Manchester

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Alternative Valentine's Day dates in Manchester

That chill you're feeling might be winter, or the looming prospect of the annual ideas black hole that is Valentine's Day. Fear not, Time Out has got some great suggestions of things to do around Manchester to help keep your love aglow, or even net a new flame

Believe it or not an entire year has passed since the last Enforced Show Of Romance For The Enrichment Of Gigantic Corporations Day, or Valentine's Day as it's also called by those whose hearts aren't twisted by bitterness. Seemingly, for most people in love it's not so much the thought of telling someone that you care for them that rankles, it's the fact that doing so on this particular day requires the purchase of an overpriced and flouncy card. That's without even mentioning the injustice of the sudden peak in the price of roses, restaurants and hotel rooms. But if you're still determined to feel the love, then make sure you make it interesting.

Take them to Mars (via Cheshire)
Poetic licence aside, giving someone the stars seems like an extremely impractical romantic gesture. After all, what are you supposed to do with billions of tonnes of luminous plasma burning at incredible temperatures? And where do you get a box big enough for it all to go in? It would just end up being one of those things that you put in the loft. Fortunately, if you visit the Jodrell Bank Observatory Visitor's Centre in Cheshire then you can give your beloved a tour of the entire solar system for just £1. If that doesn't excite them then you could try a journey to Mars which also costs just a quid. Best of all you can do both of these journeys without leaving the comfort of their state-of-the-art 3D theatre. Although astrophysics might not be a conventional aphrodisiac, the countryside that plays home to the world's third largest steerable radio telescope also boasts an impressive number of pubs and restaurants.
Jodrell Bank Observatory The University of Manchester, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL (01477 571321/www.jb.man.ac.uk) Open: Tues-Fri 10.30am-5.30pm; Sat-Sun 11am-4pm. Entrance: £2 adults, £1 children. Last admission one hour before closing.

Dine alfresco
Although they are hidden away among the city's streets, Manchester does have several nice parks not far from the city centre. Added to this is the fact that there are endless places where you can pick up a decent picnic (although Love Saves The Day would seem a fitting place to stock up for a Valentine's lunch), and with the addition of a blanket to sit on, one to wrap round you, and a significant other to cosy up to, a Mancunian picnic is a good romantic option. One park on the banks of the River Irk is St Michael's Flags and Angel Meadow Park, which is located between Rochdale Road and Corporation Street and accessed via Angel Street/Style Street. The park has come on in leaps and bounds since the Friends of Angel Meadow raised £200,000 to regenerate it, and last year it won the Green Flag award for green spaces. Do bear in mind though that if you're planning to open up a bottle of bubbly (which would be a nice touch) then many of the parks in the city are drink-free zones, so check before you go.

Learn all about chocolate (and eat lots too)
One possible reason for chocolate being linked with love is because it contains phenylethylamine (PEA), an alkaloid that's sometimes described as the 'love chemical' because it acts as a mild sexual stimulant. That's just one theory, though. Another could be that chocolate contains minute quantities of lead and some of the symptoms of lead poisoning include difficulty sleeping, a reduced appetite and lowered IQ – just the sort of behaviour a fool in love might exhibit. So this Valentine's Day, why not employ the 'give a man a fish' theory of enrichment to chocolate. This theory runs: give your partner some chocolates and they'll binge for a day, teach them how to make their own chocolate confectionery and you'll be set for life. The award-winning chocolatier, Slattery's, run various diet-killing courses. Around Valentine's Day they have a series of super indulgent workshops, where you can mould chocolate figures with your bare hands and whip-up a range of truffles. Best of all, anything you make during the course you can take home and gorge on.
Slattery’s 197 Bury New Road, Whitefield, M45 6GE (767 9303/www.slattery.co.uk). Open Breakfast and Lunch 9am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat.

A cultural singles' event
Or, if you're still waiting for that special person, and seem resigned to an evening's TV on February 14, why not go in search of an intellectual soulmate? While most singles' events are as naff as a pair of edible panties, Manchester Art Gallery are on a mission to redress the balance. On Valentine's Day they will be holding a singles' night in their Victorian galleries. Not only is it a chance to experience the gallery after dark but, given the location, at least you know that any potential partners will know their Degas from their elbow. The gallery have organised activities to help break the ice, including ten-minute love tours. In keeping with the event’s Victorian theme there will be etiquette lessons, parlour games and a string quartet. With last year's event attracting over 140 single women, this year the gallery are hoping for a good showing of cultured men as well.
Manchester Art Gallery Moseley Street, Manchester M2 3JL (0161 235 8888/www.manchestergalleries.org), February 14, 6.30pm-9.30pm. Tickets for this event cost £10, available in advance.

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