Lets face it us mancunians aren’t used to glorious sunshine and 25 degrees, so when it does come we’re all not really sure what to do with ourselves. The Fluid team have got together to give you some great ideas for days out and tell you what they love doing when the sun is shining.

Matt Davies rocks Pitch and Putt at Heaton Park

“Even if you’ve never played golf in your life, this is a fantastic time of year to get over to Heaton Park to try out their 18 hole Pitch and Putt course. You don’t have to be a demon with the driver to play here as all holes are under 100 yards, making the game more about accuracy than power. It’s only a fiver to play all 18 holes (plus a refundable deposit of another £5 for clubs), making it a cheap, fun way to enjoy the sunshine while getting a bit of exercise!”

Here’s Matt enjoying a round on a sunny evening after work (don’t worry, the clubs are not actually made out of rubber – the bending you can see is down to dodgy camera phone photography!);

There’s loads of other great activities at Heaton Park to get stuck into; for more information check out their website.

Sarah Ozdemir loves chilling in the sun before hitting the shops!

“Grab yourself a mango or raspberry frappuccino from Starbucks, a good book and make use of the grass at the Urbis centre. Theres a great atmosphere and a real mix of people coming and going, it’s a great place for people watching. After your done eating/drinking/slurping pop and the sun is slipping behind the buildings you can’t beat hitting the shops for some reatil theropy.”

Scott Green:  part time fisherman

“For me there’s nothing better than getting up at 4am on a weekend just as the sun’s about to come up, packing a bit of a picnic and a few tinnys, driving to a quiet pond with a mate or two and dangling a piece of Spam in the water for a good few hours!”

Scott caught this beast at Church Gardens in Bolton.

Matthew Simpson: escapes to Town (if only for a few hours)

“I must tell you I experienced an amazing sense of freedom for a few precious hours: mainly down to the two predominant factors: 1. Without the kids 2. Without the missus! God bless ‘er cotton’s, I lav ‘err really mate (that terrible attempt at cockney dialect was to let you know that I am from London originally).  I can tell you was a new man at the end of my extremely limited time spent on my own in a city, which is rare for me anyway, as I live in Wigan which is just a tad too far from Manchester to make it a regular shopping destination with the family (we’re more inclined to go that beautiful shopping emporium The Concourse in Skelmersdale at the weekend (Wigans very own Trafford centre for the local chav’s and chav nots).
Anyway that’s my suggestion as we all know it’s quite rare to get the sun in Manchester at the best of times. So if you can’t make it to dear old London try the best city outside of it: Manchester. Enjoy the sun whilst it lasts folks!”

Nicola Thomas: rock chick

“I’d recommend going to see a local gig, support your local bands and enjoy the beer garden that might be attached to the venue. Keep up todate with local gig and festivals on Ticketline. One good venue to watch this summer is The Witchwood who are showing the England games on a big screen, free food and free entertainment after!!”

Jay Lau:  Beer and a bit of History

On a hot day me and the boys head down to Dukes 92 and BarCa in Castlefield. You can’t beat a few pints in the sun and soak up the atmosphere with all the people chilling by the canal. If you want to impress someone you can show them the reconstruction of the original Roman Fort, plus the oldest railway station in the world, the first industrial canal and great waterside walks and loads of places to eat and drink. If you time it perfectly you may even catch one of Manchester’s only booze cruises down the canals.

Lee Turner Cycling Enthusiast

“Come rain or shine I will be riding in the Derwent Valley. You could be anywhere in the world the sceneries amazing, you would never suspect your just outside of Manchester. Its not for the faint hearted but the cycling is amongst the best in the world with incredible views as your reward – if you want a challenge this is the one for you.”

Julie Abbott: Tactical Mum

“My favourite thing on a hot sunny day with kids used to be inside, in the cool, air-conditioned kids’ palace of Head Over Heels, Chorlton.  While everybody else was at the park, I’d be staying cool with a nice long iced drink and letting the kids burn off all their energy! Cost is up to a fiver per child, depending on age, and whether it’s term-time (cheaper) or not. Allow for some spends in the yummy cafe, though. And top tip don’t go when it’s raining – the place is packed!”

Sarah Slamon: outdoor movies and Pimms

“When the weathers lovely one of my favourite summer evenings is to head down to Spinningfields to watch a film on the big screen and grab a few Pimms and lemonade, it’s a great atmosphere. When the film ends you’re spoilt for choice on where to eat. I will be heading down for Pretty Woman and going to take the kids to see Up later in the summer.”

James Chapman living on the Edge

“I’m quite a fan of walking round Alderley Edge at the moment.  Not only is it a good Sunday leg-stretcher, but there’s also a tea shop that does some proper nice cakes.  Take your own flask of tea though as they’ll sting you for a brew.  It’s also easy to forget that there are views like these just minutes outside Manchester”

Graham Nimbly:  likes to keep busy

“I always recommend people to walk around the Mersey valley - two water parks (Chorlton and Sale), the river banks, various woods and nature reserves and plenty of places to walk/run/cycle. Everyone seems to head down there when it’s sunny! For food/drink (or to recover) you can go to the restaurant at Sale Water Sports Centre, the small café at the Mersey Valley welcome centre or Jackson boat (a great country pub).”

Michelle ‘pass me a cocktail’ O’Brien

“On a sunny day you can’t beat heading down to the Northern Quarter in Manchester’s City Centre nipping in and out of all the vintage shops and cute boutiques. One of Manchester hidden gems is the Manchester Craft Centre that’s full of artists and crafts people making and selling contemporary goods; some of the jewellery is to die for. A quick trip home then its sundresses on and time to meet the girls, can’t go wrong with a Northern Quarter bar crawl. Socio Rehab and Cord for cocktails, Matt and Phred’s for some live music then Black Dog Ballroom for a dance. Summer nights are the best!”

Whatever your plans are we hope we’ve given you some good ideas for days or nights out and we hope you make the most of the sunshine. The team at Fluid would also love to hear about any events you recommend in the comments below.