Kids & Family

Where to find safe open water swimming sessions around Manchester

Stay safe in the water with one of these guided open water swimming experiences.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 18th July 2022

When it’s this hot, all you want to do is find a way to cool off- and whilst air-conditioned restaurants and frozen cocktails offer some respite, don’t forget that nature has a few tricks up its sleeve too.

Of course, safety is important, and if you are planning to swim in open water in hot weather there are a few things you always need to bear in mind.

The risk of shock from cold water and strong currents are both serious, and these need considering before you embark on a wild swim.

With that in mind, Swim England has released advice to help keep people safe whilst swimming in open water here.

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Fortunately for us, there are a number of guided open water swimming sessions available in and around Manchester with open water markers, safety instructors, and qualified coaches on hand to help you get the most out of your swim.

With that in mind, let’s get into the good stuff – namely, where to go for your next (safe) dip.

We’ve picked a handful of spots in and around Manchester suited to varying levels of experience to give you some inspiration.

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The Farm Club at Pickmere

This family-run venue sits within 300 acres of Cheshire countryside, with plenty of safe open swimming opportunities for beginners. Here, you can get into the sport of open water swimming with help from safety instructors and experienced coaches on SUP boards. Pre-booked sessions take place between May and September.

Boundary Water Park, Cheshire

Image: Facebook

The warm, shallow lake at Boundary Water Park is perfect for novices and families, with the added benefit of having sessions overseen by qualified coaches to keep you safe. These run on Thursdays from 5.30-7.30pm and on Sundays from 10-1pm.

Read more: Police and fire service warn of ‘dangers’ of open water after teen dies in Salford Quays

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Sale Water Park

Image: Wikipedia

Between May and September, Open Swim UK run four weekly sessions at Sale Water Park to encourage people to experience the joys of wild swimming in a safe environment where they can perfect their technique. What’s more, there are indoor changing rooms, lockers, showers and even wetsuit hire available. Priced at £7 or £4 for juniors, no membership is required.

Salford Watersports Centre, Salford Quays

Salford’s Water Sports Centre offers open water swims on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays in the Ontario basin. Priced at £5 for adults and £4.50 for juniors, there are changing rooms and hot showers available, as well as free parking on site.

Uswim at Dock 9, Salford Quays

Image: Commons Wikimedia

Uswim host guided open swimming sessions at Salford Quays every Saturday between 8-11am and on Wednesday evenings from 5.30-7.30pm. Water safety is guaranteed, with water quality-tested before sessions. Uswim provides full safety covered with measured 400m, 750m and 1km swim courses available.

Elton Reservoir, Bolton

Image: Facebook

Managed and run by Bolton Triathlon Club, you can typically join in with guided open water swimming sessions at Elton Reservoir in Bolton every Tuesday from 5-8pm from May through to late August/ early September. However, this summer the algae has made swimming here unsafe leading organisers to close the reservoir until 2023.

Feature image – Commons Wikimedia

Kids & Family

Adventure golf, escape rooms, 2-for-1 cinema tickets, and more at Printworks this summer holidays

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Adventure golf, escape rooms, and 2-for-1 tickets to catch the newest blockbusters are just some of the things families can be getting up to at Printworks this summer.

With schools across Greater Manchester now out for the summer holidays, the city centre’s landmark entertainment complex is promising “family fun and fantastic food” – with a wide range of activities and offers for parents, carers, and guardians looking for exciting ways to keep the kids occupied to make the most of.

From film buffs, to puzzle masters and tee-off champions, Printworks assures there’s “something for everyone” of all ages to get stuck into over the next six weeks.

The venue’s escape room centre Escape Reality is offering massive 25% off all escape rooms between Monday – Thursday this summer, and you’ll have an hour to tackle a series of puzzles and challenges inside “uber-real” and “movie-inspired” escape rooms to make sure you get out in time and maybe even gain a place on the coveted leaderboard.

You’ll just need to use the discount code ‘HEATWAVE25’ at the checkout when you book online until 31 August to claim a 25% discount.

Escape Reality and Treetop Adventure Golf are ideal places to take the kids while schools are out / Credit: Printworks

For those looking for an “epic adventure” this summer, Treetop Adventure Golf has got an exclusive ‘Family Saver’ deal currently running, and it lets families with at least one child aged 12 or under choose to play a round of 18 holes for just £32, or 36 holes for £50.

The Early Bird deal will also be running every Monday to Friday throughout the summer holidays for those early morning risers, where you can tee off before midday and play two courses for the price of one.

If films are more your thing, then Vue’s ‘Mini Morning’ sessions – which are running every morning in the summer holidays from 10am – give both adults and kids the chance to experience big screen entertainment from just £2.49 per ticket, with a whole host of family-friendly flicks and some of the latest blockbusters ready to watch

2-for-1 cinema tickets are available at Vue all summer long / Credit: Printworks

Not only that, but you can also still make the most of ‘Meerkat Movies’ throughout the summer, and enjoy 2-for-1 film tickets every Tuesday or Wednesday with the Meerkat app by entering your code when booking tickets online, or showing the code to a Vue staff member when buying tickets at the cinema.

Read more: Adults-only ball pit, bingo, drag brunches and more coming to Printworks

If all that action has got you working up a hunger, then there’s plenty of children’s meal deals at different Printworks restaurants to tuck into afterwards.

wagamama and Frankie and Benny’s are two of the Printworks restaurants offering children’s meal deals this summer / Credit: Printworks

Frankie and Benny’s, Nandos, wagamama, and Chiquito are some of the chains with offers on.

At Frankie and Benny’s, kids can choose a drink, main, side, and dessert from just £6.49, while at Nando’s, there’s a set menu for under 10s for just £5.95, and at wagamama, kids can become part of the koclub and tuck into tasty mini dishes from just £4 each, and at Chiquito, a main, side, dessert, and drink costs just £6.99.

The kids meal deal at O’Neills will only set you back £4.50, and they can pick a classic main meal, a side and a portion of veg, and finally choose a sweet treat to finish.

Find out more about summer at Printworks here.

Featured Image – Printworks

Kids & Family

Sneak peak at Vue cinema’s fancy upgrade at Printworks, including reclining seats in every screen

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

The Vue cinema inside the Printworks has undergone a major refurbishment and is set to reopen in the next few weeks.

The city centre entertainment complex is home to one of the largest IMAX screens in Europe, which has also been refurbished.

When it fully reopens in early September, Vue Manchester Printworks will have luxury recliner seats in every screen – and ticket prices as low as £4.99.

A sneak peak video shared by the cinema group shows rows of smart leather seats, with neon orange detailing.

The makeover will also include a revamped retail offering, from Coke Freestyle machines to draught beer taps.

Vue has undertaken the refurbishment project in stages, so 12 screens already have the benefit of the upgraded recliner seating.

It’s all ready for audiences to watch summer blockbusters including Minions: Rise of Gru, DC League of Super-Pets and Marvel Studio’s latest adventure Thor: Love and Thunder.

Read more: Grease star Olivia Newton-John has died, age 73

Ian Harris, general manager at Vue Manchester Printworks, said: “As the home of the biggest screen in Manchester, we’ve always taken pride in offering the very best of big screen entertainment possible for film fans and families looking to escape into the latest blockbusters.

“With our fully refreshed IMAX screen and newly installed Recliner offering across all 19 of our other screens, we’re hugely excited to see the people of Manchester enjoy the best that film and big screen events have to offer in the best and most luxurious seats in the house.”

Featured image: Vue

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