A bittersweet experience was had on my first ever visit to Chorlton water park. Driving here is a…read morelittle strange with it being situated in such a densely populated area. You get the feeling your Satnav is taking you to the wrong place. Don't worry it's not. An old reservoir was transformed into a huge lake a while back and that's the park's main feature. A mile radius around the lake acts as a perfect biking/ hiking trail which isn't too strenuous and is littered with relaxing spots with great views. There's an icecream van to cater for all your refreshment needs and does a lot of business on a hot summer's afternoon. It's a perfect venue to have a picnic and for young families (There's a large play area for kids) All in all a lovely green space in a heavily populated urban area. My only beef with the place was the unsafe nature of the car park. Make sure you park in an area that's camera visible. I returned after a pleasent afternoon to find my windscreen cracked quite badly. I hadn't parked under a tree, falling debree was thus out the question so I suspected some sort of foul play. My little trip therefore cost me nearly £150. Perhaps the place is cursed for me, but don't let that put you off.

When I first moved to Chorlton and I heard people talking about this water park I had visions in my…read morehead of chutes and river rapids. Sadly, the water park bears absolutely no resemblance to Stoke-on-Trent's Water World or Florida's Blizzard Beach. Instead it is a large man-made lake with a path around the edge which attracts walkers, joggers and cyclists. The path is well-surfaced and links on to the Mersey Valley trail, which is unsurfaced. However, there is a car park and visitor centre if you don't fancy the trek down from Chorlton or Didsbury. The water park was formed in the 1970s when gravel was dug up from this area to build the M60, and the area was flooded to form the lake. Despite the fact that the water park is surrounded by the M60, the busy Princess Parkway and Chorlton town centre it is a surprisingly peaceful and serene place - so peaceful that it is the place that the hippies flock to for the summer solstice.

So my quite frankly surreal and random love of water is a bit of a problem for someone living in…read moreYorkshire isn't it? Ha, I laugh in the face of your chortles. Of course not. We have water and plenty of it. We've also got electricty and phone lines outside of London too. I know, it's surprising. What I'm talking about is "real" water and what better place to go than Eccup Reservoir. It's a pearler of an area for some real clarity and fresh air. Beautiful walks ahoy then sailor and more natural splendor than you can shake a stick at. They've also invested heavily in preserving the glourious Red Kites and it is now home to over 100 of the bad boys. Great to see them in full flight. So twitchers can have a field day and the rest of us can also enjoy the array of wildlife on offer. There are also rumours and various sightings (not sure if Special Brew was involved) of a mysterious big cat in the area. Personally I don't believe them as the Yeti would've eaten it. A sure fire hit and worth a trip out to Alwoodley for anyone's money.

My boyfriend convinced me to go on a cycling mission to Eccup reservoir recently. He has a knack of…read moremaking a million miles away sound really close and as I was pressed for time I began to whinge part way there when I realised this wasn't the 15 minute bike ride I'd planned for, being about seven miles up hill! Upon arrival I stopped whingeing immediately. The sun was just beginning to set, and the reservoir, which is HUGE looked absolutely breathtaking! We stopped to catch our breath and as we gazed out across the water I couldn't believe we were within cycling distance of home. Before it got too dark to see much we cheekily jumped a couple of gates to get closer to the water. The reservoir was so still and the trees formed silhouettes against the darkening sky as we stood on the pebbly shore. If you feel the urge to get out of the city for some peace, fresh air and beautiful views, Eccup reservoir is the perfect place!

As picturesque as it gets in Bolton, the Jumbles is a firm favourite for locals and outsiders…read morealike. This was at full testimony on my last walk (Sunday) when the weather had perked up a little as almost half of Bolton had decided to do the same! That could sound quite negative but it's definitely not, theres room and space for all. Most would say it's better when the sun is shining and you don't need to wrap up like you're about to tackle an blizzard on Snowdon, but sometimes it's just as beautiful to walk round when it's bitterly cold and the trees are frosting in stead of blooming. I'm very lucky to have this on my doorstep although I don't utilise it enough. If you're looking for a new walking route or a different reservoir to explore, make the Jumbles your next stop - and call in at my house for a cuppa on your way out!

Hesketh Park is one of the largest parks in southport. It dates back to the 1800s. The park has…read morerecently celebrated its 140th birthday. There were lots of celebrations during its birthday. There are lots of places to walk around. Many nature trails lead off from the main path. There is a beautiful rose garden, with weaping willows in it too. This is ideal on a hot summers day to go and sit, or lay on the grass. In the park is a HUGE duck pond. No matter what time of day you go, there's always ducks or geese waiting for bread. At the top of the duck pond is a water fountain, which has just been rebuilt in the same style it was 140 years ago. There are many ways to walk around the duck pond, with walls to climb or steps leading off to other parts. The play area is great for children. There is a wide range of things to do for many different ages. Next to the play area is a crazy golf course, although this is only open during the Summer. There is also a lovely gcafe situated right next to the play area. It sells lots of food, soft drinks, tea and coffee. It's perfect for parents to sit in whilst the children play on the slide. As well as all of this there is many more! An Aviary, which doesn't have many birds left, great for in Spring time when the chicks are born. A huge conservatory boasting many different plants and flowers blooming. An Observatory, which isn't open that much. A giant flower clock that tells the time, which is over 50 years old! In my opinion this is the best park in Southport, as it's very spacious and safe. My 2 year old loves it, we try and go at least twice a week.

From the roundabout at the northern end of Lord Street (by the Fire Station and Law Courts),…read morecontinue straight on along Albert Road, to reach the park entrance, at Park Road. Hesketh Park really is one of my favourite parks since its refurbishment. As you walk around the park you will find ornamental lakes, fountains and at this time of year very colourful flowerbeds. If you are lucky you might even come across a red squirrel - they haven't come out for me yet - but they may for you. The park also features a historic observatory; a conservatory; aviary; waterfalls and cascade; American, herbaceous and mixed flower gardens. There is also a clock garden, where a carefully restored floral cuckoo clock 'calls' the hours. Awesome! There's also a café and large play area for children.

One of our favourite local beauty spots. There's a very pleasant one-hour walk around Entwistle…read moreReservoir with a well-defined path (although it can get a bit boggy in damp weather), and it's a popular spot for joggers and dog-walkers. There's plenty of parking there too, although I think they've just started charging for it. The place is very pretty at any time of year, but the trees in autumn are especially beautiful. It will always be a special place for me because I proposed to my wife half-way round -- but I'm sorry to report, true romantic that I am, that I didn't get down on one knee as it was still a bit muddy from some recent rain