
Crosby Beach
A hundred cast-iron men stare out to sea along two miles of sand - Antony Gormley's Another Place, and the strangest, most memorable free afternoon on this coast. Sand, statues, ships from the port gliding past.
Crosby, Merseyside

Two pools on Mariners Road, 25 metres and 12 metres, the smaller one shallow enough for children who are not swimming yet, with public swim on both most weekday mornings. Prices are up front: adults £7.30, children £4.80, and a family of four for £20.
Tuesday is the day. That is when Atlantis Splash goes in, an inflatable assault course running the length of the main pool. Sessions last 50 minutes including the safety briefing, and buoyancy aids are supplied and must be worn. The rules are strict and sensible: five and over, confident over 25 metres, and under eights need a fully paying adult in the water alongside them. Wear a t shirt under the buoyancy aid. They suggest it for a reason. One thing to hold in mind on a Saturday, the whole place closes at 4pm.
What it costs: Adult swim £7.30, child swim £4.80, concession £4.80. Family swim £20.00 for two adults and two children, or £21.50 for two adults and three children. Aqua aerobics £9.90. Atlantis Splash is booked as its own session.
Worth knowing: Atlantis Splash is 5 and over, and everyone taking part must swim 25 metres confidently.
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A hundred cast-iron men stare out to sea along two miles of sand - Antony Gormley's Another Place, and the strangest, most memorable free afternoon on this coast. Sand, statues, ships from the port gliding past.

Sefton's watersports centre on Crosby Marine Lake, with pay and play paddle sessions in season and the Gormley iron men on the beach over the road. More of a booked-session place than a turn-up attraction, so plan before you drive.

One of Sefton's seven Green Flag parks, in the middle of Crosby, with a play area, tennis courts and a model boating lake. Small, well kept, free, and about as low effort as a Saturday morning gets.

A long country park running south from Crosby between the Leeds and Liverpool canal and the railway: paths, meadows, reedbeds and the Brookvale nature reserve with its boardwalks. Free, open, no charge to park.

Waterloo's big multi-use park, with a skate park tucked in the corner by the railway line and sport pitches across the rest. Sefton list play facilities too, but check before you promise a playground.
One email a week: what is on this weekend within a sensible drive, and the places worth booking before they go.