As far as wedding venues go, Rookery Manor is certainly one of the prettiest ones I've ever had the…read morepleasure of visiting. I attended a family wedding at the weekend, with both the ceremony and the reception taking place there. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into the exterior. Classy fairylights (yes, they exist) decorated the trees, wooden walkways and external seating areas. The well-cared for pond, seating area and grounds are bathed in mood lighting, and romantic music is played late into the night. Perfect for a spot of dancing away from the crowds. The staff were excellent, and the reception took place in a beautiful room with a ceiling covered in twinkly lights. The food was nice and fairly fast. The only downside was the smaller bar and the short supply of bread rolls. For a smaller wedding (Under 150 guests) this is the perfect, intimate venue. Plus you can hit up W-S-M pier the next day. Which, obviously, is the best way to get rid of a hangover.

So I give 4 stars for how beautiful this place is. You literally get to stay in a manor with views…read moreof the gorgeous ground. Perfect for weddings. And the manager Nigel was super helpful & professional. As well as Sasa who works the restaurant. He really made our trip special. So most of the people that work there are super nice. But the place is not run very well at all. It very difficult to book a spa treatment. We called days before & no one got back to us. When we did finally get a treatment they over charged for a treatment that wasn't given. Our room wasn't serviced as house keeping was under staffed. The bedside lamp didnt have a bulb in it. There weren't enough towels for 2 people...etc. Just very under staffed. Also the restaurant menu was very limited & not the best food. So we had a pleasant stay but with more attention to detail, it could be a lot better. For those reasons I give 4 stars instead of 5.

Over on the outskirts of Bristol, between Bristol and Bath, The Park Resort is a golf course set in…read morethe grounds of a spectacular old English manor house. The house is now used for golf purposes and events - mainly weddings, of which they have a high number in the summer months. The weddings here are without fail a beautiful affair - the staff are highly meticulous and dedicated to ensuring everything runs smoothly and to the highest possible standards. The main house, which is where such events take place, is stunning, with high quality furnishings and well stocked bars. There's a number of rooms available in the outbuildings as well, so it doubles up as a hotel/high quality B&B. In a place like this, you'd expect to pay high prices, and that you do, but it's not unjustified as the experience here is something quite special. They do attempt to give leeway where possible - for example, the annual golf membership has a low sign up fee and then 'points' can be topped up for the time used on the course, rather than one large sum for the year which allows room for unfair payments. The hotel rooms range in standard and price from £130 to over £300 per night - which ever standard you choose, you can be sure everything will be perfect and finished to an immaculate standard.

This is a golf course, hotel and wedding venue, just outside of Bristol on the way to Bath. It's…read moresurrounded by beautiful countryside and you have to follow the winding drive for quite some time before you reach the main building itself. I visited recently for a friend's wedding and found that the building is of the variety you'd expect for such events - old and a bit posh, but more homely than a swanky hotel. The food served was excellent, however the beer was really quite flat and incredibly expensive - I really do object to paying top dollar for flat Fosters. Nevertheless, it's a nice enough place to hold a reception - nothing particularly spectacular, but it does the job.

Book the venue for our wedding - had the most amazing day. The venue itself is outstanding and the…read morestaff really go out theyre way to ensure the day is special. We had 85 day guest and about 170 in the evening guest. We had all the whole house for ourselves including all the rooms fille and pre paid bar which carried on all night. We heard rumors they would run out but they certainly didnt. The food and drinks were great apart from the lamb being a bit too fatty and hardly no meat. But wouldnt mark it down for that as tasted beautiful. We had fireworks refered by orchardeligh which went down great with our guests. And we also stayed the night before in the cottages on site which was lovely. The whole weekend was amazing for us! From one Happy newly wed couple.

This was my wedding venue and it was absolutely amazing. Obviously I'm slightly biased, but every…read moreone of our guests agreed it was a fabulous place. Stunning grounds, beautiful old house, great attention to detail in the decorand above all, wonderful service, staff and organisation. They cater for receptions from about 50 to 144, they have on site accommodation for about 120, loads of parking, a golf course, a pretty church on an island with no electricity so it has to be lit by candlesneed I go on? I will anyway civil ceremonies are held in the 'Great Hall' in front of a huge romantic fireplace (not sure how a fireplace can be romantic but I guess on your wedding day, anything can happen). This means the aisle is a little narrow to walk down, but it was cosy and we had no problems with it. They have two reception rooms connected by a wide archway for the wedding breakfast/buffet or entertainment; The Ballroom and The Blueroom. Each stunning and opulent. They only charged £5 corkage per person rather than an amount per bottle (which saved us thousands!) and the food was delicious (although my dress didn't allow much room for me to take advantage of it!). My new husband and I stayed in the 'penthouse' cottage - called the Bell Tower - for two nights. They have a village of cottages just a two minute walk from the main house. We put all our younger friends in these and several stayed an extra night for a relaxed Sunday eating pizza and singing karaoke. I can't recommend this place enough.

I've been coming to the old vic for many years so not only is it a great venue but for me it holds…read moremany great memories and is where my love of theatre began. The shows you get to see at the old vic are a far cry from the tacky unoriginal touring shows you get at the Hippodrome. Showcasing its own in house productions you find a lot more edgy and original theatre, so it's a must for all theatre lovers. On this occasion I took my one and half year old son to his first ever theatre production, Magic Elves. The show was in the small theatre downstairs and was perfect for small children and adults alike! He was engaged and mesmerised from the off and I hope this starts a similar love of theatre...

Theatre aside, the kitchen and bar is excellent. Top quality small plates and interesting local…read morebeers.

Living in the bay, I see the Wales Millennium Centre all the time going to-and-from Mermaid Quay…read more However, I am ashamed to say I never been inside... until today! And it's just as amazing on the inside as it is on the outside! ~ Architecture: The architecture of the Wales Millennium Centre is awesome! I love the etched letters on the front; it's truly an iconic venue. The huge open space it's situated in also adds to the beauty of what the Wales Millennium Centre adds to Cardiff Bay.. ~ Things to do: There's almost always something going on at the Millennium Centre. When I visited today, there was an Indian cultural music event going on with a bunch of local performers celebrating their heritage. There also also coffee shops and bars in the interior to hang out if you want to grab a drink! Even if you don't like the food there, because of the Millennium Centre's location, you can definitely enjoy yourself somewhere at Mermaid Quay. --- Overall, I love the Wales Millennium Centre; it's truly a gem of Cardiff with its iconic architecture not to mention its plenty of free events, what's not to love?

A little while ago I went to this venue to see Aled Jones take on the role of Caractacus Potts in…read more'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and finally got to see this splendid new building from the inside. Most people who are at all familiar with Cardiff would recognise the armadillo/woodlouse outer shell of the Wales Millennium Centre, and the giant lettering gracing its sides. But, unfortunately, few people seem to have actually ventured inside. The space is modern and clean, without looking barren, as so easily might have happened. The theatre itself has excellent leg-room, comfortable seats and pretty much unrestricted views. I sometimes struggle with low volume when attending musicals, but the acoustics were excellent, and every word clear as a bell. As well as shows and events, there are also food outlets and guided tours available. There are also free performances most days on the Glanfa stage, which are certainly worth checking out.

The Paintowrks is a fantastic artistic hub. As you enter…read moreyou are welcomed by the Bocabar, a brilliant Cafe/resteraunt, quite a big space and often has exibits on the wall. One I saw recentley was brilliant, it was called '44 Walks' by Hannah Sullivan, she marked out various walks she had taken through Paris and presented them very imaginativly and beautifully. You can also find numerous photographers, website designers, sculptors, architects, a drawing school, a record company. It seems like anybody who is anyone comes a sets up camp at the Paintworks. The website is fantastic and keeps you informed of whats going on at the Paintworks. If you have a free afternoon I recomend going to Bocabar, having a coffee and a little chat with who ever's there and find out what's going on.

Paintworks, the rightful home of Bristol's creative innovators, plays host to ground-breaking and…read moreprogressive heavyweights such as 3E, Wildfire, and Tangent Books. Wildfire are the creators of the beautifully produced 0117 annual review of all things original and contemporary in Bristol, featuring designers such as Derek Edwards of Patwa Design, who also rents space at Paintworks (and is who is responsible for introducing me to 0117 - thanks, I owe you!) Tangent Books are a little longer in the tooth. An off-shoot of Faragher and Jones in Bath, they came to Bristol about four years ago, when Richard Jones decided that he wanted an office a little closer to home. Being a resident of Totterdown for many years, it was a no-brainer for Richard to decide to rent space at Paintworks. I really love visiting this peaceful creative haven, just far enough out of the city centre for it to enjoy a calmness all of it's own, but still very easy to get to. I always call into Bocabar for at least a coffee, but if I have time I indulge in a meal. I've been to quite a few events at Paintworks, held in their cavernous rentable space beneath Bocabar. From fabulous art exhibitions by Jimmy Galvin to incredible expos by the people who brought us Style88 and Migoi Music. www.faragherjones.com www.wildfirecomms.net www.tangentbooks.co.uk www.migoi-music.com/

Okay, so this review comes from the depths of my mind and is actually, probably, too out of date to…read moreadd up. But I'm feeling nostalgic, so indulge me. Any ten-year-old girl wants to feel like she can play with the big kids, and since my mum had taken my older brother all the way to that London to see a show for his birthday, I demanded to go to the theatre. I've no idea why I got Bristol and he got London, but there it is -- I guess I did grow up in Gloucestershire, so it's closer. All told, I think we came to see two shows here: 42nd Street and Cats. And there a brief love affair with musical theatre began. I used to love sitting in the upper echelons of this beautiful theatre, marvelling at the singing and dancing, and being swept away in the grandeur of it all. I'm pretty sure that's when I started wearing vintage red lipstick and channeling Betty Davis. My tastes in theatre may have changed since, but I'd actually love to come back and see a show here. I understand the programme is more tuned to the tastes of pop theatre (think big musicals, mainstream comedians, etc), but that doesn't take away from a strong history of delivering good, old fashioned entertainment. And the building's a beaut. Indulge yourself and see a show.

Full of school groups who constantly disrupted the performance. I asked to move but it was…read moreunfortunately sold out. I emailed the hippodrome to complain and felt very brushed off. I was told that they cannot ask children to be quiet due to child protection, however they can sell a ticket which requires me to sit amongst them? It doesn't make sense to me. I saw 4 other members of the general public on the upper circle being affected by the noise, the rest just school groups. I was also told that the book is taught on the curriculum so to basically expect school groups - it isn't my first thought when booking a show but even so it doesn't excuse the disruptions. Won't give me a refund and bought my ticket with an NHS discount to make it affordable for myself. So disappointed with my experience, and zero empathy from the hippodrome. Avoid if you can.

Okay, so everybody's heard of Clifton College - but did you know you can hold your wedding…read morereception there? The team at Clifton College are hellbent on making sure your day is everything you every wanted it to be and more - after all you should only get married the once. The college is in a great location, with a wonderful backdrop for the keep-for-the-rest-of-your-life-however-bad-your-dress-was photos. They put on a good show in terms of the food - mass catering is always tricky but they do it well. If you're marrying your childhood sweetheart who you met in Geography lessons at Clifton College then this has to be the venue for you!