she waits and then repeating the process until she has had the whole portion. One of the key things you helped us realise, is that just because she is 11, not to let her get away with things. For example, she used to have a set route she preferred for walks, with lots of little foibles about where to cross the road and stop at certain points. We used to indulge her routines and because she is an old dog, let her do what she wanted. But now, if we want to go left and she doesn't, I stand still until she stops pulling. Then I start to move towards the way I want. If she pulls again I stop, and I do not look at her. Eventually she starts to come towards me and once we are trotting off in the new direction she is fine. Thanks again for your advice. It has made Angel a much happier little lady.

From the owner: Dog & puppy training in Northwich & Cheshire…read more A well-behaved dog is a pleasure to own. At the club we show you how to interact with your dog and improve your dog handling skills. What's more, socialising with like-minded people and their dogs is a treat for you and your dog too.

Magnificent old deer park - worth a walk at any time of the year.read more

Old Moat Park, named after the ward Old Moat near Withington, is a really normal park. The park has…read moreapparently undergone improvements in recent years resulting in it winning the Green Flag Award in 2005 and 2006, which according to the council is 'the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales and benchmark of excellence in recreational green areas'. However, it is worth adding, that Old Moat Park, is just a normal, regular park. The site is comprised mainly of grass, termed 'amenity grassland' by the ever embellishing council. The council admit that the park is 'predominantly used for play, sports, informal recreation and dog walking by the local community', so basically, it's a normal park. If it's a normal park you're after, Old Moat is the place for you. Its always quiet which is a bonus and they do have a concrete football and basketball area which is excellent if the grass is too wet to play. There's also a wooden carving of an old man, which is very very creepy indeed. Other than that, normal park.

On the whole, Bowland Wild Boar Park is an enjoyable day out, especially for children under the age…read moreof 10. It is open everyday 10.30am - 5.30pm, is very reasonably priced and the owners are genuinely enthusiastic and friendly, with bigger and better ideas for the future. It has come on in leaps and bounds since I first visited (roughly 6 years ago), when it was home to just a few small animals and several stinky cattle sheds. All the animals here do appear to be well cared for, have adequate room to roam and have plenty of food and water available. The drive to the park is an adventure in itself. It really is out in the sticks! If you start questioning whether you've gone the right way, you're probably on the right road, so don't worry. When you do arrive at the park, chances are you'll be greeted by one of the family members that own the park, and/or a peacock. Entry into the park is payable by cash or cheque only. Once you've paid for admission, the park areas and children's play activities are free. If no-one is at the gates to greet you, there is an "honesty box" for you pay into. Adults £4.50 Children (2 years and above) £3.50 Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) - £14.00 OAP's - £3.50 Children under 2 years - free The wild boar in the park actually tend to be the least most favourite attraction. Most kiddies just want to bottle feed the lambs and hold the chicks, which they can do at set times during the summer months. Lamb feeding is at 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm Chick handling - 11am, 2pm, 5pm. The park's owners bring them out and then allow all the children who want to have a go, to have a turn. Nobody is pushed out or missed because they get everyone in one big circle to make sure. On top of that, baby wipes are freely available for anyone who happens to get pooped on by a fluffy cute little chick! When the lambs and chicks aren't out, there are lots of other animals to see around the park including red deer, reindeer, donkeys, goats, llama's, skunks, wallabies, owls, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Visitors can hand feed many of these as well as go into the open pens of the smaller animals. Animal feed is available for visitors to use, for which they like you to make a donation of about 25p. When you have finished feeding, there are lots of small wash basins, hand soap and towels for you to use and clean up with after. Obviously, there are some animals which you cannot feed and must not attempt to get near, (the wild boar for a start). Notices are clearly displayed and animals which can be particularly nasty are behind fences and secured safely. Tractor trailer / barrel rides run throughout the day, with the park's owner simply jumping into his tractor and taking kids and adults alike, on a sightseeing tour of the area. These are £1.00 per person and last about 15 mins. The park has an adventure playground which is excellent. Along with the usual swings and slides, it has a zip wire and a sand pit, complete with spades and a ride-on digger. There are smaller pedal tractors available for younger kiddies to play on and a large "rabbit warren" is just outside the adventure playground, with large adjoining tunnels for the kids to crawl through and meet each other at end the end. What does seem to be particularly fun for the kids is a very large barn filled with nothing but hay bales. The bales are tied securely and stacked to make deep tunnels, bunkers and steps which are great for playing army or hide and seek. Also on site is a large education centre which is used for school and group bookings, and a small touring caravan area / children's birthday party can be arranged as well, but I don't know what these are like or how much they are; you'd need to contact the park directly. The park is very pleasing on the eye, with several gorgeous woodland walks and lots of picnic tables, some of which are right beside the river Hodder. You're likely to see lots of wild birds and animals if you walk round the outer areas of the park. In spring, the woods look superbly colourful; even more so at Easter when children can take part in an Easter egg treasure hunt. Wear comfortable stuff - preferably hiking boots or wellies. As its mainly grassy area, the chances are that you'll get muddy. Also, the footpaths can be uneven and in some areas are pretty steep. All visitors are given a map with info about the different routes to take though, so you won't get caught out. Toilets are available and have always been clean and tidy when I've visited. There is a small cafe and shop as well which sells the usual tea, coffee, soft drinks and even its own meat produce. (This grosses me out just a bit actually) The small gift shop sells predictable but nevertheless, nice little things such as key rings, pencils, soft toys etc. The one fault I have with this park is that there is very little in the way of shelter if the weather is poor, so ensure you pack up warm gear if

Situated in the longsight ward, Crowcroft Park is one of ye ooldestest in Manchester, established…read moreas it was in 1900. 108 years afters its inception in 2008, Crowcroft Park was awarded a Green Flag Award for achieving the national standard for parks and green spaces. Not sure why this took 108 years to acquire, or what it was that finally made the council attribute the awards, as nout has changed since 1900, if I remember rightly. The park is mainly green in colour, with a few browns and yellowy greens thrown in for good measure. Its mainly used for local residents to walk their dogs or themselves or for whippersnappers to play causual ball games. There's a few rose beds as well though these are of course seasonal. Its nothing special but as parks in this part of Manchester go, I've no complaints.

Great place to explore, dress up and experience a bygone age…read more House and downstairs tour recommended. Very informative volunteers in all the rooms.

Gorgeous spot staffed by dedicated volunteers. So grateful to the National Trust for spots like…read morethis. And be prepared to dress up in Regency clothing when you get to that part of the house. It's a lot of fun. :-)

A historic town-centre park with plenty of space for the kids to run around, play…read morefootball/cricket/whatever and so on. It's a reasonable size and there are plenty of well-marked paths to explore, and there's also a kids' playground with a good variety of the usual swings/climbing-frames etc (although it's at the far end of the park from the main Chorley New Road entrance). Parking is not wonderful, but there's usually enough space on Chorley New Road. The only downside is that the place never looks especially well cared-for; perhaps its central location means it's particularly vulnerable to anti-social behaviour which, given the park's proud history, is a shame. So, not a bad place for a visit -- but if you're driving there you might enjoy a visit to Moss Bank or Moses Gate more instead.

When I lived in Whitworth Park (the halls, for I am not a vagrant) my parents came to pick me up on…read morethe way up to visit family in the north-east. Due to the fact that my Mum is always early and my Dad is always thrifty, they had brought a picnic and suggested eating it in the park. The problem was that it was March and not even a particularly warm or dry March, so we huddled up against each other and sat on a cold, graffitied bench and ate our tuna sarnies. That was the only picnic I've eaten in Whitworth Park and pretty much the only time I've sat down in there. On the other occasions I was put off by the combination of tramps, builders and school kids, which made it hard to relax. I found it much more pleasant to sit in Whitworth Park (the halls) or walk for 20 minutes to Platt Fields Park. But still, I quite like this park. It is a nice green break from the monotony of curry houses (if approaching from Rusholme direction) and university buildings (if approaching from other direction). I just want to know how they keep on putting the cone back on top of King James' head. Anyone?

After trekking around, looking for a place to relax, I saw this well-sized park and figured it'll…read moredo. And it did! Fairly decently sized, this is a good park right near the university that offers visitors the chance to choose from a plethora of space. Thankfully, my visit did not coincide with hordes of screaming children, so I was able to stroll about and find a seat and enjoy a quiet park. Even sitting next to the playground I was free of yelling and gallivanting children. Although there was a random woman who walked up to the Hamster Wheel and decided she needed a workout (she seriously just walked in it for a couple minutes like it was a treadmill...see my photo for proof!). Granted, this time of year the ground was a bit wet and muddy, but I think this could be a lovely space on a warm (and dry) day to just sit under a tree and breathe the fresh air.