Ah, Peel. Do you know it for the lazy summer days spent out on the grass with herbal refreshments…read moreand snacks, reading textbooks or novels, chatting the afternoon away with chums in the hazy summer heat and moving onto the Pint Pot for a sharpener in the beer garden? Or do you know it via clinging onto your personal alarm for dear life as you hastily traverse the darkened and frightening pathway to Castle Irwell Student Village? Rather like a masked vigilante... or accountant... Peel Park takes on an entirely different persona when night falls. Throughout my years as a University of Salford student, I looked to the park with caution. All I heard were complaints from my fellow classmates about having to walk through it after dark and fearing for their lives. In fact students went on a protest walk with torches to ensure their safety in this park as it's the quickest route to a lot of student accommodation. But it wasn't until I got a job as a university ambassador that I actually had to learn a little history about the park, as well as point visitors in its direction. And do you know what? Let's just say for the record that it's silly to walk around on your own after dark *anywhere*. That is what the Salford University excellent free bus service is for. It takes you to every single university site. Therefore there's no need to be walking here after dark. And now that we've got that out of the way, maybe I should tell you how I really feel about it. The five stars tell you everything you need to know. This is a vast and beautiful park that any university, nay, any city for that matter, would be lucky to have. Enter Peel Park, even stand on the edge of it as I used to do on my university tours, and you don't feel as if you're in an urban environment. Enveloped my old university buildings and with the gorgeous greenery behind you, you can't even hear the traffic of the nearby dual carriageway. And I can provide you with this personal insight - prospective students and their parents gasped with glee, smiled, said things like, 'Wow' and 'That's beautiful'. The park is extremely well maintained by Salford City Council and is full of delightful topiary and gorgeous flowerbed arrangements. It's a perfect spot to stop for a picnic in the summer or take a frosty, cosy wrapped up walk in the winter. Peel Park was actually one of the first three public parks for the people of Salford and Manchester to be opened back in 1846. Since then it has thrived, and I came upon the knowledge that I only knew a small part of it. To my surprise it leads to football pitches complete with changing rooms, it contains the Marie Curie Field of Hope, a flood obelisk, a section of the Irwell Valley sculpture trail and a well-equipped play area for 4-14 year olds. It's also surrounded by a number of breathtakingly pretty buildings including the Peel building on campus, a truly amazing building that it lit up from below at night and provides rather a spectacle, and the Salford Museum and Art Gallery. Who said Salford was grotty and urban? Be gone with you. We have a much nicer park than any of those trampy ones in Manchester City Centre. So there.

When I was bored of my job and couldn't see where my life was heading I…read more thought about doing a Masters at Salford. Having studied at Manchester, I didn't really like the feel of Salford Uni. However, one thing that the uni did have that Manchester didn't, was an amazing park. Whitworth Park really does look like a small back garden in comparison to this large urban park. Unfortunately it was not quite warm enough to sit down and enjoy the atmosphere of the park, so I had to make do with a quick walking tour. I must say that although it was very pleasant in the daytime, there is no way I would consider walking through it at night. That would just be stupid, but probably no more stupid than walking through Platt Fields in the dark. I rarely have reason to cross the river to Salford, and I can't say that this park alone is really worth the 20+ minute walk from the city centre. However, if I had have chosen to go ahead with said Masters then I can certainly imagine that I would spend many a lazy summer's day here with my textbooks before giving up and popping open a can.

Great place for kids - little zoo with small farm animals a few chipmunks lots of chickens and…read morepeacocks. There is a crazy golf here and a pitch and put range which is sort of like a mini golf for the adults - nice place for a walk around. Cafe was ok it did the job but being a coffee fan i wouldn't rate it.

One of Warrington's Jewels (That we may be about to loose)…read more Best visited out of peek times. There is something for everyone. I like it for the scenery and natural surroundings. There's a cafe', formal gardens, open spaces, band stand, crazy golf, pitch and put. A great place to walk in Autumn and Winter. They did have a regular farmers market but there seems to be an hiccup at present. There's also a kids zoo.

Visited this for the owl experience and also got to handle some of the hawks. It was absolutely…read morefantastic and I would re visit this again. The owl experience involves using the gloves to handle a variety of different owls. You can feed and pet them and they look pretty happy in themselves! None of them are aggressive they all appear used to human contact with no evidence of nervousness etc. The Hawks are slightly less personable but still really interesting. Again they can be fed and flown but not petted. There is the option depending on which option you book to take the Hawks into the field and see them in their natural habitat. They quickly become distracted with animals in the surrounding area and it's really interesting to watch how they hunt naturally in the wild. Handler was really knowledgable and managed to get all of the birds to interact well. Definitely worth a visit !

An excellent day out with the children which all starts out with a ride on the tractors trailer,…read morefeed lambs & goats, see pigs horses cows and various other farm animals. This also has a great outdoor play area to keep the kids entertained.

Haydock Park is a brilliant racecourse in the North West which has racing all year round. I like…read morethis racecourse because unlike many others they do cater for a wide range of people (including me)! I've been to a couple of racecourses when you feel like you have to wear a hat - notably Aintree. I'm not a big fan of that. There are private hospitality suites and restaurants available for customers to relax before or during the racing. Rooms are available for small parties or huge parties up to 400 people. It's a great day or evening out even if you're not a gambler, the atmosphere is really fun and chilled out.

Now I'm not much of a gambler, I don't agree with it. I much rather buy something of value than…read morewaste in on a whim and against odds. However a day at the races doesn't have to be about gambling, it is a fantastic day out. If you are on the right side of the weather Haydock is a perfect way to spend a Saturday with some mates. Housed in an accommodating 127 acres of lush parkland, Haydock Park Racecourse is ideal for any form of events which you may actually witness during your visit.The fully licensed bars are sure to keep one occupied during the merrymaking process as you enjoy the spectacle of a race bets or no bets. You might be able to crash a wedding as the venue holds up to 500 guests for banquets, balls, and wedding reception dinners. I hear they're even licensed for civil ceremonies. There are also a plethora of non race day events that you might want to put in the diary. JLS are playing there for those of you who are 13 and of the female persuasion. Other events include wedding fairs books fairs so on and so forth. I however would recommend you get yourself down for a day at one of the race days with a group of friends as it will be cheaper per head. I went with a few mates and we had a blast.... so get yourself down for a galloping good time.

I may not look like the traditional 'outdoorsman' but it may shock you to hear I'm quite the fan of…read moreNational Trust sites and in particular wildlife spotting! And at Dunham Massey there's nowhere quite like it to spot deer, squirrels and pheasants amongst some of the finest woodland the UK has to offer. As is standard at NT sites, it's £5 to park and around £10 entrance to the house, plus there's an excellent restaurant onsite serving homemade food between 12 and 2.30pm (we had the pork and vegetable casserole and mushroom pie and both were of excellent quality, out of a choice of around 6 dishes), with snacks such as teacakes and scones served with tea and coffee in the morning and afternoon. Lunch came to £22 with a couple of soft drinks. As is usual with National Trust sites, it's an extremely popular day out for older people, parents with pushchairs and young couples enjoying a romantic day out - saying that, there is plenty of room in the park to find your own piece of paradise so don't worry about it being too claustrophobic!

"Dunham" is gorgeous, beauty personified. It's places like these that make you appreciate the UK,…read moreregardless of the unreliable weather. It's perfect. So much so I've declared I'm retiring in Cheshire, fact. I'm a big fan of Cheshire in general, home to many pieces of greenery similar in purpose. I'm quite sad I do not possess a car any more, although there are good public transport services that get me to Dunham which are a jolly old ride. I've had indulging picnics, lay endlessly making animals and faces out of the clouds. I've perused the gardens, gone for lengthy walks, always ending up discovering something new. It's times like these I really really appreciate The National Trust. With a National Trust card you can get in for free other wise it's £6.50 for an adult, £3.35 for a child for entrance to the garden and £9 and £4.50 for the house and garden combo. There's also a special family rate too. I'm yet to explore the house that lies in this estate but you apparently they tell the stories about the Georgian scandal about the Earls and their domestics. Coronation St eat your heart out. What I adore are the deer and the ducks and swans. There's something so serene about watching the wildlife here, they look so carefree, the feeling I somehow achieve along with them. Warning, bring a picnic blanket to lay on, this is their home! Amongst the ancient trees and Britain's largest winter garden also lies a restaurant, souvenir shop, and the sale of ice-cream which wins me over every time. Children, dogs, parents, teenagers, Dunham is enjoyed by all. Just venture that bit out from the Cosmopolitan of Manchester and you can find one of Britain's beauty's. The opening hours are seasonal and vary with each attraction. The ones listed are for the current to the 31st October for the gardens, my favourite part.

Have you ever seen the pottery scene in the film Ghost? Well, I read after this steamy liason…read morebetween the late Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, numbers in pottery classes soared. Ever since then, pottery has been given a new lease of life and although the Pottery Corner is less of a pottery class and more of a place to retreat with the children in half term, it is still a lovely experience (albeit without the steamy scenes). Pottery Corner sells ready made pottery mugs, bowls, plates, egg cups and piggy banks all sitting clean and untouched on shelves waiting to be dressed. You make your choice then select some paint colours and, like an artist with his palate, you squirt your paint onto a little tile and start decorating. When your masterpiece is complete, you have to wave it goodbye for a week while the shop glaze it in their kiln. When you return to collect it you feel a rush of pride as it stands in all its glory. I have taken children here many times and making hand prints on tiles makes for a lovely Christmas present for the Grandparents. Pottery Corner is not just for the children, it is a therapeutic getaway on a rainy Thursday afternoon for grown ups too and the shop has a range of stencils that you can use to create more intricate decorations. I saw a sign in the window recently that said the Pottery Corner was for sale but I hope this is no longer the case and this lovely little den stays open for ever.

This place is a fabulous little find for a day when you want something productive to do with…read morechildren, or without! You can buy a piece of pottery ranging in price from around £2.50 for an egg cup to the more expensive items such as a pig money bank, or a plate. Then you sit in the pleasantly light and airy shop to decorate it with paints. The staff are very friendly and they also provide a party booking where you can bring many children. It is a great way to spend a wet day, and children really get a sense of acheivement from creating such a professional looking piece of artwork. (The pieces are put in the kiln and you collect them a few days later). You don't have to have children to go here. They've examples of wedding plates guests have signed for the couple and pieces that adults have clearly spent a lot of time on. It's great when you go to collect your finished piece as it tends to look better than you remember once it's been glazed and you do get a fleeting glow of "I made that" pride.

A trip back in time that is attempted to be restored. Next time I go should try and do some…read moreswimming.

A real architectural gem, this Grade II* listed Edwardian swimming pool and Turkish Baths has…read moreserious kerb appeal, though to be honest it's not in the greatest of surroundings - demolition and urbanisation over the years has seen to that. The repair and restoration of the building, inside and out, is still a work in progress but there are lots of stunning original features throughout, not to mention its layout of corridors and random doorways means you uncover its character bit-by-bit. To aid the on-going fund raising, the Baths have regular events held within the walls - one of the biggest in recent years is Indy Man Beer Con (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/indy-man-beer-con-manchester) which utilises much of the space brilliantly (where else can you sup a large range of beers whilst sat in large, empty swimming pools?). For the first time this year I also went to The Vintage Home Show which saw the building crammed full of retro furniture, home ware and clothing. They regularly hold 'Getting to Know VB' tours and participate in heritage open days, so check out their website for upcoming events, it's a beautiful place and needs every penny to bring it back to its full splendour.

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.

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!