We all love a good birthday party, but they're not quite the same when you're all grown up.
As youngsters, we would count the days until the next time we could go wild at a soft-play venue or indulge in a birthday treat at one of our favourite restaurants.
Across the generations, how and where we celebrate our birthdays have changed, with popular chains evolving, and some venues only living on in our memories.
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Many had birthday parties at home, but if you were a child in Manchester, there's a good chance you'll remember some of these venues from the area and beyond.
The list below isn't intended to be comprehensive, though it includes a number of your suggestions made on our social media. But, if there is something you feel we should have included, please let us know in the comments section.
1. Alphabet Zoo
For many Mancunian children, Alphabet Zoo was the place to have a birthday party.
For years it delighted generations of children - and tested youngsters' bravery with the infamous blue and white slide.
Now called Kidsaurus Play Centre in Stockport, the thrill of gliding down the 'blue monster' at Alphabet Zoo was incomparable.
2. Belle Vue
Opened in 1836, Belle Vue zoo started life as a small private collection of birds owned by gardener John Jennison - but his vision for a vast Victorian amusement park soon saw it blossom into much more – Manchester’s very own theme park.
Generations of thrill seekers poured through its gates not just for the animals, but for the theme park’s legendary funfair rides and circus shows.
Spiralling debts saw the zoo wound up in the 1970s and the park, once described as a 'showground of the world,' closed its gates in 1982.
3. Wacky Warehouse
Running wild in the soft play, followed by colouring and pizza - Wacky Warehouse was one of the best children’s birthday parties back in the day.
A nationwide brand, children of the 90’s or 00's will have memories of ball pits, steep slides and rope bridges.
It’s an odd mix, having a soft play centre within a pub, but it’s a merger that works and there are still a number of them in Greater Manchester, from the Barlow Croft pub in Didsbury to Mottram Wood Pub and Carvery in Hyde.
4. Wimpy
Before the fast-food joints we know today, Wimpy's were the only burgers in town, and many will remember branches on Manchester’s Oxford Street and the Piccadilly Plaza complex in Piccadilly Gardens.
There were also branches of Wimpy in Salford, Middleton, Stockport and the Arndale Centre through the years.
Today, the closest Wimpy to Manchester are the ones in Huddersfield or Birkenhead and the chain has just 67 restaurants in Britain, down from over 500 during its height in the 1970s - but back in the day many loved going there for a birthday treat.
5. Rollercity
Many will remember visiting Rollercity in Rochdale for a birthday party.
The much-loved roller-skating rink was a major attraction for teenagers in the 1980s and was owned by comedian Bernard Manning’s son, Bernard Junior.
In 2012, The Manchester Evening News reported how Rollercity in Rochdale reopening for the first time in 20 years after a £150,000 makeover, a decade on it's still going strong.
6. Gorton Tub
Manchester's own inner-city indoor water park - many held or attended a birthday celebration at Gorton Tub.
Gorton Tub opened in 1988 and was the place every kid wanted to go and where scores of memories were made.
Thousands of kids spent hours in its chlorinated water before heading for a Slush Puppie and a chocolate bar, or a burger and chips.
It later underwent a re-brand and became known as Neptune's Kingdom after the Roman god of the sea. It closed in the early 2000s.
7. Asda
One of the more unusual venues on the list - at one stage, having a kids birthday party at Asda was actually a thing.
Asda is said to have had a room designed for celebrations and some Mancunians may remember going to a party at one of the local sites years ago. Sadly, the supermarket giant no longer offers its party services.
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8. The Dutch Pancake House
The Dutch Pancake House closed just over a decade ago and is remembered for its massive menu and giant plates.
Based on the corner of St Peter's Square and Oxford Street, it opened in 1996, and was the perfect treat to celebrate your birthday with family and friends.
The building that used to house it - Elizabeth House - was demolished to make way for the shiny new 1 St Peter's Square.
9. Camelot
Anyone who was born in the 80s or 90s will have fond memories of birthdays and days out with the family at Camelot Theme Park.
Located a few miles outside Chorley in Lancashire, it first opened its doors in 1983 and attracted many across Greater Manchester.
It operated until November 2012 and boasted medieval style rides including the Knightmare and the Whirlwind.
10. McDonalds
Largely gone but not forgotten, the McDonald’s play areas were a thing of greatness.
A trip to a local McDonald’s would turn into hours of climbing around playpen and ball pit.
Many Mancunians will remember hosting or going to a Ronald McDonald party at a branch, which included playing games, everyone getting a balloon and enjoying a Happy Meal.
11. Charlie Chalks
Children of the 90s and early noughties will remember the Charlie Chalk Fun Factories, as part of the Brewers Fayre sites, later known as Brewsters.
A number of the pubs in and around Greater Manchester would boast the indoor multi-level soft play area, known as the Fun Factory.
And who could forget mascots Charlie Chalk and later Brewster the Bear?
12. Starvin' Marvin's
In 1995, American-themed diner Starvin' Marvin's came to Greater Manchester and became another exciting place to have a birthday treat.
Part of The Celebrated Group, it was the first diner of the chain to open in England, followed by one on Merseyside the following year.
In February 1996, The Liverpool Echo reported how the Merseyside diner had everything American, "from the jukebox to the containers full of jelly beans."
13. Mayfair Cinema
The former Mayfair Cinema in Whitefield, Greater Manchester, welcomed generation after generation of first dates, weekends with friends and birthday celebrations.
It opened in 1956, but had closed by the 1990s.
After another life as a nursery and then showroom, the building was demolished in the early 2000s.
14. Pleasure Island
Pleasure Island on Otterspool Promenade, Merseyside, had everything a kid could want - all in the same place.
From the Rollerdome to Qasar laser games, there was an attraction for everyone and it was a sad day when Pleasure Island closed in 1997.
Pleasure Island attracted many kids from elsewhere, including Manchester, to visit and some were lucky enough to celebrate turning a year older there.
15. Pool parties
A number of M.E.N readers mentioned celebrating their own or even friends birthdays at local swimming baths.
Where did you celebrate a birthday as a kid? Let us know in the comments section below.
Pool parties have been popular across the generations, from just swimming and making the most of the pool to tackling massive inflatables.
