20 VALENTINE DATES THAT WON’T Flirty & thrifty BREAK BANK
COMING up with an original Valentine’s date can be a challenge... and being creative often comes with a hefty price tag.
So, we asked our cost-cutting Cupids to find a selection of bargain date ideas across the UK and they found everything from swimming by moonlight to funfairs and indoor golf.
Here is a selection of 20 dates for under £20 for two. Just check the date and time, and book when needed to avoid disappointment.
LEEDS: The Valentine’s Fair, based in Millennium Square, Victoria Gardens and Cookridge Street from February 9 to February 18, is sure to win hearts. Wander around between noon and 9.30pm (10pm on Friday and Saturday), with 70 rides and attractions. Vouchers can be found at leedsvalentinesfair.co.uk and discounts will be available for Leeds Card and Breeze Pass holders.
Cost: Free. Rides £2-£5pp. NATIONWIDE: If fitness puts you in a romantic mood, you can snap up the Freedom Leisure Valentine’s Day offer of a free day pass for two, so you can swim and use the gym together at one of the charitable trust’s many sites – but you need to book.
Cost: Free. freedom-leisure.co.uk/ valentines-day-offer GLOUCESTERSHIRE: What could be more romantic than a moonlight dip in the beautiful Court Farm Lakes in Lydney, a celebrated wild swimming venue? The special Valentine’s swim between 5pm and 7pm will raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. Dive in quick, as places are limited and you have to book.
Cost: £7.50 each (£5 to BHF). bookwhen.com/specialevents40
MANCHESTER: Lovebirds can enjoy a “2-4-1” cocktail at the trendy Manahatta bar in Manchester’s buzzing
Deansgate on Valentine’s night. Your heart’s bound to be shaken by concoctions like Easy Lover and
Queen of Hearts, with cocktails costing from £11.95 for two of the same type between Sunday and Friday.
Cost: From £11.95 (for two cocktails). manahatta.co.uk NATIONWIDE: Romantics can enjoy a Valentine’s Day tipple in All Bar One branches nationwide which – with the exception of Scotland, Newcastle and airport bars – are offering classic cocktails.
Cost: £12 for two. Booking advisable. allbarone.co.uk
LINCOLN: How about a date with a few ghosts? The original Lincoln Ghost Walk is on Valentine’s Day this year. Just turn up at the Tourist Information Centre in Castle Square 10 minutes before the 7pm start. Cost: £15 for two tickets. lincolnghostwalks.co.uk
DEVON: Get cosy listening to the ocean under a picnic rug, tucking into
a feast from the Atlantic Bay Fish & Chips shop in Westward Ho! (the only place in the UK with an exclamation mark in its name).
Cost: £18.50 for fish and chips for two. atlanticbayfishandchips.com NATIONWIDE: If your idea of heaven is tucking into a burger and fries as you snuggle on the sofa watching a romantic movie, order in from Burger King via Deliveroo. Cost: £12.99 for two Gourmet King Meals. burgerking.co.uk NOTTINGHAM: If you’re after some mood music for your date, try a free lunchtime concert on Valentine’s Day at the University Hall on Shakespeare
Street. It will be something of a blind date – as it could be anything from classical to folk or jazz – but the student musicians are very talented. The 30-minute lunchtime concerts start at 1pm (doors open at 12.45pm), so just turn up. Cost: Free. visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk BOLTON: Valentine’s Day is traditionally about love between two partners but this event is all about encouraging people to love themselves. The Wellbeing Farm in picturesque Edgworth, near Bolton, is hosting Love Fest, a day of self-love and self-care with reiki, meditation, dance, live music and energy healing. The event runs from 10.30am-4pm on Sunday, February 11.
Cost: £2.75pp. thewellbeingfarm.co.uk NEWCASTLE: They call it puppy love – and dog lovers can take their precious pooches along with them.
The Pup Up Café is taking over Revolution on Sunday, February 12 for a day of dog-friendly mingling, with plenty of puppuccinos and other treats for the doggos. It’s the perfect way to show your four-legged friend how much you love them! Dogless humans can still attend and get to meet plenty of amazing pups.
Cost: £9.50 for dog owners, £15 without a dog. pupup.cafe/tickets/ SHEFFIELD: Lovers can re-create their first cinema date at Kommune, which will be screening Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at 7pm on February 14. First come, first served for the comfy sofa spots and you can order food and drinks to your seat. What’s not to love?
Cost: £3. eventbrite.co.uk BIRKENHEAD: Join Badass Craft Club at Waterstones to create adorable felted hearts to give to your loved one. You will be supplied with coloured unspun merino wool and all the other equipment needed to make these adorable tokens. From 11am1pm, Sunday, February 11.
Cost: £10pp plus booking fee. skiddle.com/whats-on/Birkenhead YORKSHIRE DALES: What can be more romantic than stargazing together under a moonlit sky? The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a place where you can find the most wondrous star-filled skies, free from light pollution. And the 1.5km planet and constellation trail at Aysgarth includes a romantic waterfall. It is open 24 hours a day in the woodland from February 9 to 25 as part of the Yorkshire Dales Dark Skies Festival. Cost: Free. yorkshiredales.org.uk PORTMEIRION: Wander around the glorious Italianate streets of this coastal village in Gwynedd between
9.30am and 5pm for a super-romantic Valentine’s Day date. You’ll be utterly enchanted by this extraordinary village, which provided the backdrop for 1960s spy drama The Prisoner. Cost: £10pp. portmeirion.wales WALES: Hopefully, your love won’t be star-crossed – but you might fancy enjoying some stargazing on Valentine’s night. For pollution-free destination details, check out the Visit Wales website. It’s free but you might want to warm your hearts by taking along a flask of mulled wine!
Cost: Free. visitwales.com/inspire-me CARDIFF: The Aquabus could be your love boat on February 14. The water taxi, leaving from the Castle Grounds on the hour between 10am and 5pm, takes 25 minutes to reach Mermaid Quay, or you can enjoy an hour-long scenic cruise as a round trip.
£7pp. aquabus.co.uk
GLASGOW: Get in the swing of romance with a trip to 9-hole indoor golf course Glasvegas. With time slots from 10am until late, it promises “a little bit of crazy” and should be a date to remember.
Cost: £9.50pp. oneunder.co.uk/ glasgow/mini-golf
EDINBURGH: A hilarious line-up of comedians takes a look at the funnier side of love-making in a Valentine’s night two-hour special in the city’s oldest cocktail bar, Dragonfly, starting at 8pm. Booking is advisable.
Cost: £10pp. dragonflycocktailbar.com GLASGOW: Pay homage at the Catholic Church of Blessed St John Scotus in the Gorbals district, where the bones of St Valentine’s forearm are said to be kept in a chest. Follow this up with a cream tea for two at Glasgow’s Hidden Lane Tearoom. Cost: £12 for 2.