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!

We were the youngest people in Lyme Breeze by a few decades and it certainly seems appealing to the…read moreolder set. It's a slightly odd ambience, nicely decorated but kind of in an MFI way.* Unfortunately the canal side of the building has no windows, although it may be you wouldn't be able to see the water anyway due to bushes etc. Food wise there was a great deal of fish on the menu and I had monkfish that was pretty good but probably would have been better with a spicy/garlicky sauce rather than cream. My bf had a steak which I think was fine also. The mash was great because it was basically boiled new potatoes mashed with onion, a bit different and good taste and texture. We had ample vegetables on the side (included in the price of the main), including a very cheesy broccoli which I ate all myself. Given that it's not actually that cheap, it's good the portions were large. Really though once you cross £10 for a main you need to be providing real quality and refinement, in my view. Overall the menu maybe could do with a bit of a revamp, as it felt a bit 90s. Although on the other hand that is quite charming! Ham and chips probably appeal more to the silver-haired clientele, for example, but it might be nice to have something more interesting/that you couldn't make at home. Also some of the descriptions need more detail as you can't tell what you might be getting. Drinks wise the rose I had was not very nice, potentially the bottle had been open for a while. Also the ale, although nice that it's on tap, also tasted a bit stale, probably because it is not getting poured enough (which isn't really the restaurant's fault if not many people are ordering, but good to bear in mind before you do). The desserts I thought were excellent, both the apple crumble and (even more so) the chocolate brownie were memorably delicious. Save room! Service was very pleasant and efficient. (*Much of my family home is decorated by MFI, so this is not exactly a diss!)

This is a lovely little hidden gem off the beaten track. A family run business that privides fresh…read moretasty food. It is close to the canal (Part of the cheshire ring) So if after eating you fancy a nice walk this is the place to be, offering fantastic views of the near by lime park. Well worth a visit.

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.

Stockports Rollergrove has been going for years! its a great place the kids love it you pay about…read more£4.00 inc. boot hire and the kids get to skate for hours they set the scene with loud disco music and flashing lights. There is a cafe within the rollergrove so refreshments are always available Private parties are catered for at a reasonable price.

On our date night a while ago, Emily and I ventured to Salt Bar in Macclesfield to try something…read moredifferent (I work in Macc so it's not like it was a trip for both of us) On entering Salt Bar it's quite minimal and small but pleasant. To start we shared the Smörgåsbord which was a large crispbread covered with various things including mackerel, prawns, beetroot and apple salad, ham, meatball, pickled veg and probably a few other things I can't remember. It was all very good and an excellent start to the meal. For mains we decided to share lamb with red cabbage and potatoes, and venison meatballs with liquorice sauce and fries. Both dishes were very tasty and very rich, although I have to say the meatballs were my slight preference. After eating all this (it was a lot of food) I had to dig deep to find room but sure enough we both did and ordered a chocolate and ginger trifle to share. This was quite decadent but not too sweet which was perfect for the end of the meal. Upon getting home we both laid on the sofa feeling sorry for ourselves but very content at the same time. The meal came to about £60 I think which isn't bad, not cheap but not too expensive either. I would definitely recommend people try it if they're in the area.

After an evening that included several beers and a thorough exploration of Macclesfield, we'd…read moredefinitely worked up a hunger. I was a bit worried that it'd be pushing our luck trying to find a decent place to eat at 7.30pm on a Saturday night with no reservation, and when we were both utterly clueless about what was available. Turns out I was wrong, and The Salt Bar was exactly what we were looking for. An independent bistro offering Scandinavian cuisine, with a fairly meat and fish orientated menu. It was small enough to feel intimate and cosy, yet large enough to feel relaxed and have two spare seats available at the last minute. The waitress was super friendly when we inquired about not having a booking and gave us a seat in the window. I ordered Kåldomar, which is a beefy-porky-cabbage wrapped dish and my OH ordered what can only be described as a sort of meatball bruschetta e.g. on toast. Now, my other half is a fan of what is officially termed "A square meal" whereas I'm all for picky bits - this meal satisfied both of us by serving two hearty main dishes with a few additional swedish pickled veg and garnishes on the side of our plates, nothing excessive, (think Wagamama style, when the menu states you get a few pickles) but these were a welcome and tasty surprise! Both dishes were very tasty and the meatballs were so heavenly, that I felt that my meat in the Kåldomar was slightly dry in comparison, it didn't ruin my meal but I did get major meatball lust. We stuck to beer and other than Swedish Åbro lager and Rekordelig, drinks-wise they've interestingly chosen to support local breweries instead of opting for Scandiavian. Stocking a wide selection of pales, ales, bitters and stouts from both Wincle and RedWillow. If I were to make any recommendations, it'd be about the music, The Salt Bar had a fantastic atmosphere and the ONLY thing that didn't feel right was the music - generic mellow poppy chart tosh, pretty sure I heard Taylor Swift at one point *shudder*. Now I'm not suggesting that they have to be overly themed, but if they're promoting Scandinavian cuisine then why not slap on some Scandi artists? Bit of Lykke Li, Neneh Cherry, The Cardigans, Peter Bjorn and John... etc. Would have been much more in keeping with the vibe in my opinion.