It can be a challenge to get number one son off the sofa at the weekends as he 'needs to recover…read morefrom a busy week' (he's 10 - how busy can he be??). But after the excitement of the World Cup, he's now hooked on football and so the opening of this new club for under 14's was enough to shift him from his Sponge Bob stupor. A result before we even got there. There are sessions of mini soccer across the weekend and we went to the Saturday morning one. There were plenty of Beckham wannabes there but it was very well structured and organised. There was about 30 minutes of skills practice and then they played a match which number one son really enjoyed. The coach was approachable and friendly and paid attention to safety too - the boys cannot play unless they have shin guards. The sessions are held on the new all weather pitches at Stormont so it's the perfect environment for the footballers of the future. The cost is a very reasonable £2 a session so mini soccer ticks all the boxes for me and for number one son as well. A rare and very welcome thing!

The 3G 5 and 7 aside pitches are ok at best, due to the plastic netting making sure you can't play…read morea chipped through ball. The worst thing about playball is that they simply just don't accommodate to the customer, loyalty simply means nothing to them, I don't think they have ever heard of the word refund ethier , to put it simply don't get ripped off go elsewhere for football pitches as there are plenty in the area that are 10 times better and more accommodating!.

I've only used the pool. I win master the front crawl. A few classes is be interested in trying…read moreso will have to fit them in. Then joy of joy Clements. Coffee after exercise. Life just doesn't get better than this. That and the fun of pretending to be a student. Overall the facilities are great. Loads of classes to choose from and good sized pool.

I've been a member of PEC now since just before Xmas, so just under a month. I'm impressed so far…read more Though I've only used the gym its absolutely great. Lots of machines and rarely a wait for anything. Its also extremely good price wise with no long contracts. I'd highly recommend the place if your looking for a well stocked, convenient gym or leisure centre with long opening times. Spot on!

What a difference from the old Windsor Park! For anyone who didn't know Windsor Park has undergone…read morea major makeover. It's taken nearly five years to complete from when they bulldozed the old railway stand but the improvement is amazing! The National Football Stadium (as it is to be known going forward) now has a seating capacity of 18,500 but you'd swear there were more fans in the new enclosed stadium. For the new South and West stands you enter the stadium through Boucher Road, which still remains somewhat of a building site as they apply the finishing touches (OCT '16). For the North Stand and improved Kop you enter through Tates Avenue as before. The concourse of the stadium is still not completely finished so the only food and drinks options are located outside of the stand, on opening night they had burger/snack vans parked up but hopefully when the concourse is complete they have bar and food facilities indoors. This really is a modern entertainments arena, not just fit for football but for concerts and other sporting occasions!

Rain or shine this ground will be rocking... GREENAWHIARRRRMYY…read moreGreat new stadium for the national team to play in, long needed an upgrade... Toilets not yet installed and access a bit bad at the minute but will all be sorted out soon... Do not listen to event staff who try to give "directions".

This knocks the socks off Botanic Gardens any day. It's massive, wilder, nowhere near as crowded…read moreand just lovely. I used to take my spaniel Tiko here every day and he loved it - OK, dogs love anywhere they can run about, but he really did share my love of this park, as there's loads of undergrowth he could and did snuffle into and lots of space to run around. (And if the poor girl whose lunchtime Subway sandwich he scarfed is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) I haven't been back to Ormeau Park since he died, because, well, I just don't want to at the mo, but some of my happiest memories of him are at this park and it''s probably my favourite outdoor spot in all of Belfast. I love walking past the house in the middle of it and dreaming someday of living there. I'd even give up my Melbourne yearning for that... This is a stellar spot for walking, cycling or skating, and I even saw a mini orchestra happily playing near the bandstand once as well. There are bowling greens, a basketball/netball court and tennis courts, at which I would marvel at healthy types playing vigorously there at 10am on a Sunday, as Tiko and I lurched past. (And if the poor guy whose tennis ball he neatly nipped in and stole is reading this, I can only apologise yet again.) A beautiful park that's a bit bittersweet for me at the moment, but hopefully will become a regular chilling out place for me again. Perfect.

Ormeau Park, the underrated green space of Belfast. I love this place its a little emerald in the…read moregrey concrete of the city. Well cultivated and kept with its grandiose gates and lots of little walks and trails, great for a little peace of mind walk or a wee day out for kids at the pretty awesome play park. My only negative is that I think there could be more done here events wise. It always seems botanic has the monopoly on those. Maybe a winter wonderland like they do at Hyde Park in London and a few Summer events to make use of the bandstand and nice open spaces.

Was here for a play in the versatile Mcneill theatre and was left with a my side sore from…read morelaughing. Great local leisure centre with everything you would expect, and even better know it has the Prom cafe with excellent food .

Eddie Irvine has done well for himself. Not only was he a F1 champion, but he now owns a popular…read moresports centre, which is obviously focused on go-karting, but also provides 3G pitches for football (my boyfriend informs me that this is highly impressive), as well as rooms for pool and snooker, a skate park and a paintballing venue. Phew! Not too bad Eddie me son. Before I relay all the nitty-gritty details of my go-karting experience to you, you must realise that this is a very painful experience for me. I'm having to relive one of the worst days of my life, so please bear with me. I'm not exactly a get-up-and-go kinda girl, and I'm not really a thrill-seeking kinda girl either, but I'll give (most) things a go. When I heard my friend was having her 21st brithday party at Eddie Irvine's, I was a bit tentative at the thought of go-karting. A few "Aww Lynne, it'll be great craic" arguments later and my arm had been twisted. Bring it on, said I. Famous last words, says you. The staff were brilliant, the outfits were hideous(ly warm), the adrenaline was pumping and the banter was mighty. I was actually quite looking forward to whizzing round the course in my little go-kart. Not for long! Not only did I crash (badly) on numerous occasions (once I had to turned the right way round, a second time I had to dragged out of the wall of tyres), but my driving was so bad that one of the staff actually put an 'L' plate on my kart. Oh mortification. Furthermore (yes it goes on...), I actually managed to break the gas pedal and was given a new kart. Oh dear oh dear. And I came last... To say my friends were in stitches is putting it lightly. They were beside themselves with laugher, tears pouring down their cheeks. And then there was me, sitting like a stewed prune, wallowing in self-pity, covered in bumps and bruises. Never again. This is not to put other people off, but merely to highlight my unsuitability for such a sport. The staff were a great laugh and I appreciated their help every time I ended up crashing. Had I been good at the karting, I would've loved it, and if you're up for something action packed and exciting, do go for it!

I go here about 2 or 3 times a week to play football and I must say that the service is always good…read moreand the pitches are amazing. They're 3G or something like that, which I'm not quite sure what that means but they're fun to play on and don't leave your knees in bits when you slide tackle. There is paintball here and go-karting, neither of which I have done but from what I'm told they're pretty fun. The whole dark cloud hanging over this place is the price. It is just too pricey. Its £60 an hour for football which is too much. £50 would be fairer but that is just the way things go.

With Ballymena starting the league well, I decided to pay the ground a visit. It sits on the edge…read moreof Ballymena and is easily accessible. As well as the main stadium their are other pitches around it. Ticket prices aren't too bad. Looks impressive will have to see it on match day!!

Besides the supply, obviously, of Linfield team merchandise this shop is a purveyor of gear…read morerepresentative of many other football teams - Liverpool, Manchester, Chelsea, Rangers etc. That includes jackets, shirts, mugs, flags, pictures, footwear - anything to identify interest and allegiance of some that play and/or watch football, even including relevantly packaged sweets. There's also a picture framing service, probably aimed towards team photographs. I'm not remotely football minded so couldn't assess this shop with any insight or authority but to say that the contents are comprehensive, easy to find and the staff are pleasant.