I go here often to use the gym. I find the prices VERY good. It costs just £13 for your induction,…read morethen about £2.50 per session. The gym is very state of the art, it has all the usual proper equipment. Running machines, weight lifting, bikes etc. Theres also a lovely swimming pool you can go and cool off in after. The staff are all incredibly helpful too, they help you on the machines as much as they can and explain how everything works.

Great little swimming pool. Gets quite busy at times but the kids seem to love it. Wave machine and…read morewater flumes, decent prices. Can also take swimming classes there. Right next to a lovely big park too.

I mainly go to the gym here and use to go swimming lessons when I was younger. All the staff are…read moresuper helpful in the gym and the swimming lessons were really fun when I was younger. Also in the gym people are super nice

Wrexham Waterworld has a lot of facilities packed into a relatively small building…read more It has one main pool, a 'baby' pool, and a toddler/younger pool. The swimming area also consists of a viewers seating area, a slide, and a 'rapids' area. Swimming lessons are also available, as well as options such as 'ladies only' night. Waterworld also has a fully-equipped gym with changing rooms and showering facilities. The gym currently uses the TechnoGym products, and all are in great condition. The gym isn't huge, but caters for everybody, and all staff are helpful and friendly. There is also a studio where exercise classes take place. Classes are very varied, from yoga to dance, and all instructors are friendly and helpful. Something to suit all tastes. When not exercising, Waterworld also have a cafe just inside at the reception area. This is a great local facility, and if the changing rooms were a little more loved, updated, cleaner, and tidier, I would have no hesitation to give Waterworld 5 out of 5.

So every now and again I decide to try looking for a gym in the vain attempt that I might actually…read morego.. Then a friend recommended Spindles gym in the Britannia Hotel, Didsbury and for £18 a month, no joining fee and no contract I literally couldn't not do it. Now there's no excuse to not go. All it takes is a number 43 bus ride, get off at Withington Golf Course and you're there. They have a decent sized heated swimming pool, a spa, sauna and steam room! Also, because it's in a hotel it's usually quite quiet and not that many people use it during the day. The gym is decent enough - they describe it as fully equipped and it seems to be.. unfortunately all I really do is use the cross trainer and running machine so can't give a better description of everything else. It's a simple gym though so don't go expecting power plates or any new gizmos and gadgets. There are also Aerobic classes (included in the membership) which I have yet to try and an instructor can configure a programme for you should you need it. There's a beauty salon offering Facials, Manicures, Pedicures, Massages & Waxing which is open Wednesday to Friday every week.

Spindles Health and Leisure Club within the Britannia Hotel in West Didsbury, Manchester, should be…read morevery good, and with membership from only £20 per month it should be very good value indeed. However, the facilities are far from luxurious and would benefit from more regular and efficient cleaning and maintenance. There is a small swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room as well as a small but well-fitted gym. Spindles also offers 3 acqua aerobics classes and one aerobics exercise class per week. There is also a hairdresser and beauty salon. The gym and pool area can get quite busy as the facilities are open to hotel guests and non members as well as those with membership packages. Children are allowed in the swimming pool at certain times (and can also become members) and there is a baby pool. It could be very good indeed but.... Although the classes are advertised on the board and promotional leaflets and are included in the membership, time and time again one or other of the classes is cancelled at short notice with no alternative provision. Only two members of staff are qualified to take the classes so when they are on holiday or off sick there are no classes available (and no refunds or reductions to members who pay by direct debit). Shortage of staff often means that there are problems with the showers etc too. Oh and I didn't mention the parking. Although there is a very big car park it is used for airport parking so at holidays times it can be a nightmare to get a parking space. Some areas of the car park are in a very dire condition and never seem to be maintained. Also, quite often there are pool closures or the sauna, steam room or jacuzzi is not available for use. Currently the management have decided to close the swimming pool for two hour intervals at peak times over a four week period as it has been booked out to a company training swimming instructors. This is infuriating to members as we have to continue paying although we are denied full use of the facilities. The management do not respond to any complaints. There is no contract as such, you pay monthly and can leave without prior notice by cancelling your direct debit. It is a no win situation for members as they have to put up with the inadequacies or vote with their feet and go elsewhere. On the positive side there are some very good members of staff who have worked at Spindles for a long time and when you can actually access the swimming pool, steam room etc it can be a very pleasant experience.

I went a few years ago and to say I was scared of water rides the whole experience was incredibleread more

Waterworld 2000 is the best indoor water funpark in the UK. For a big kid like me, it's ideally…read moreplaced about 30 minutes drive away from Alton Towers and I've done a few fun trips to enjoy both attractions on one visit. Waterworld is located in Festival Park, a collection of leisure facilities just off the A500 ring road around Stoke-on-Trent. Fortunately, the dreadful roadworks on the A500 are gradually getting better. I aim to visit out of school holidays and so parking and overcroading hasn't been a problem but I can imagine the waterpark becoming very busy at peak periods. There is a big changing room - you'll need a 50p piece for the lockers (non refundable). There's an air of excitement as you smell the chlorine and hear the screams as you walk up the ramp to the waterpark area. There is a medium sized wavepool and a klaxon signals the start of the waves every 20 minutes. There is also another pool for swimming, splashing and which houses the assault course where you can try to get across the floasting islands. However, the multi-coloured flumes that snake round the park above your head are the main draw for me. There are a couple of twisty flumes where you can pick up quite a lot of speed if you lie down absolutely flat. There is a straight 4 lane slide where you can race your friends and family. I also enjoy the Space Bowl where a short slide ejects you into what looks like a giant toilet bowl, which you gradually circle and eventually plop out (or are flushed out) of the hole at the bottom into a pool! Nucleus was the first water-roller-coaster ride in the UK, where you ride a circuit on a raft and water jets propel you uphill as well as sliding downhill. Another great fun experience are the rapids where powereful water jets propel you round and round a loop - it's really hard to escape once you're in the vortex and there's a sense of camaradrie as swimmers help each other escape at the crucial point near the entrance to the ride. A great lesson on the power of water. There's a cafe serving some light meals and snacks. Near to Waterworld, you'll find other entertainment options including a Wedgewood outlet, cinema, bowling alley and some eating options.

I can say I've accepted my fate as a lifetime foodie, and therefore have always been applying to…read moregyms. I find the Manchester Aquatics Centre to be up there with the best, in terms of size and accessibility. Conveniently located right off of Oxford road, it's easy to get to by bus (considering there's limited parking on-site). For swimmers: it's an impressive facility with 3 Olympic-size pools, but beware, it is bustling almost every weekend with swim events! Luckily for families, they have a great children's play pool with fountains and small slides. There are also two large water slides, but they've been roped off for quite some time now. For gym junkies: there's an entire (heavy) weight room downstairs, and upstairs you'll find an impressive cardio room, dance studio, functional gym, and plenty of mats for individual workouts. The upstairs stretches as long as the three pools, giving a lot of space for personal fitness. However, the functional gym is quite small - with only one or two machines for each muscle group. So if it's busy, expect to be waiting in between sets. 17-19:30 are the gym's peak hours, mostly quiet over the weekends aside from the humdrum of the swim events. There are plenty of treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals and rowing machines for all the cardio-lovers out there, and the gym offers spin classes and a variety of workout classes as well. They also offer affordable monthly/yearly memberships that won't break the bank. The staff is very accommodating to help you find the right kind of membership to suit your personal fitness goals. Also, check out their personal trainers. They're well-qualified, and very friendly!

Sometimes you desperately need a short sharp shock of smushed fruit after your swim. Restorative…read moreVitamin C and lovely stuff. I kind of didn't want to walk all the way over to Amber Café on my way to Petersfield, and I'd noticed the little café at the Aquatics Centre a few times. It seemed to offer way more healthy treats than the archetypal vending machines at the South Manchester leisure centres (hey, they have those too. Hello Nice 'n' Spicy Nik-Naks!), and there was proper coffee too, so I sauntered up to the counter all exhausted with my hair all soggy (I refuse on principle to use my 20ps for hairdryers that wouldn't make a jot of difference to my multilayered thick hair) and asked about their smoothies. They could indeed do them to take away, but they only had about three options available on the generous list which didn't bother me in the slightest. I went for... come on, how could I resist the name?... THE IMMUNISER. It sounds like some kind of *machine*! It incorporated strawberry, kiwi and pineapple, three of my absolute favourite fruits, and it was awesome. Just the right portion and only a little over £2, how can one complain? I'll definitely be using this as regularly as my morning fruit shoot before breakfast. Thanks, Manchester Sports and Leisure! Nom.

This is a great pool with great facilities. It has a nice big 10m main pool with a smaller, warmer,…read morebaby pool for younger children. It also has the main female and male changing rooms but with an added family changing room which is great when we go for a family swim means we can share the load of getting the little ones dressed. The pool also has a great range of classes, for children and adults, and a shop to purchase goggles etc. This pool is cheap, clean and family friendly, a great place to take the kids. I give Denton Swimming pool 5 stars!

The Mrs managed to catch this of me yesterday before my daily swim at Withington baths currently…read moretraining for iron man triathlon event. Can't tell you how far i've come.

I'm glad that when they built the gigantic Aquatics Centre they didn't let the smaller quainter…read moreleisure centres around town turn to wreck and ruin. Whilst the Aquatics Centre is certainly more suitable for serious swimming, it is nice to have convenient local pools such as Chorlton Leisure Centre and Withington Leisure Centre. Withington Leisure Centre is home to a 25m pool, a sauna, gym and they also hold aerobics and aqua aerobics classes. Memberships are available. My friend had a student membership which she said was really good value as long as you used the facilities a couple of times a week - it's about half the price you would pay at the swanky Virgin gym at Parrs Wood. It's a little bit cheaper for a swim here than at the AC but you have to be prepared to circumnavigate loitering biddies and splashing kids as there are no lanes, and there is free swimming for under 16s and over 65s! The best thing is that you don't need to worry about finding a pound coin for the locker and lugging your pile of clothes, shampoo, towel etc around (which inevitably leaves you with soggy knickers or your towel on the bottom of the pile when you get out!). You simply leave all of your belongings in one of the cubicles around the edge of the pool. I like that traditional touch, and although this pool isn't as pretty as Victoria Baths or as functional as the Aquatics Centre, it's a good place to swim if you live in Withington or Fallowfield.

This is a good gym with a good atmosphere. Plenty of equipment, great classes and a nice pool…read more The downside is trying to book onto classes. They are invariably booked up. Very frustrating. Parking can also be tricky and time consuming.

Everyone is aware of the excellent quality of gym service by Virgin Active and it needs to further…read moreintroduction! This Parrs Wood branch woes you away like any other and makes you believe that the membership fees were worth every penny. They're obviously stocked with the latest equipment and there might not be a single machine that you might want and they don't have. They also have a wonderful swimming pool and steam suana room to help you relax after that intensive workout! I love the sunbeds here too! It comes well packed with a cafe with internet access and makes your day a well spent one.

Oooh this pub is looovely, especially on sunny days when you can sit outside in their garden…read more They seem to cater to both locals (lots of old folks) and people like us who were driving though. The staff were all very welcoming, and we were all really impressed with the friendly, efficient service. The menu was full of English comfort foods...and they executed everything beautifully. Just look at my photos to get an idea...I tried the goats cheese and caramelised onion strudel, which came balanced on potatoes and perfect ratatouille. If you ever find yourself in this part of the country, it is definitely worth popping in here for some lunch! *Pro tip: It sounded like they get very booked up in the evening, so ring ahead to ensure you get a table!!

A very busy Old English pub doing Great food and Great Beer(Cask Marque)…read moreYvonne and Gary run a first class pub and have a great team working with them. If going for a meal ring and book it gets busy at the weekend!! always a good sign.