Dear,oh dear,oh dear...it looks like Oldham has come down with a severe case of empty shopitis, a…read morecondition that is taking hold of most town centres these days. Even though it is only about 5 miles down the road from me,i very rarely go into Oldham any more,and on the back of todays experience it will be even longer before I go back again. All that is missing from Spindles and next doors old shopping centre us tumbleweed. I was shocked at just how many of the shops had closed down since my last visit,and with rents and rates being what they are these days it is unlikely they will be filled anytime soon. It seem as though Oldham is suffering from the same things as my home town of Rochdale.How Waterstones is managing to stay open i'll never know, and seeing as HMV has closed down, looking at books was all that was left for me to do. Depressing,very depressing....Shame...

This is the first time I've ever been to Oldham. and I went to the shopping centre it was ok lots…read moreof chain shops. It has a carpark attached to the shopping centre which was free on a Sunday for four hours.

£2 all day parking with walking distance to Manchester City centre. Pay on entry, and be directed…read morewhere to park. The surface is very uneven, muddy in wet weather and like a skating rink in winter. Cheap and not so cheerful, but the next best alternative is double the price!!

Meant to be a manned car park, car got stolen today without the key and without anyone noticing…read more Rather pay that bit extra knowing my contents and car will be safe

No matter how busy the city is i always manage to get a space here. Good security with plenty of…read morecctv around, friendly security staff also which is a bonus!

Just received a PCN this mornin, can't appeal online system error. Paid and have proof on my bank…read morestatemen.

Manchester Fort is a large retail shopping park, just under a mile away from Manchester city…read morecentre. It does seem a little strange having a retail park so close to the city centre, where other areas of Greater Manchester are left behind but the selection of places to shop is fine, while the selection of eateries could be much improved, due to a lack of restaurants that aren't just fast food. There's a good number of coffee shops here, including Costa, Dunkin and Starbucks, the latter two have opened within the past 18 months or so, so are fairly new additions. Places to eat include KFC, Pizza Hut, Nando's and Subway. There is also a McDonald's right next to the Fort with a drive-thru (The Fort claim this to be part of the shopping park on their website) The selection of stores is okay and includes TK Maxx, Superdrug, Sports Direct, Boots, and Argos. There are also a couple of phone shops, nothing too exciting, but a decent number of stores that could save you a trip into the city centre. A couple of stores have closed recently, but with the aftermath of COVID and the fact the city centre (where many of these brands have stores, many of which are larger) is so close, this has to be expected. It is pretty easy to follow the layout, there are a couple of benches around the shopping park and some shelter to help stay dry if there's a light drizzle. Plenty of parking, meaning you shouldn't struggle to get a space somewhere. I do think the pedestrianisation could be improved for other retail parks, given the fact there are three main areas, which may mean crossing a road or going through the car park, if you're at one end of the Fort, you may have to use your car to get to adjacent McDonald's or Currys across the way. 3*

I have visited Manchester Fort regularly over the years, but I have been far more impressed during…read moremy latest visits over the past weeks, which is due to the discovery that the Shopping Park now has a Nike Outlet Store and a H&M. Since when? Fantastic! Although the H&M was smaller to what one would find in Manchester City Centre, it still has a good range of stock and very well organised, full of stylish shoppers. The Nike Outlet is, once again, smaller to what one would find in other Outlet Malls, but the range of stock, sale items, and discounts are very impressive. Personally I am seeking some new trainers for the gym, and found a great selection at bargain prices. The staff in the store are welcoming, friendly, and knowledgeable. They certainly have that US Customer Service mindset, which I welcome wholeheartedly. I can see myself becoming a regular here, especially when the Summer of Fitness is upon us. The Shopping Park also boasts a TK Maxx, which I am a big fan of, and I have often found that they have a good range of stock, and I have purchased some excellent items here from clothes to home decorations. The store seems to have had a recent refurbishment to extend the first floor space, which opens out the whole store. As well as, fashion and clothing, one can find a variety of stores at this Shopping Park, and not just clothing and outlets. Manchester Fort has: Halfords Store, for all car, cycle, and motorcycle accessories; B&Q, for all home and garden DIY needs; a technologically modernised Argos, full of tablet-ordering-system and a varied system that the normal Argos shopping experience. Other stores include: Clarks, Mamas&Papas, Boots, Superdrug, M&S Food, Card Factory, Game, Maplin, Sports Direct, Specsavers, Thomas Cook, Shoe Zone, Mothercare, Thomson Holidays, Trespass, and Pound World (you can never go wrong when you have a pound shop to hand. Big fan!) For food, one can visit one of Manchester's many Nando's and KFC establishments here. I love Nando's but I haven't yet visited the one here in the Shopping Park. I think I should, don't you?

How on earth I haven't utilized the facilities here until recently is incredible. Us Mancunians…read morereally don't know how good we have it here. This is the national squash center folks, it was built for the common wealth games over a decade ago. There are 6 state of the art courts and a center court which is out of this world. The court comes equipped with a control centre from which it can be steered like a hover craft. The women's world open was held here in 2008 and numerous national as well as International matches are also housed here. So if you're a squash fan or just want to experience something different, this place is highly recommended. Furthermore residents of certain parts of Manchester can gain access to the world class facilities for free. The incentive is to get local communities to take part in sport and make use of the facilities otherwise not available. Part of the pledge includes the following: Reduced cost cycling and spinning at the National Cycle Centre. Opportunities to watch Team GB Olympians train. Free use of indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Free use of squash courts. Badminton court hire for £1.00. Automatic entry into annual Free Prize Draw and opportunities to win selected MCFC home game tickets. It's very easy to find out if you are eligible, simply visit the Manchester sports and leisure website, or email contact@manchestersportandleisure.org for more details. I did and now I play squash here twice a week free of charge. God I love Manchester!

I spent a few hours here last Saturday to watch the semi-finals of the British National Squash…read moreChampionships with some workmates, so I didn't actually use the facilities for exercise, though on seeing what was there I'd definitely consider coming back again and playing in one of their six squash courts. As for the championships, they've been held here every year in early February since 2003 as the centre was built for the Commonwealth Games in 2002. We watched the over 35s men's, the professional women's and finally the men's semi-finals which were pretty thrilling (especially with all the 'argy bargy' and numerous 'verbal exchanges' the players had with the referees - the men were the worst offenders, quelle surprise). For £12 a ticket it was pretty reasonably priced given the unexpected drama and skills we got to watch. The seating behind the glass show court meant we had uninterrupted views of all the action. There were small intervals between the matches so people could go and get some refreshments from the food stalls. Tip: there's masses of free parking nearby as the centre forms part of Sportcity which is next to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. Plan you visit to not coincide with a football game!

Exceptional and prompt customer service from both call centre staff and staff on site!!!…read more I just wanted to say a huge thank you to a member of staff that helped me today. His name is Pa. I parked at Spinningfields in Manchester and memorised floor 15 when i walked to the lifts. When returning to my car in the afternoon, i couldnt find it. I called the number on the parking ticket and explained i had checked a number of floors above and below where I thought I had parked. The lady advised me to go to the barriers and someone would be with me shortly. Within 5 minutes, Pa arrived and reassured me that it happens alot. He eased my mind to a certain extent and knew that i was in safe hands. He said we would start at the top and work our way down. If for whatever reason, we cant find it; he would then ask for the cctv footage of when i came in and to check if the car had left. It turned out i had actually parked on floor 5 .... not 15. When we found it i felt really stupid, but again; Pa reassured me that its a common thing as it happens all the time. He had also kept me talking whilst we were walking to say that he vaguely remembered seeing my car on his walk araound earlier. This is what kept me going. This again put me at ease, as not only is there cctv, but that told me that they physically check on the vehicles too. His customer service skills were amazing, as was the way he handled the whole situation. He showed determination, dedication and a genuine care in wanting to help me find my car. I really felt Pa deserved recognition for his hard work today. Too many people find the time to complain nowadays but not enough give credit or praise where it's due. Thank you Pa You were absolutely fantastic, so calm, smiley (in a supportive way) positive and proactive. You saved my day! Amy (punto)