Killingworth Lakeside Park is a lovely local escape, with, as its name suggests, a good-sized Lake…read moreat its centre! The Lake is a well-stocked resource for local fishermen, and there is a lot of lovely wildlife to see in and around the park. You'll regularly see wildlife photographers taking snaps. Check out the visitors boards describing the wildlife around the park. The park also has a model boating club, a small café shack (open only during popular hours) and a good play area for kids, with a wire slide, roundabout and other apparatus to keep the nippers amused. There is ample parking for visitors, and it's a good walk around the lake. In short, I love visiting the park here to take a walk, relax and unwind! How lovely to have these kinds of parks on our doorstep.

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.

Incredible park with a little zoo, bridges, beautiful lawns, restaurant, quaint walking paths…read more Perfect for families looking for something to do for free. There is a suggested donation of £1 at the zoo, but totally worth it.

Amongst the big shopping centre, hospitals and masses of people with their dwellings, you are lucky…read moreto find a nice big green space-you are even luckier if you have a Dene beside these fields! Tucked away from the city centre, Jesmond Dene is a short bus ride away and offers a slice of nature that is rare to come across in such a big city. It is well worth the travel as this little hidden gem provides the peace and tranquility you would only expect to get in the countryside some hours away. Definitely makes Newcastle a worthwhile place to be!

I used to use the SPA, but the one in Ponteland has been out of action for many weeks and still no…read moredate when it will re open.

Crèche!! After many many months of searching for a gym with…read morecrèche facilities I finally came across ponteland leisure centre. This is a great crèche for my two young children. The two woman that run it are fantastic, they really put you at ease over leaving your children with them to do a quick workout. You can see that the kids love it in there too, there's always smiles, singing and laughter when you collect them. (Also it's always a struggle to get them to leave because there having so much fun) I would strongly recommend this crèche to anyone who wants to leave there child in very safe capable hands whilst catching a couple of hours to workout or take a little time for yourself.

If you're looking to improve your fitness but like me often find yourself bored of the monotony of…read morethe gym or lack the motivation to really push yourself then BMF could be the answer! British Military Fitness offers outdoor fitness classes led by current or ex-military instructors......but don't be intimidated as although run in an army style, instructors are there to encourage and not force you to do anything you don't want to do. Exercise classes last for one hour and are tailored to three different levels, determined by the colour bib you choose to wear: blue (beginners), red (intermediate) or green (advanced). I went along for a free BMF taster session in Leazes Park (Newcastle) having not done any running before and after an expired gym membership. One year on....I have never returned to gym, rarely missed a session and even ran my first ever half marathon at the back end of 2014. I owe my level of fitness to the fab instructors but also the encouragement of my fellow BMFers. Never before has exercise been so much fun! As a diverse and relatively small group in comparison to other cities everyone knows each other pretty well and are very welcoming......some people even hang around for well earned and guilt free coffee and cake after a Saturday morning session! No two classes are the same which keeps it interesting and whether it be circuit training, pair based exercises or team work the one guarantee is that you will work hard but have fun at the same time. Occasionally equipment may be used like kettle bells or medicine balls but generally exercises involve use of your own body weight. Aside from the people and creativity of sessions week on week, you get to exercise in the fresh Northern air and beautiful surroundings of Leazes Park. Parking is free on some side streets but beware if Newcastle are playing at home due its close proximity.

From 10th November to 24th February Newcastle's Time Square is transformed with the addition of a…read morefantastic ice skating rink. There's no better way to get you into the Christmas spirit than open air ice skating. This lovely little rink provides great fun for people of all ages. The rink looks best in the evenings when it glows with festive lights. If you aren't the most energetic person or find the prospect of gliding on ice too daunting there is a cafe bar attached to the rink. You can relax with a hot chocolate and laugh at the unfortunate people who, like me, have no skill at skating whatsoever and refuse to let go of the sides! It costs £5.95 for adults and £4.95 for children during public sessions but it is also possible to hire the rink for parties. Skating @ Life is open 10am till 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am till 6pm on Sundays. However, it is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.

Times Square is a large open space in front of the Centre of Life and the nightclubs Digital and…read moreThe Other Rooms. It is a small walk from the Metro stop at Central Station. Every winter Times Square is transformed into an ice rink with a small seating area and café attached. The rink has friendly and helpful staff and is open to anyone from people who have never skated before to experts. The prices are quite cheap and is much easier to get to than the ice skating alternative at the Whitley Bay Arena. Always a fun time for the family at Christmas.

I'm a huge fan of Pure Gym! First, it's only £15 a month, which is amazing. What you get for so…read morelittle money is really fantastic. It's a very big gym - I say this even as a Yank where everything is big in my homeland - tons of cardio machines (nobody ever waits for one), a very large selection of weight machines for arms and legs, a section where classes are held, and a proper weight room. Also lockers, a changing room with showers, stretching area, and more that I'm not even seeing, I'm sure. While it does get busy, some things you'll never wait for. So many treadmills and bikes and ellipticals, I'd be stunned if you ever waited even at peak hours. I've never seen one broken, either. The weight room does get full (of bro-tastic dudes!) They have three squat racks, one of them is slightly different than the others and is like...assisted. Like the bar can't be detached. It might be called a Smith Machine, I'm not sure, I just googled it. So sometimes I wait for one of the proper squat racks. But rarely for very long, and there's lots of free weights (dumbbells and barbells) to use in the meantime. People are generally good about sharing and respecting who asked for the weight machine first (this is England, after all). Sometimes the weight room gets a bit cluttered, but my boyfriend says somebody from staff comes in once an hour to fix it up. it's a bit loud in there, since the classes are held in a sort of open room. Bit awkward really, you can see them stomping and jumping around as there's no door keeping them from everyone else. Their music is turned up SOOOO LOUD, it's probably my least favorite thing about the gym. Even when you can't hear the music from the classes, music is pumped through the PA system throughout the gym. I rather like it, as I don't have pockets for my iPhone and like to get a bit of music while I exercise. You don't see a lot of staff walking around, but there is an office where they can be found if needed. This may be why it's so cheap - very low staff presence. There's no greeter at the door - you enter your code and walk through this little pod that lets people in one-at-a-time. Allegedly they're watching you on camera so don't give your code to anybody else or they'll go "hey, that big fella doesn't look like a Meredith!" And don't sneak anybody else into the pod with you or face their wrath. But for a 24-hour gym, with free parking under the Tesco, tons of space, free classes (never tried one), tons of cardio machines, good machine/weight selection, £15 a month feels like they're giving it away!