I didn't even know Bollington was a place prior to our recent visit, but it really is a beautiful…read morevillage that's worth a visit. Our trip was due to the Bollington Beer Festival - a lovely day out that I would recommend to any beer or cider lover. Tickets were £6 and you could choose between Friday evening, Saturday day or Saturday evening. We went for the Saturday day session, arriving at 12 on the dot (got to make the most of the day!) and giving us access until around 5pm. The tickets gave us entrance and a pint glass, then we had to pay for beer tokens. These were in the form of raffle tickets, so an easy enough transaction, though all in cash so remember to taken some! We managed to grab a table outside very quickly before people began to pour through the gate - there's a balance between covered and open seating, and benches/chairs can be moved around as long as they don't block the main thoroughfare. Entertainment was in the form of a local brass band, who were amazing, and a balloon artist who was making everything from monkeys to minions for the children and 'big kids'. There were 40 beers and 15 ciders to choose from, all well labelled and available in either pints or halves as per usual. Staff were friendly enough though don't dare order something from down the bar - you should stand directly in front of it to prevent them from having to move too much! A great day out if you feel like a change of scenery. There are good local taxi services and a train station nearby for any city folk!

This is such a funny little place. It's in an old school building and the main stage is in the…read moreschool hall so it's quite nostalgic for people who went to infants school before they were all closed down. The range of activities is impressive for such a small place and the yearly pantomine is a huge amount of fun, even for grown ups, I thouroughly recommend it!

The Well Barn comprises a small collection of local businesses in the heart of Litlle Crosby, a…read morequaint village just outside of Crosby and under ten miles from the centre of Liverpool. There is an authentic rural feel here as the winding roads have restricted speeds and there are no street lights. The Well Barn courtyard is easily located off the main street and houses a diverse mix of shops including: a craft shop, a holistic therapy and well being store, Corinthian furniture and a plumbing company. The stableyard itself is often used s an event space for community gatherings such as the recent summer fete. It's a really beautiful area with a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The Well Barn is easily accessed from Liverpool or Southport but retains the peace of the countryside.

Visited Bramall Hall on a trip to Manchester and loved it. We took a picnic and sat in the grounds…read moreto eat, then took a tour of the house. Beautiful old fire places and artefacts. Really helpful staff to answer questions. Signs and video screens around to read or not read as you choose. The gardens were spectacular and we bought duck food to feed the ducks and geese. Parking was a problem - the "large car park" was not large an probably had 30 spaces. This with another smaller car park was not enough. We did a trip with a multisite pass for Bramall Hall, Stockport Hat Works and the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport - highly recommend this day out!

A large park / small estate with an impressive timber-framed hall, ponds, playparks, Bramall Hall…read morewas once the seat of the Davenport family and is now owned by the local council. It is a great place to take visitors and children alike; the hall itself is very impressive.

An historical building and one that provides all sorts for the public. The hall has three rooms to…read morerent out to people, whether it be weddings, conferences or productions. They are available with first class service. I once performed here with my school for the mayor, and yes I was nervous but I kept getting lost as the place is soooo big. A map would be helpful! There is also a museum inside this gigantic building. It is the museum of the Manchester Regiment. They have many things on offer and lots of school kids go and have a wander and learn about what their grandad did etc. It is fun to go and look at all the history! The added bonus is that it is free to get in so HIGH FIVE! If you are thinking of having a wedding reception here. It is an ideal place as this building is fantastic from the outside and inside is even better. Look at the photos or take a look at the website.

I recently went to a 60th here for my Grandad. We went in during the day to set up our decorations…read morelike balloons and things and everyone was fairly helpful. They weren't exactly bending over backwards to help us but they were there and they let us move chairs around and things like that. My grandmother had paid the low sum to hire out the room (to the left as you walk in) plus a buffet spread and she had booked her own DJ. The party space had tables and chairs enough for 60-70 people, more than we actually needed - it was an intimate affair - and a stage for the DJ to play from plus a "dance floor" with the private bar to the right. There were also private toilets for our party, The main social club is to the right and its a fairly nice drinking place but is not really anything out of the ordinary.

I tried to get my 21st birthday party here, but sadly they were all booked up which is no surprise…read morehere at all. It is a great place to have a birthday celebration here. The rooms are slightly large if not a bit out dated but can fit a large number of people in. There is a fully stocked bar and it is really cheap as well for drinks. Also if you book a room for a party you can also order a buffet as well so all your guests have food. It is not much but a good idea. I would say that if you decide to hold a party here, you should book well in advance as places like these go fast!

Manchester is really a great city. It doesn't have infinite choice like London but that's pretty…read moreoverwhelming. Instead, it has enough cool places to keep you occupied for years but at the same time mean you can become a regular places with fomo. Plus, it still keeps surprising you. Manchester has some of the coolest event venues I've ever been to, such as Victoria Warehouse and the gorgeous Albert Hall. The Victorian Gothic Monastery perhaps out impresses even those venues. A Franciscan church and friary from the 1860s, it was formerly on the top 100 most endangered monuments in the world. Now beautifully restored, I entered through the lovely cloisters and was stunned entering the soaring nave, made even more striking with coloured lighting plus an aerialist display! I attended for a large work party of about 250 people. It's a really huge space so any less than this and it might feel a bit empty - imagine how big the weddings here are! We really enjoyed our salmon starter, which had a well-balanced lemon and caper dressing. The chicken supreme was standard but not dry at all and I thought good for a catered meal. The lemon tart for dessert was very nice, although too large portion for most If you're looking for somewhere really special to have an event, this has to be on your list.

I went to a wedding at Arley Hall last week and it was a spectacular venue to get married…read more The only reason I'm marking it down to 4* is because as a non-driver and a singleton it would have been very expensive to get there myself, as the public transport links aren't great. Luckily, I got a lift to and from the venue with friends but otherwise it would have been £50 in a taxi each way. So that's the moan out of the way. The rest was brilliant and to anyone looking for a wedding venue, you should definitely consider here. The main house, where the ceremony and meal were, was very pretty. The food was very tasty, particularly the sticky toffee pudding. Service was also very good. The back where the pictures were taken is gorgeous and provides a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos - official or unofficial! The evening do was in the Olympia Hall which is a nice size. Has a bar, nice area for DJ/dancing and an upstairs bit with sofas and room for a photo booth. I'll put up a few photos shortly.

Although we didn't pay to go into the hall and gardens themselves, even through cafe alone is well…read moreworth a visit if you're in the area. My friend and I had been on a 6 mile hike that started and ended at the hall, and it made for the perfect finish. The celeriac soup was delicious, but everything on offer looked great. Be mindful that they do stop hot food at 3, but we turned up at 3.20 and as they hadn't turned anything off yet they were more than happy to serve us. The cakes looked lovely too and if I'd have had room for dessert I would have had one without hesitation!

The Revolution express wagon has finally made its mark on Macclesfield. Occupying the site of what…read morewas once the most popular haunt of twenty-somethings, this new bar is a step up in the right direction. The standard business model has been brought to this small town, and on offer are the usual cocktail menu's for which the brand is famous for. Nothing special above anywhere else, but for Macclesfield you might find yourself coming here quite regularly. It is something different, something fresh.

To me a rather sad and empty place except at the weekends when its claustrophobic ally overcrowded…read more Reasonable standard food. Good 2for1 cocktail nights if you can keep up with when. Fairly indifferent cold staff. Not as upmarket as it would like to think. Annoyingly full of screaming 15 year old girls at 'events' such as Halloween, at which for example no efforts to decorate. Good for shot trays and convenient late night tasty Chilli Jacks over road. Extremely suspicious of everyone in general. Can be quite an aggressive pub-like atmosphere rather than a calming laid-back bar. A lot of tension in the atmosphere. Probably good to pull in if you're looking for fancy-free, no strings or a one-off. Cocktails below average but fairly quick, if unfriendly, service.