TAKE TIME OUT TO JOIN THE CLUB

SIPPING herbal tea, wearing a dressing gown and listening to panpipe music, I was feeling a tad self-conscious at the beginning of our break.

I’d managed to make it to the age of 36 without ever having a massage, and as I waited to be unknotted, my comfort zone seemed miles away.

The his’n’hers set-up (my wife Rose was with me in matching garb) wasn’t helping.

But any anxiety

I had drifted away once my masseuse pressed the point of her elbow deep into my shoulder.

We’d only arrived at

Worsley Park Marriott

Hotel & Country Club in Manchester an hour earlier – childless for the first time in two years – but I’d already clicked into relaxation mode.

After a superb dinner in Brew Bar, one of the three restaurants, our king size bed beckoned for an early night.

The next morning, after sampling the comprehensive breakfast buffet, I explored the hotel grounds while Rose returned to the spa.

The conference facilities, hotel and golf course – it’s recently had a £15million makeover – have stood on the former Worsley New Hall site since 1998.

With spa facilities including a pool, sauna, steam room and gym, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.

If you want some fresh air, leafy Worsley village and the Bridgewater Canal are short walks away, then there’s the jewel in the hotel’s crown – its golf course.

We are not particularly active, so we hit the spa before enjoying perfect steaks at Grill in the Park, the hotel’s most upmarket eatery.

Worsley Park is the perfect place to relax, dine and play sport – plus it’s seconds away from direct links to Manchester.