Sometimes you desperately need a short sharp shock of smushed fruit after your swim. Restorative…read moreVitamin C and lovely stuff. I kind of didn't want to walk all the way over to Amber Café on my way to Petersfield, and I'd noticed the little café at the Aquatics Centre a few times. It seemed to offer way more healthy treats than the archetypal vending machines at the South Manchester leisure centres (hey, they have those too. Hello Nice 'n' Spicy Nik-Naks!), and there was proper coffee too, so I sauntered up to the counter all exhausted with my hair all soggy (I refuse on principle to use my 20ps for hairdryers that wouldn't make a jot of difference to my multilayered thick hair) and asked about their smoothies. They could indeed do them to take away, but they only had about three options available on the generous list which didn't bother me in the slightest. I went for... come on, how could I resist the name?... THE IMMUNISER. It sounds like some kind of *machine*! It incorporated strawberry, kiwi and pineapple, three of my absolute favourite fruits, and it was awesome. Just the right portion and only a little over £2, how can one complain? I'll definitely be using this as regularly as my morning fruit shoot before breakfast. Thanks, Manchester Sports and Leisure! Nom.

Have been coming here to the gym on and off for a while now…read more The gym is small and compact but as everything you need in it for a workout there is always an instructor avaliable if you need any help on how to use the machines there is air conditioning on all the time so you dont get to hot and at £5.20 pay as you go you can stay as long as you like. downstairs there are a couple of pools and you can start at a beginners course or you can go in the advanced side , they also do a ladies only night for those who wish to just be with the girls. next door to the gym is a keep fit class and down stairs is a cafe and drinks machines staff are always friendly and helpful.

It's not you Bodybarre, it's me... kinda…read more This place honestly has the best set up I've seen for pole dancing and that is primarily its main specialism. I walked in the first time and there must've been at least 15 people strutting their stuff in unison on the poles. It was really impressive. However I like aerial acrobatics and as you may see from my previous reviews I've tried a fair few places. I booked onto both the four week trapeze and four week aerial hoop lessons. Both the owner and the teacher were really helpful, as I specifically emailed beforehand to make sure I would 'fit'. Sounds silly, but being almost 6 foot tall kind of works against gravity and I've found both aerial artists and your generic kit (hoops and trapezes) to generally be on the petite side (makes sense really). Which in my experience makes for a not only painful, but embarrassing and also futile workout for me. So after some reassurance I signed up and sadly this only confirmed my fears. The studio is on the top floor of a building in the Northern Quarter - which is brilliantly located - but I'm not sure the ceilings are much higher than my flat. Meaning that for me there was only enough space to sit once on the trapeze and I was very nearly scraping my head on the floor when hanging under the hoop. In my opinion if you cant stand up on a trapeze, it's basically half a lesson. Lack of space meant I didn't feel comfortable, as I was too busy worried about hitting things than actually getting into the classes and the movements. In all honesty I got bored, I felt the teaching was more focused on flair than developing strength and aerial conditioning. One reason behind this could be that a lot of class members seemed to be from the pole dancing school, in which case I'm sure they already have fantastic upper body strength. But I did book onto a beginners class and I think if I had been a genuine beginner I would have felt totally lost. Its a difficult thing to review an aerial class, because everyone has their own needs and requirements. In Bodybarre's defence they did offer me a trial half-price lesson to judge whether classes were suitable and I chose to continue and sign up for the courses after having had that trial. I guess I was just overly enthusiastic about finding somewhere for aerial in Manchester and sadly Bodybarre just isn't what I am personally looking for in a studio. However don't let me put you off, I recommend you drop them an email if you have any inkling of an interest, they have a very experienced team and were very helpful.

I had my first aerial yoga session yesterday with Penny..it was amazing.I felt great after,so…read morerelaxed and stretched from head to toe.Penny is so friendly and cheerful and a very good instructor.She also gave lots of additional information that I found interesting and helpful.The Bodybarre studio has a lovely feeling about it and there seem to be lots of fun exercise choices.I shall look forward to doing it again very soon.Thank you again.Diane Faulkner.

Unfortunately I've never been able to see Oasis or The Stone Roses perform here…read more However, I've had the pleasure of strolling the grounds of this historic park. It is so big and it has so much! A huge playground, bowling greens, football (soccer) pitches, etc. There's a lake with ducks. You can rent a boat to row on the lake. There are cafes. There's an animal section. Lots and lots of places to picnic. Can't forget Heaton Hall! A wonderful way to spend the day.

A last minute decision on a damp, drizzly winter Sunday, but a good one. Forgot how vast this place…read moreis! Walked down the hill past the hall and round the lake, slowing to admire the signets and stop the dog munching all the food left for the birds! Round the other side of the lake, the woods are incredibly quiet; it's easy to forget you're right on the edge of such a large city and the motorway is about a mile away. This is the highest point in the city and the views are amazing.

Omg this place is amazing. I was really nervous about going because you see those videos of it…read moregoing wrong online (not at this place though) and I got nervous that it could happen to me. However ... we were part of a group of people as we paid normal price, was a group of 10 to 1 instructor and the guy was really nice. He was really nice but a young lad and he held our attention and had fun with us and it was an amazing experience. You can book normally, go on and see if you can be fit in or pay for a private session (need 10 people though as it's like £200 which is the price of 10 people, so even if there was just 2 of you, it would be £200) The whole group got some great time and action with tHe axe throwing, some of us won stickers and it was a GREAT experience. For sure I would go back and do this again. However I know need to brag. Even though it was my first time axe throwing, I used to do archery so am used to aiming, relaxing etc. So this guy ... got 4 BULLSEYES. I won the sticker in our challenge ... and to toot my own horn ... won in the whole group. Thank you .. thank you ... I appreciate your applause. 10/10 would recommend this place to anyone, and there were more women in our group and it's great fun. If you go then you might see me there because I want to do it again.

Very accommodating for a walk-up booking. Glad to have a fun new activity to do out of the cold…read morerain on a Friday afternoon. Will update this review after our session!!!

Anglers everywhere have been flocking to Leatherbarrow Angling centre since the late 1960's to have…read moretheir fly-fishing rods custom made and tailored to their needs. It is quite a large shop, well organised with a full range of rods and fishing tackle a far cry from my butterfly net I used to use when I was a child. I popped in to have a mooch around, not because I believe that I will catch the largest pike in Britain and have my photo with aforementioned pike plastered across all the broadsheets, but because my god-son has expressed an interest in fishing and I thought I would check this very British past-time out. Colin Leatherbarrow, owner and expert regarded me with an expression of bemusement as I tottered to the counter in my four inch stilettos and asked him to show me a rod.... oh dear. With slightly twitching lips he told me to bring the god-son in and he could talk him through what he will need to get started. He sells and makes carp and specialist rods from £125, fly rods from £150 and there are so many different types and specifications that my head began to hurt. My mind drifted away from rods and my gaze fell on a stuffed framed fish on the wall which gave the shop a fishy authenticity. By this time I was far too embarrassed to ask Colin if this was one of his catches but well done if it was because this was a monster! Perhaps this shop is a little too advanced for my god-son and should be left for the more experienced angler to visit. Maybe I should dig out my butterfly net and give it to him after all.

Great shop and used too go in back the 1980s used to sea fish with Colin Master rod builder on the…read moreAlexandra Docks and Backpool glad to find your shop is still open and making great rods.Made me and my m8 Big Kev 2 vary nice Cono-flex cod rods

So every now and again I decide to try looking for a gym in the vain attempt that I might actually…read morego.. Then a friend recommended Spindles gym in the Britannia Hotel, Didsbury and for £18 a month, no joining fee and no contract I literally couldn't not do it. Now there's no excuse to not go. All it takes is a number 43 bus ride, get off at Withington Golf Course and you're there. They have a decent sized heated swimming pool, a spa, sauna and steam room! Also, because it's in a hotel it's usually quite quiet and not that many people use it during the day. The gym is decent enough - they describe it as fully equipped and it seems to be.. unfortunately all I really do is use the cross trainer and running machine so can't give a better description of everything else. It's a simple gym though so don't go expecting power plates or any new gizmos and gadgets. There are also Aerobic classes (included in the membership) which I have yet to try and an instructor can configure a programme for you should you need it. There's a beauty salon offering Facials, Manicures, Pedicures, Massages & Waxing which is open Wednesday to Friday every week.

Spindles Health and Leisure Club within the Britannia Hotel in West Didsbury, Manchester, should be…read morevery good, and with membership from only £20 per month it should be very good value indeed. However, the facilities are far from luxurious and would benefit from more regular and efficient cleaning and maintenance. There is a small swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room as well as a small but well-fitted gym. Spindles also offers 3 acqua aerobics classes and one aerobics exercise class per week. There is also a hairdresser and beauty salon. The gym and pool area can get quite busy as the facilities are open to hotel guests and non members as well as those with membership packages. Children are allowed in the swimming pool at certain times (and can also become members) and there is a baby pool. It could be very good indeed but.... Although the classes are advertised on the board and promotional leaflets and are included in the membership, time and time again one or other of the classes is cancelled at short notice with no alternative provision. Only two members of staff are qualified to take the classes so when they are on holiday or off sick there are no classes available (and no refunds or reductions to members who pay by direct debit). Shortage of staff often means that there are problems with the showers etc too. Oh and I didn't mention the parking. Although there is a very big car park it is used for airport parking so at holidays times it can be a nightmare to get a parking space. Some areas of the car park are in a very dire condition and never seem to be maintained. Also, quite often there are pool closures or the sauna, steam room or jacuzzi is not available for use. Currently the management have decided to close the swimming pool for two hour intervals at peak times over a four week period as it has been booked out to a company training swimming instructors. This is infuriating to members as we have to continue paying although we are denied full use of the facilities. The management do not respond to any complaints. There is no contract as such, you pay monthly and can leave without prior notice by cancelling your direct debit. It is a no win situation for members as they have to put up with the inadequacies or vote with their feet and go elsewhere. On the positive side there are some very good members of staff who have worked at Spindles for a long time and when you can actually access the swimming pool, steam room etc it can be a very pleasant experience.

From the outside the Y Club looks an idyllic gym. Situated literally on the picturesque canal at…read morethe start of Castlefield, a 5 minute stroll from Deansgate, it looks like a posh gym for young professionals. The lovely little swimming pool is visible from the canal itself. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered it was relatively cheap, especially compared to gym groups such as Virgin Active or Fitness First. You can also avoid a contract and sign up for as little as 2 weeks, and it works out at around a pound per day. So alls well so far. Then i went inside. I think the point about the gym not really being for girls is valid, though I think lots of men should be added to that list too, as its only really suitable for bodybuilders who love dingy spaces as seen in American boxing films. Its small and dark, and pretty damp. Basically its no good. Its got all the equipment you need so if you want somewhere to go for just a couple of weeks then it serves a purpose, but its nowhere near as nice as it looks outside, and there are some better value gyms out there, so if it's a longer term membership you're after, give this place a miss.

Once again I have to question the effect that living in a big city has on the expectation levels of…read morethe people who populate it. EVERYONE had raved about this gym so I was really excited when the day of my prebooked free trial finally arrived. Now I don't go to the gym for a lie down, I will put the effort in but one of the reasons it's nice to go to is for the luxury- anyone who has spent a day in a David Lloyd's or Total Fitness will know what I mean. The first disappointment was the space, or lack of it. The Y Club is deceptively cramped- from the outside it looks as though it deserves its own postcode, inside you can see the pool, gym and fitness suite all from the reception. The layout of the gym is ridiculous, with the weights room being split in half by a narrow corridor of a fitness suite, making the planning of a routine unnecessarily difficult. The range of equipment is pretty thin on the ground and the surroundings are extremely dated- it feels like an 1980s swimming baths. The centre is very male centric and I imagine quite an intimidating place for a woman to go to. Not that the men does anything particularly masculine- all too often you are held up from getting on a piece of equipment not by a guy using it to work out but by several guys using it as a meeting place to hold a mothers meeting. Y Club? Y Bother Club more like.

I used to think yoga was placid, laid-back stretching which didn't require much physical strain…read more How wrong I was. When I first gave it a go, it was very frustrating because many of the poses require far more strength, balance and flexibility than you would assume. But as with anything else, practice makes perfect. And after a few years, I was quite proud of my flexible prowess from regular yoga practice. Alas, as time became limited in my busy life and the lust for a strong body was less at the forefront of my priorities, I fell out of practice. And I fell hard. If I wasn't out partying with friends, I sat idle at a desk with a computer or lethargic in front of the television. Oh, and I gained about 25 pounds. Then I heard about a 10 day challenge at The Yoga Lounge, a hot yoga studio comprising of three studios that offer yoga, Pilates and a workshop for everything from martial arts, performing arts and exhibitions. It's a state of the art facility on Deansgate that uses radiant heat to warm your body, a gentle heat similar to that used in incubators for babies. Don't get me wrong, it get hot. Real hot. A few minutes into the first class, I thought 'this is waaaay out of my league' but I kept going...bending, twisting and balancing (or wobbling, if I'm honest) as the sweat poured off my body. I was perspiring in places I didn't even know were on my body. But this sweat was detoxing my insides, which is exactly what I needed. As class came to an end, I felt like I had accomplished something important for my health. And so I came back. As each class passed, my strength and flexibility improved ever so slightly much to my delight. By the fifth class, people started asking what I was doing different to my skin. Others were saying I was looking slimmed down. I have to admit, I suspected there was difference in my skin and body shape, only to poo-poo the idea as wishful thinking. But clearly, others were seeing what I was seeing. 7 days into the challenge, I found I was able to participate in virtually the entire class, doing some of the poses that I couldn't even attempt in the first few sessions. I was sleeping like a baby at night, and actually started to give a toss about what I was eating and making sure I drank enough water. And so that brings us to today, the 10th day of my challenge. I've lost 5 lbs and 3% body fat. My clothes feel much looser, and I'm starting to fit back in to my 'skinny clothes'. There seems to be a naughty glint in hubby's eyes when he looks at me lately, which is always a bonus. All this after only 10 days is remarkable. But the most important thing is it's gotten back on track to taking care of myself....mostly because I want to look really good in my 'skinny clothes'.

The beauty of The Yoga Lounge is that they are offering something slightly different from bikram…read moreyoga - as the classes don't follow the traditional 26 poses. I feel as though classes are lot more organic, allowing the teachers to really work with the class - I swear I'm making progress already in my first two weeks! The teachers are really great, I love the variety, as each practitioner has their own flows and style of teaching. Everyone is super friendly and happy to give tips and advice after classes too. Specialising in hot yoga, the classes last between 60-75 minutes and at the moment they have three classes per day with two a day at the weekends. They also offer hot pilates, which is a great workout for your core. And plan to open a full pilates studio in the next month or so with Stott pilates, reformer and GYROTONIC® classes. It's a great set up, really well designed space and the hot room itself is a nifty piece of kit - using heat panels on the roof that allows for continual fresh air and a germ free environment to practice in (or I've been told it's something along these lines). There's an online booking system to ensure you get onto the class you want. The evening practices book up pretty quickly, but the lunchtime hour always has a few free spaces. Each class has a waiting list and for every wait list I have been on so far, I've been offered a space in the class. This is a more modern yoga alternative that fits really easily into a busy lifestyle, uniquely balanced to help improve both your fitness and inner calm.

A bittersweet experience was had on my first ever visit to Chorlton water park. Driving here is a…read morelittle strange with it being situated in such a densely populated area. You get the feeling your Satnav is taking you to the wrong place. Don't worry it's not. An old reservoir was transformed into a huge lake a while back and that's the park's main feature. A mile radius around the lake acts as a perfect biking/ hiking trail which isn't too strenuous and is littered with relaxing spots with great views. There's an icecream van to cater for all your refreshment needs and does a lot of business on a hot summer's afternoon. It's a perfect venue to have a picnic and for young families (There's a large play area for kids) All in all a lovely green space in a heavily populated urban area. My only beef with the place was the unsafe nature of the car park. Make sure you park in an area that's camera visible. I returned after a pleasent afternoon to find my windscreen cracked quite badly. I hadn't parked under a tree, falling debree was thus out the question so I suspected some sort of foul play. My little trip therefore cost me nearly £150. Perhaps the place is cursed for me, but don't let that put you off.

When I first moved to Chorlton and I heard people talking about this water park I had visions in my…read morehead of chutes and river rapids. Sadly, the water park bears absolutely no resemblance to Stoke-on-Trent's Water World or Florida's Blizzard Beach. Instead it is a large man-made lake with a path around the edge which attracts walkers, joggers and cyclists. The path is well-surfaced and links on to the Mersey Valley trail, which is unsurfaced. However, there is a car park and visitor centre if you don't fancy the trek down from Chorlton or Didsbury. The water park was formed in the 1970s when gravel was dug up from this area to build the M60, and the area was flooded to form the lake. Despite the fact that the water park is surrounded by the M60, the busy Princess Parkway and Chorlton town centre it is a surprisingly peaceful and serene place - so peaceful that it is the place that the hippies flock to for the summer solstice.