It’s no secret that in 2018 I made a few pretty drastic life changes, and since then pretty much every aspect of my life has been a bit up in the air whilst I have been trying to figure out how to keep everything in check. Balancing a boyfriend, a part time care job, a full time Paramedic Science degree, 750 placement hours per year, my Samaritans volunteering gig, running, blogging, my friends AND family life is certainly providing a challenge. But I love a challenge, and I love keeping myself busy. It’s early days, but i’m slowly figuring out how to keep things in order, fresh, and not forced. I thought i’d compile a selection of a few date night/family/friend catch up activities, things that can be done with anyone and everyone and make the most of some quality time together.
Afternoon Tea
I can’t think of a single person that I couldn’t NOT catch up with over a lavish afternoon tea. And the Whittards Afternoon Tea in Covent Garden is no exception to that. Hosted at their Tea Bar in the centre of it all in the market place, it is just the perfect place for all all British, super traditional afternoon tea. It’s also a winner because you’re offered the choice of 1 of 4 London themed tea varieties (savoury, traditional, sweet, minimal), so of course we went for the traditional Whittard Tea (£30 pp). This came served with a selection of handmade finger sandwiches – smoked salmon with lemon cheese; coronation chicken; cucumber; egg and cress. The team were super accommodating, as due to my funky allergies and being a vegetarian, the sandwiches weren’t ideal for me. However they let me choose any savoury panini instead! I went for the cucumber, brie and pesto which was legit life changing. Alongside the sandwiches we were also served 2 varieties of scones (sultana and plain), and also a choice of either five bitesize cakes, or two larger cake slices . We went for the bitesize ones, and they were a t.r.e.a.t.
With our tea we were served a delightful prosecco tea cocktail in cutsey little saucers, and oh my it was delish! I definitely need to investigate how it was all put together as it was really refreshing, light and sweet – definitely perfect for summer drinks with the girls! Oh and obviously, there was tea. The tea menu itself was super extensive, but in the end we went for a fresh mint tea, and a coffee. I know. Oops.
Escape Room
Escape room’s aren’t new. But they’re something i’ve put off trying for quite a little while now. Theres something about an unknown type of activity that just terrified me. However, after I was approached by Escape Hunt in Reading, I thought eh what the heck. Let’s give this a go! After checking out the website and investigating a little more, I decided to plan a little date night with my boyfriend. We had a few drinks, did the Escape Room, and had a few more drinks before popping on the train home. Escape Hunt in Reading have a lot of adventures to choose from, but we chose the Alice in Puzzleland game.We were both very unsure what to expect, but the lovely Bob looked after us and made sure we had a great experience. We started our journey by being introduced to the puzzle by Bob (in character) – which we did find a little funny, but also fun. Before being unleashed into the room. The escape room was amazing! I had no idea it would be so kitted out, decorated and themed. It really was an experience! Although we didn’t complete the room in time, we NEARLY did, and we had an absolute laugh. With minimal domestics too. Win win! I think escape rooms are great now, and they’re great for pretty much everything. Family bonding, team bonding, catch up and a laugh with friends, a hen/stag, date nights, double dates. The list goes on! The one we did was priced at between £20-25 which was pretty reasonable for an hours activity (an intense one), and we’d definitely do another one.
Bingo!
Yes. Bingo. Bingo gets a bad rep as just being a game for gran’s. But a night out at the Bingo can be a great night out as a date, with friends and family. I love a versatile activity that can be shared with anyone and everyone, and Bingo is just that. I was invited down to try out a VIP night at BJ’s Bingo in Reading one Friday night and aside from winning £100 each (what on Earth), we had a blast! The burgers were surprisingly great, ciders juicy, and the bingo funny.
What do you like to do to catch up with friends when life gets a bit busy?
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