Cornwall is one of our favourite places and we visit as often as we can. Like most people, we have been grounded by the coronavirus pandemic, so we couldn’t wait to get away this week. After a draining time juggling work, school and home learning, we couldn’t wait for a change of scenery. But as infection numbers went up, we got the news last week that Greater Manchester was being put into Tier 3 and we wouldn’t be going anywhere, so it's a stay-at-home staycation.

The holiday park we had booked with couldn’t have been better and moved our booking to next year, which was a huge relief. But it doesn’t stop us needing to switch off and recharge – and we couldn’t face staring the four walls we have been confined to for much of this year.

The solution is right on our doorstep. Living in an area that is under Tier 3 restrictions – the toughest coronavirus regulations introduced by the government – travel and overnight stays were banned. But, maintaining social distancing, we are free to travel anywhere in Greater Manchester – and there is enough to keep people entertained for weeks.

As well as the city centre and large towns with a variety of shops and restaurants, there are stand-alone attractions, such as football stadium visits and tours, historic properties and beautiful countryside, rivers and canals.

There is no question of being short of things to do. But it is about doing things we all enjoy, that help us relax and recharge the batteries, and won’t break the bank.

So we have decided to make the most of what we have locally. A short walk from our front door, there is a scenic nature reserve with a river running through it. A gentle walk through here easily passes a couple of hours and the kids love feeding the ducks as we tuck into fresh sandwiches and sausage rolls from a local bakery. I also get a bit of much-needed extra exercise lugging my camera bag around in a bid to snap the elusive kingfisher. Over the years, I have only managed to capture blurs of turquoise. This could be my chance.

Slightly further afield, there is a longer walk along the scenic Rochdale Canal, with several places to stop for a pint or a bite to eat.

And there is plenty of choice when it comes to dining out. We would love to be enjoying a pasty in the harbour at Mevagissey as we watch fishing boats come and go, or indulging with a cream tea at The Lizard. But after a long walk, enjoying great food at one of our two locals – the Lancashire Fold or Thornberries – is a fantastic way to round off a great day out.

We are enjoying our week and, although it is not the break or the weather we hoped for, it has been great getting out and about and supporting the businesses and attractions on our doorstep.

It’s something we are going to make more of an effort to do in future.

#shoplocal #supportlocalbusiness