Bark Patrol at Chorlton Water Park

Our first full day in Chorlton-cum-Hardy started with the very best kind of routine: walks with Wilbur. This little guy has one setting—go—and from the moment his lead clips on, he’s pulling us down the road with all the excitement of a dog who knows where he’s going. (Spoiler: he always did.)

We quickly found our rhythm: 2–3 walks a day, each one featuring a trip to Chorlton Water Park. Tucked away behind residential streets, it’s the kind of green space that locals treasure and visitors like us marvel at—open meadows, lakeside paths, and dogs everywhere.

Wilbur’s personal mission? Chasing his tennis ball until we were tired. He never ran out of energy. We’d collapse on a bench; he’d drop the ball at our feet, ready to go again. And every walk ended the same way: him guzzling a bowl of cold water, then doing a wild victory lap in the backyard—barking like he just won a championship and making sure every bird in the postcode knew it was his turf.