When it comes to Valentine’s Day, some things have be done to death: flowers, lingerie, chocolates, romantic restaurant, cocktail bar or bottle of pricey champagne.
But what do you do, where do you go, when these things feel a bit old hat? When your lover is a gamer, a crafter, a collector – a geek? Where can you take them for something really special? We’ve trawled Manchester's geek scene for ideas.
For the gamer:
For the artistic gamer, Madlab are hosting their Cosplay Sketch Off on Saturday at 6pm, who can resist cosplay, sketching and cake? But for the boardgamers Fan Boy 3 in the Northern Quarter have a packed Valentine’s Day, including a massive My Little Pony event, just in case your other half is a brony.
For the film lover:
Catch a film or two at the Cornerhouse before it moves to HOME, where the Philadelphia Story is their Valentine’s special. Or maybe Kosmonaut for their Valentine’s special showing of True Romance, where the price includes the film, pizza and a cocktail.
For the science buff:
MOSI has a weekend of history meets science with its Victorian fair – there’s a full working Victorian fairground and engine demonstrations – though I’d maybe skip the Punk Science show that might include a little fake poo.
For the alt scene:
This Saturday sees the return yet again of the Alternative and Burlesque Fair to Manchester’s Sound Control. Indulge in your love of vintage, tattoos and steampunk and things a little 18+ all under one roof. There’s even a vintage style tea shop as part of the event, so you don’t even need to leave to make a day of it.
And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can always visit Afflecks Palace for a browse and indulge in a little browsing, before visiting Ginger’s Comfort Emporium for some Chorlton Crack ice cream.
For the music lover:
For the lover of vinyl, there is nothing more pleasurable than browsing a shop for an unusual or specialist find – except of course buying one and taking it home to play. And Manchester has plenty to choose from. From Vinyl Exchange and Piccadilly Records in the city to Soundwaves Here We Come in Stretford and Kingbee Records in Chorlton, make a day of it and add in a lazy lunch before you head home to listen to those purchases.