Monty's Pizzeria & Bar: A Fresh Face In Salford.

I'm a proud Mancunian & a lover of all things local. I eat local, shop local and try to support local businesses. This week I stopped by a new place in Salford that I've been meaning to try for a few weeks now.

Years ago some parts of Salford were thought of as no-go zones, where a fear crime forced house prices to plummet, leaving many people trapped in their homes in negative equity. So in 2003 property giant 'Urban Splash' came up with the idea of turning hundreds of traditional Victorian style terraces into fresh modern homes, and with the help of local authority and other agencies work begin on what was to be a multi-million pound regeneration of the Langworthy-Seedley district that was to stretch far beyond the 108 'upside down houses' now known as Chimney Pot Park. There are now brand new local shops on Langworthy Road, both primary & secondary schools have been demolished and rebuilt and there are modern community centres offering classes & activities for all. What more could an area need?

Despite the great changes in Langworthy, there were still few places you could go for a casual drink, where the surroundings were equally as vibrant as the homes built within it. Local couple 'M&M' decided that if no one else was to invest in the idea, then they would... as so arrived Monty's.

Monty's, which is less than 2 miles from both Media City UK & Manchester City centre, is a small contemporary pizzeria on Langworthy Road that offers great food, a variety of drinks including specialist bottled beers, and a warm atmosphere. Named after the couples' beloved dog, this place has been created for the community. 

We visited on a Wednesday to try out their midweek deal, 2 homemade pizzas and a bottle of wine for £20. A deal that is well worth its cost. We chose the Corleone from the specials board which was topped with prosciutto, mushroom & bacon, and one from the menu topped with prosciutto, rocket, sun blushed tomatoes and parmesan. The dough is thick but light, and with a decorative swirl of balsamic to finish they were quite simply, a delight.

After enjoying our pizzas & large portion of Olives to start, it would've been rude not to try a dessert, even if it meant we could only manage a shared one, so we stretched our stomachs to squeeze in this amazing chocolate brownie ice-cream sundae!

Monty's don't have 'house wine', even on their 'deals', so on recommendation we went for a bottle of 2013 Douglas Green Sauvignon Blanc which went down far too easily. So easily in fact that we actually had 2! 

Their chalkboard bar displays their small cocktail menu, humorously named 'Tiki Bugger' and contains a rather Salfordian sounding 'Sex Ont' Beach'. I tried the Mai Tai, which after all that wine was quite refreshing.

After our meal we sat on the benches outside the front of the bar with the owners, and learnt how Monty's came to be. It was fascinating to hear the story of a young couple who feel like their area has so much more to offer than the reputation it's struggled to shake off over the last 10 years. They took a risk by opening Monty's only 3 months ago, not knowing how it would be perceived by the local people in a bid to bring more life to this ever-changing area of Salford. For that, I wish them the very best of luck in the future... and I for one, will be definitely be visiting again soon.

YSP: Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a place that I've been meaning to visit for some time now, and today I finally ticked it off the list.

It took just over an hour to get there (driving from Manchester) and the weather was great. With our picnic packed away and Dora safely on her lead we set off around the park with a map in hand. (Available free from the car park!)

The grounds are largely used for sheep grazing so dogs must be kept on their leads at all times, there are also some parts where dogs cannot go at all so we did have to miss a bit of the experience, mainly where the cattle graze. Nontheless there was plenty for us to see, and if you feel like you want to add some culture into your walk this is the place to be!

Each artist is introduced with signs around the park and their individual sculptures are clearly labelled and explained to provide a full education of the work. Some are striking, others quite bizzare, but interesting all the same.

There are several different pathways to follow and so you can pick your own route around the park, and with a chapel and a couple of different galleries open to the public there is plenty of variety too. Some of the walkways take you through beautifully well kept gardens - an ideal place for your picnic, but if you didn't pack your lunch don't worry, there are 2 cafés to chose from too with a selection of gorgeous looking cakes and other snacks.

I won't share too many photos as I don't want to spoil your experience but here is a sneak peek of what's on offer:

Think you've seen it all before? Probably not.. YSP commission different artists throughout the year so some of the work available to see here changed quite often. You can check out their website for information on what's on throughout the year.

The car park is huge and is controlled by ANPR cameras (automatic number plate recognition) which is pretty impressive, it's zaps you on your way in and all you need to do is visit one of the pay machines at any point during your visit and tap in your registration number. The machine wil calculate your parking cost..which is a maximum of £8 for the full day. It's much easier than having to go back to the car to 'pay & display'.

We really enjoyed our visit to YSP and we will definitely return later in the year to see how it changes, especially if this lovely weather decides to stick around!

Cheshire County Show

I woke up this morning and realised I had nothing planned at all, part of me considered laying in and just taking it easy for a day but then I looked outside and saw the sunshine and before I knew it I was up, showered and in the car, on my way to Cheshire County Show in Knutsford.

The traffic management on the roads around the show ground was great. The ground was really well signposted and they have a dedicated lane for show traffic on the main road to avoid congestion to other road users. The parking is also really well organised with several huge fields full of volunteers assisting the organisation of a LOT of vehicles! Oh and parking is FREE!

The tickets are prices at £17 for an adult, £8 for a child between 5-15, £14 for students & Oaps, or £35 for a family ticket which allows entrance for 2 adults and 2 children. Kids under 5 go FREE, as do Dogs!

I initially thought that £17 was a little on the pricey side, but once I got into the show ground and realised how big the show actually is, £17 was really money well spent, and after all I'd already got free parking and free dog entry for Dora! I arrived at 12:30pm and left at 4:30pm & although I saw a bit of everything I could have easily stayed for longer! Note to self for next year: get there earlier.

I didn't bother with a programme as I knew I wouldn't really have that much time and if I'd have seen the full list of events I'd have been gutted that I couldn't do the full 2 days! I did however how a sneak peak at the one being read by the lady sat next to me at the main ring, and they were very comprehensive with a full show ground map inside too. The programmes were being sold for £3.50.

Here is a photo of one of the many map stands dotted around the ground so you don't get lost!

The list of exhibitors is exhaustive but there truley is something for everyone. From the most recent fast car, to a range of a tractors, fairground rides for young and old, food vans a plenty (and that includes a champagne & pimms van!), home DIY stands, Stabling & garden equipment, everything equestrian related you could dream of and plenty for dogs too!

Are you feeling tired by all of that?? I hope not.. Because there is so much more to mention. There are shows to watch for dogs, pigs, goats, cattle, poultry and even EGGS! Yes, eggs. 

Not to mention the thousands of horses that enter various shows at Cheshire Show each year. We watched side saddle, heavy horses, young stock, pony club games and show jumping - and that only covers a few of the classes available to see!

There were so many other things to see at Cheshire Show, we saw a rather educational ferret display, an impressive Police dog sisplay and an awe inspiring motorcross stunt show!

There are wooden benches around all of the arenas and some under cover tiered seating at the main arena all of which have a great view. There is also plenty of space for you to sit with a picnic blanket like I did whilst I ate my strawberries & hot Belgium chocolate!

Dora & I had a great day out today and would recommend Cheshire County Show to anyone! It's on tomorrow (18th June) too, so what are you waiting for? Get Out And See Stuff! 

Chill Factore - Snow Fun with Kieran!

I know it was ages ago but do you remember when it was Christmas? Well I promise it will be here again before you know it!

Back in the December days of festivities I took a trip to the Chill Factore in Manchester to see the big man himself in his grotto, whilst taking advantage of a session of sledging with my nephew! What a fabulous day!

100 Happy Days

There are days when you wake up and before you've even left the house, you've burnt the toast, lost your keys and tripped over the dog. That's when you know it's going to be 'one of those days' and so you carry on your day with a certain grumpiness about you. You get splashed by a bus going through a huge puddle on the way to the station, only to miss your train and then get to work late. So that's it, this is officially a rubbish day - roll on tomorrow!

We're all guilty of writing off a day so early into it just because of how it's started, so when I saw the 100 Happy Days challenge on twitter, I wondered if I could actually go a whole 100 days finding something happy about each and every single one of them, without complaint. What's more, if you sign up on their website here you can get a book at the end as a reminder of what makes you happy on a daily basis, no matter how big or small that might be!

I'm currently on day 23 - pop over to twitter @HayleyGradwell to check out my process or search using #100happydays

Want a sneak preview? Here's today's photo..a visit to Bedford to see the in-laws.

Why don't you join in and see if you can stay happy for 100 days? It's so important to take a positive from everyday to keep your spirits high, and if the day starts badly 100 Happy Days will MAKE you turn it around!! 

Stay happy guys x

A trip out to Bents Garden and Home..

The Christmas spirit is well and truly upon us in our household and what better way to start the festive prep than a visit to Bents Garden Centre in Leigh? It's really easy to find too, just of the East Lancs Road.

 I was invited along to have a look at their Christmas festivities and having never been before, I was very excited! 

On arrival the lovely staff there gave us a warm welcome before showing us through to their restaurant. I chose a lovely looking Salmon from a good selection of hot dishes. 

The restaurant was much bigger than I'd expected and once I'd chosen the fish I was offered several different vegetables and potatoes to go alongside.

 The menu catered for everyone. Pasta dishes, vegertarian dishes, cold sandwiches and cakes. SO many cakes. Delicious CAKES. 

 Did I mention the cakes? They were amazeballs. I opted for the double chocolate....nom nom nom. 

 Following the meal, off I went around the store with some fellow 'bloggers' to have a nosey at what was on offer. There were a few demonstrations on which were fantastic. A young lady demonstrated an effective way to wrap a bottle of wine.. you may be thinking 'Why on earth would you wrap a bottle of wine when you can chuck it in a gift bag?' Well Ladies & Gents, this is why...

 I learnt how to make a Christmas garland, and how to dress a tree - Properly! There was even a free in-store games you could play to try win on the spot prizes from Joules. Sadly I was unsuccessful! 

Bents Garden Centre has the biggest and most impressive Christmas selection I've seen in a long time, it really doesn't matter what you are looking for to decorative your home with this Christmas, whatever it is, they will have it! Waling into the store is like walking into Santa's Grotto, and suddenly you will become a super excited child-like version of yourself! 

 The staff were exceptionally polite & helpful, answering any questions I had or directing their customers to products throughout the store. The store itself is huge, there is a large play area for the children outdoors where you will also find Hot tubs, summer houses and even Birds of Prey! It was a dark evening when I attended, but I definitely intend to revisit so I can take advantage of the things I missed. 

 Overall, I really enjoyed my Bents Garden Centre experience. The food was nice, although a little pricey for the main meals (Salmon was £11.95), and if I'm honest I'd say most things are slightly more expensive than I would like to pay, particularly the artificial Christmas Tree's which is what I had gone to buy.... but the cakes were well worth money so I would certainly recommend them!

Would I go back? Yes I would.

Should you go? Of course! There is so much selection all under one roof! 

If you do decide to go, or if you've been before, I'd love to know what you thought. Please leave a comment below.

 Please note - I was provided a complimentary meal by Bents Garden & Home to do this review, but the thoughts and opinions are truly my own.

What's great where you live?

I'm always up for trying new things and sometimes there are things to do, see & visit that I would have never known about if it hadn't have been for recommendations.

So this little post is an invitation for you to tell me what's great about where you live. 

For example, I live in Prestwich, and there are many great things about this little village, so if you came to visit I would say you have to go for a walk through Prestwich clough, it runs between Bury New Road at St Mary's Flower Park all the way through to drinkwater park and is a lovely circular walk which is child & dog friendly!

Then I would say pop to Cuckoo, a little bar a very short walk from the clough to have some lovely food and drinks.

So if I came to visit your home town, what you recommend i do? Or where do you think I should eat/drink? Is there a MUST see attraction?

Please comment with your local recommendations and let's share the love for our home towns!

A Day Out At SEA...

The lovely folks at SEA LIFE Manchester invited us along to enjoy a day at their newest attraction, and being a big kid at heart I was rather excited!

My sister and I took along these 3 mini men who were equally as giddy to be there...

The paper 'glasses' were a great look (while they lasted) so after the kids decided to ditch them, I had to have try.

At the beginning we were told the story of the turtle which was held in a dark room with minimal lighting to add to the effect of the visuals on the ground. I thought it was great, however a young boy beside me did not. He was clearly scared of the dark and when his parents tried to take him back out of the room so his cries didn't disturb the others, the doors were locked! Eventually the host stopped her presentation to let the family into the next section of the tour (and into the light). Obviously other visitors didn't mind the pause, but perhaps there should be a contingency for children who don't like the dark? Surely he wasn't the first to get a bit teary, and no doubt he wont be the last.

Once everyone was through the main tour area the journey really began. The tanks were impressive and gave you the feeling that you were almost inside with the sea-life!

Here are the boys with face of wonderment whilst watching the stingrays.

Each tank was accompied by touch screen information making it really interactive as well as informative. The best bit being the Jellyfish! You could even change the colour of them :)

 On entry, the boys were given a booklet each in which we were to collect stamps on the way around. Shame we only realised this when we got to stamp number 7... of 9! Oh well.. there's our excuse to go all the way back to the beginning and see the shark tunnel again!!

Karen took this opportunity to visit the soft play area located near to stamp 7.... I told her she was a bit old for that, so she took Rowan and sat and watched him instead.

After a pit stop for Karen & I and a crazy fun time for the kids at the soft play area we completed the tour after giving a real life crab a stroke! Then we were off to collect a badge each in return for a completed book of stamps! But she didn't check it. Yep, that's right.. we went all the way back to the beginning to collect the stamps, and SHE.DIDN'T.CHECK.IT!

But who cares? We got to see the SEA LIFE twice as much as everyone else!

And as a souvenir I have a new headband. Thanks SEA LIFE Manchester :o)

It's usually £12 pp for entry and children under 3 go free, which if I'm honest, I feel is a tad expensive for kids, especially if you have more than 1 child, but if you've got the pennies - it's definitely worth a visit!

A Day Out: Bury Agricultural Show 2013

After a busy weekend out in Manchester with friends I managed to escape a hangover on Sunday so i decided to take full advantage and head over to Bury Agricultural Show.

Bury show is held at Burrs Country Park just out of the town centre and always attracts a good crowd, whatever the weather. Luckily today the weather was fine.

I didn't arrive until after lunch but the place was still busy with the show in full swing. There was quite a queue to get into the car parks but it was free all day which was an added bonus.

With so much to see here it is a great day out for all the family, and being an animal lover I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the different animals that were on show here. From sheep, to horses, birds and even llamas. There were donkey rides for children, falconry displays and even novelty dog shows such as 'Waggiest Tail'. After watching these canine delights I am now considering entering Dora next year? I wonder if there is a class for 'The Dog That Sleeps The Longest'? I'm sure she would win that paws down.

Other than dogs my passion for horses dates back many years, having previously owned & showed myself I love watching the horse classes here. Unless you've done it yourself, I don't think many will quite grasp the amount of hard work that goes into preparing for a horse show. I think everyone deserves a rosette just for turning up! There is a class for every type of horse and every age & ability of rider/handler, so what better way to spend your Sunday than showing off your Equine friend?

Aside from the animals who came to show off there were military vehicles, model aircraft and classic cars. Many of which were really quite impressive when you took the time to hear their history.

There were trade stands selling pet supplies, garden objects, cupcakes and even beauty products. Along with exhibitors promoting local services, charities and information. As for children, there were loads of options, fairground rides, bouncy castles & soft play areas... In my opinion everyone's a winner!

It was £6 for adults to enter and £4 for children which was reasonable for what Bury Show had to offer! I will certainly be going back next year, will you??

Please note this is not a paid review, just my opinion!

Pancake Day!!

On my pancakes I like Sugar and Syrup and Chocolate and Marshmallow and...you get it right? ANYTHING sweet and naughty!

My OH likes Lemon & Sugar. How simple.

What did you have on yours??