Lloyds is the big boy of private fitness clubs in Belfast - the biggest, the plushest and of course…read morethe most expensive. But it's definitely a case of getting what you pay for as there is a definite air of being upmarket and everything on offer that you could possibly want or need to occupy the whole family. Despite the freakish Northern Ireland spring weather, I went last weekend with my kids with guests of a friend who is a member, and we actually used the outdoor swimming pool. It was a very warm day and the water is nicely heated so it was a lovely experience. The kids loved it and I just wished it was hot enough to lounge on one of the sun beds beside the pool. There was an attentive life guard on duty to satisfy over anxious parents like me. The changing facilities are a treat too - warm and luxurious with great showers and nice toiletries. None of your 20p a time hair dryers here. There is also a shop where we bought swimming goggles and fit flops (I know, I know, I have a problem), a hair and beauty salon and a creche for under 5s. David Lloyds is the most luxurious health club I have used and I loved it. It's the kind of place I was born to use. Now all I have to do is talk the husband into forking out for the family membership fee.

A great gym,although expensive it is worth it for the indoor tennis courts and outdoor swimming…read morepool. David Lloyd's is huge and has more to offer than any other local gym.

I was here last night for the first time and I was hugely impressed by the facilities - It's…read moredefinitely had a recent facelift! I was there to play football and having played at a number of different sports facilities I have to say that these were right up there with the best. The have 6 floodlit 3G pitches that are available to hire. There are also two full size 4G floodlit pitches. They have rebranded the sports pitches 'V36' and they have obviously thought about the logistics of the centre as it now comes with a refurbished car park. Great facility all in all and relatively cheap to hire in comparison with other pitches.

Newtownabbey Council has put a lot of time and money into sprucing up the Valley Leisure Centre,…read moreand they've done a great job in my opinion. Back when I was young, the Valley was pretty dark and everything was brown or cream, but now the lighting's a lot better and you don't really feel like this is a place where joy comes to die. The slide in the pool was the main attraction when I was growing up, and it remains to this day. Beyond that, there are squash courts, indoor football pitches and rooms for classes. There's also a gym upstairs, which my brother is a member of and loves. Municipal gyms are some of the cheapest going and I think they're the best option if you're thinking of joining a gym. The Valley is also the location for many a children's birthday party and they provide a bouncy castle, so it's pretty easy for parents to organise.

This large complex is home to a number of venues used for a number of different purposes. From here…read moreyou can access Ballyearl Golf Club which I believe is popular even though it is only a 9 hole course. There is also a large driving range with floodlit courts. Inside the complex there are a number of multi purpose rooms which are currently used for yoga, pilates, body toning, aerobics, step & tone and line dancing as well as ballet and junior drama.At Ballyearl you can also attend a range of arts classes. Recently the complex was renovated and now includes a state of the art Zest Fitness suite and a number of squash courts. Ballyearl is also home to The Courtyard Theatre, which, in the days before the shiny new theatre complex that is Mossley Mill arrived, Ballyearl was the epicentre of arts and creativity performace in Newtownabbey. It was about time that we got a new concert venue as Nallyearl, although it is average for a performace venue was not bringing the crowds that it should have. Indeed it is ample for performances but was becoming outdated and unpopular. It is still used for performance purposes, in fact I'm going there next Wed so I'll re-review with my most recent knowledge. For information & prices etc See http://www.newtownabbey.gov.uk/Ballyearl

This leisure centre is in no way close to my home and there are a few close by that offer some…read moresimilar things. Apart from one. Ballyearl has a driving range and golf course. This is the perfect place for the glorious novice to start to ply his trade in the ever frustrating game, known as golf! The course is 9 holes, but each time you pay, you're permitted to go around twice, giving the proper number of holes. For those who find it hard as flip to hit the ball, there's a driving range to hone your skills. Midweek the price for the course is £6.50 which is a bargain.

The Antrim Forum offers a good range of leisure activities ranging from a large swimming pool, ten…read morepin bowling, football, running, squash, a gym, a spa and even a soft play centre at the back for children. It has been part of the Antrim skyline for as long as I can remember and it wouldn't really be he same without it. It is a rather ugly plastic building but the facilities it offers is excellent. For some reason, there are security gates at the entrance. The receptionists do open them if you want to use the public toilets but otherwise you will have to insert the card given to you for your session to open them. It is about a ten minute walk from the Masserene Golf Club, five minutes from Clotworthy and fifteen minutes from the Lough Shore via Deerpark Bridge. The close proximity to Antrim's main leisure and tourist destinations is good. I can't really find anything wrong with it - the only thing is that the bowling alley is quite small so everyone goes to the big one at Dundonald Ice Bowl if they want a serious game of bowling.

This is a great leisure centre and teh swimming pool is great for our little girl and her cousins…read morelearning to swim the pool is warm enough and its not overly crowded so they arent getting pushes around by bigger kids. There are also swimming lessons for babys through the week that mums or dads or grandparents can take their child too to help them learn to swim get used to the water and mix with other children in the pool. Antrim forum also has lots of other activities to take part in and all reasonably priced and it is much larger than you might expect from a relitivly small town leisure centre. There is also a soft play area which is ideal to take little ones too they love it and burn off lots of energy. Also easy to get to by bus or walking or car.

Shorts bar and sports club. Cheap drinks and events. Lots of car parking, on a main road easy to…read moreget too. Also serve hot food.

Walking through the inside of Ards Lesiure Centre is like walking through a cold war bunker. The…read moregrey brick work along with the brown tiled floor makes for a really unpleasant experience. No wonder people hate the gym, the walk to it would put you in mind of the Green Mile. There's been absolutely no attempt to give Ards Leisure Centre a facelift. In fact I think it's exactly the same as it was when I last reviewed it back in 2010. Since the opening of Aurora in Bangor this place pales in to insignificance. On the positive side it does have a wealth of activities on offer, everything from badminton to fitness classes. i was actually there to attend a spin class and it was top notch. The instructor was great and you can distract yourself from the pain of peddling by questioning what era the curtains were erected in. All in all this place is a little dated - i wouldn't be surprised if NI Screen bought it up as the set of their next post apocalyptic blockbuster.

Yeah Ards Leisure Centre is just alright as far as I am concerned it could be cleaner and the staff…read morecould be friendlier. They have a health suite which you pay about £4 to use, to be honest it is very dated with swing doors on the front of the entrance. It just feels a bit grimy. The swimming pool is used by local schools for swimming lessons which means that if you are unlucky you will be swimming along side 30 splashing, noisy, snot-ridden kids. They have a gym but it is small and has that chalky feeling to it. One good thing is the classes they run - pole dancing, trampoline and archery are among those on offer but you need to be fast as the places go quick, quick, quick!

DW fitness club is committed to helping you get results! Achieve your goals with the cutting edge…read morefacilities, world class service and expert team advice. You can challenge yourself in the functional training zone, take part in a selection of group exercise classes or plunge into the swimming pool. If your looking to evolve to the next level this is the place for you!!

Templemore baths and gym, one one of belfasts historic landmarks, Generally a quiet gym and…read moretraditional weights with treadmills. Big swimming pool. Events held in this building. On street parking.

I can't speak for the tennis courts (maybe one day...), the fitness suite (not a chance) or the…read moreclimbing wall (eeek), but the Ozone laser quest is incredibly fun, and just my sort of thing - no frantic exercise / running, competitive and a heck of a laugh. Recently updated and using the latest laser technology, the Ozone has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. I remember being about ten and being really excited about going to a party here, only to discover that the backpacks weighed an absolute ton and I wasn't going to have as much fun as I initially thought. These days, the packs are much lighter, much more compact and generally easier to use. The last time I was at the Ozone was about a year ago, and there was a quite a big group of us (fifteen or so). We spilt into two teams (you can play this way or individually), girls vs boys, and had a rundown of the game by one of the staff. After this, we selected our packs, which light up either green, blue or red (red and green it was for this game, in order to identify your team members and avoid shooting them), and has a cartoon / superhero / character name which will be used to record your score at the end. It's pretty funny when the most masculine guy in your group gets Barbie. The game lasts half and hour, and the labyrinth comprises of different levels and hiding places. The aim is to shoot your opponents on the back, front, shoulder or gun (the last option is really easier said than done), without getting shot yourself. The stats all appear at the end of the game, so you can see how your shooting was, and how many times you were shot. It's always amusing to see what place everyone came in, and there are definitely a lot of laughs at this stage. At £4.60 per person per game, it's not a bad price for birthday parties / youth events / general banter. Oooh, when can I go again?

This is a top notch establishment boasting a gym, squash and tennis courts, laser quest and a…read moreclimbing wall, not to mention outdoor pitches tennis and basketball courts. My favorite activities of these is the climbing wall. I never knew how much fun and addictive climbing walls could be. A great way to spend an afternoon and is decently priced. The ropes and harness's are provided free of charge. If you don't fancy going so high there are smaller walls with huge safety crash mats were you can learn the ropes!!! (excuse the pun). Another great activity to do here is the laser quest, for young and old I can't think of a funnier thing to do for a birthday or something. Absolutely fantastic.

T13 is a multi functional sports and events facility in the heart of the Titanic Quarter. Basically…read moreit's an old H & W warehous that has been converted to host some of Belfast's most unique events and a whole range of extreme sports. Sports include BMX, Skateboard and Scooter clubs. I visited T13 as part of Enter Conf yesterday and this was my first time in the warehouse. I was shocked about it's size and it's versatility. The organisers used the space excellently and the contrast between cutting edge enterprise and technology and Belfast's industrial roots was fantastic. The whole place is covered in artistic graffiti that depicts Belfast's heritage - it's worth going to T13 just to see the art. I read yesterday that T13 is going through a minor refurbishment at the moment and will re-open with a new schedule in July so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events in one of Belfast's most interesting and exciting spaces.

Intriguing venue, I was there for the Northern Ireland Coffee Festival. It's basically a huge old…read morewarehouse but it's a great industrial space that could add character to any event.