Great park. Nicer than the main Royton park. Quieter, more spacious and it doesn't seem like your…read morein Royton A good play area to kids, great for riding bikes, jogging etc. Great for picnics as well, however on the downside is there is no toilets.

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.

Fancy a picnic in Manchester? Don't look at me like I've escaped from a mental unit, there's plenty…read moreof places to take a basket, blanket and a punnet of Scotch eggs in the city. If you don't believe me, you've clearly never seen the rural idyll that is Heaton Park. Easily accessible by the Metrolink from the city centre, Heaton Park in Prestwich is historical, green and gorgeous. It's home to a golf course as well as Heaton Hall, a beautiful manor which you can view by partaking in guided tours, the exciting kind where people wear costumes. There is literally far too much going on here for me to include in this little introduction but some noteworthy events include Oasis's huge homecoming gigs where they decked Heaton Park out like a festival. Technologically it was a nightmare, but good old Noel Gallagher promised refunds if they didn't get the sound sorted. Another thing you must, MUST do in Heaton Park is try and catch an open air Shakespeare production. They make the most incredible use of the surroundings, but an insider's tip is to bring a mackintosh, umbrella and perhaps even a flask and foldable chair. The former two are obviously due to the inclement Manchester weather, the latter... well, we all need our home comforts. Actually, add some kind of chewy sweets to that list, you choose your favourites. Just don't rub it in, the poor actors have to do this in all climates and are probably dying for one of your Skittles. Anything more I can add? Relay races for dogs (I'm totally serious, it's an opportunity for dog owners to meet and interact), health walks, horse riding, learning activities... the list goes on and on, and look out for the festivals and music performances. Heaton Park is a buzzing, thriving community all its own, so if you fancy some fresh air and culture, hop on the tram and bring sensible shoes. You'll love it here.

This area has been a favourite walking spot of mine since childhood and I grew up only a couple of…read moremiles away in Norden. The entrance gate is accessible via Over Town Lane (next to The White Lion pub on Edenfield Road). Actually a series of four linked reservoirs (the others being Naden Lower, Middle and Higher Reservoirs), there's a walking path round each and all of them so you can choose how far you want to go. Greenbooth, the largest of the four, was once the site of an abandoned and mostly demolished village of around 80 cottages, a sweet shop, Co-op store, school and woollen mill. The only visible reminder of Greenbooth village today is a plaque on the side of the reservoir dam wall. As kids we believed a tale that when the water level was low enough you could see the old church steeple, but I'm not sure there ever was a church in the village. The four reservoirs are in a peaceful area for a country walk with good views of Manchester in the distance and some of the wind turbines on Scout Moor. Though predominantly flat with some gradual slopes along the route, there are also some steep steps and hilly parts so it's not pram or wheelchair friendly.

So after the devastating floods in December the park has suffered. There is a great deal of silt…read moreon one of the paths making extremely muddy and wet. The grass is also still sodden and muddy. However given this it is still a quiet and beautiful small park.

Great park on the edge of Radcliffe. Also know as the Dinosaur Park as there's a huge silver…read moredinosaur at the entrance. There's outdoor gym equipment along one edge, a children playground & basketball/tennis courts free of charge. Then there's the huge playing fields, probably about 4 football pitches worth. Great for dog walking & park runs with the path around the edge of the grassed area. 2 decent sized car parks which come in handy when it gets busy on kids football nights. A lovely little gem of a park

This is a fantastic local swimming pool. They hold public swimming sessions and also run swimming…read moreclubs there. My daughter has attended Aqua Bears swimming club held there for over two years on a Saturday morning. There are swimming classes for young beginners, right up to the more experienced swimmers. I have also attended classes for pregnant mums, which were a good way to meet new friends. Importantly the changing rooms are clean and in good repair; the toilets have been recently refurbished. There is a free car park attached and there is usually attendants who are very helpful. I can thoroughly recommend this swimming pool.

This makes me sick. I mean, really sick. Like, food poisoning and intestinal parasites and stuff. I…read moremean, isn't that what happens when you eat Old Ham? First-Hand Experience: I saw Oldham play Rochdale live once, and I've seen Oldham play away from home too. My friend Alex and I came here and saw a few other games here and there in the MCR area. I have no affinity with Oldham and watching them was nice, but not one of my favourite experiences. I still really respect them though and they get a 3. This is the listing for the football club, not for the stadium. I've created a new listing for the stadium and hopefully those reviews that are just for the stadium will be moved over there. Every team and stadium should have their own separate listings as all the North American teams do and a lot of the British ones. This is one of the many great teams in the Manchester area, which is where I used to live. It's perhaps my least favourite of the smaller teams in this area even though they were a Premier League club (so to speak - it was called Division One then) back in the 1980s, with their legendary player Andy Ritchie and their legendary manager Joe Royle. Formed in 1895 as Pine Villa, which is like Aston Villa only in a forest. Known as the Latics because their movement is static and their history a little pathetic (jk), they play in awful blue, but I have to say that even though Paul Scholes is a fan (ew), Michelle Marsh is too (ooh) so that's a score for them. They were knocked out of the FA Cup in the Semi Finals by local rivals Man United, twice in 90 and 94. Boo. They were league runners up in 1915.

Went here last weekend to see Oldham Athletic in FA Cup action. I had been warned by football…read morefriends to avoid this place and instead go see Bolton Wanderers of FC United instead. I heard it was the colest stadium in England and that was enough of a reason to go - try something different. I was disappointed that the bitter cold winds weren't whipping off of the Penine hills, which you can see from the stadium since a few years ago one of the longer stands was torn down only for the team bosses to later realize that they have no money to build a new one! This makes it unique. I was alone at the game so struck up a conversation with a couple fans and we sat together, had a couple beers together and I got to learn some Oldam team history. There were meat pies (but didn't have any) and other basic food, so you don't have to leave hungry. There was also a nice fan shop where I bought the team's 3rd shirt, which is orange, for 10 pounds. A nice souvenir, I think. For an interesting football experience, I highly recommend Boundary Park.