Tips For Planning A Group Night Out!
In my long ago youth (doesn’t FEEL as long as it actually was) I’d have balked at a “plan” for a night out. Fly by the seat of your pants was my motto of the evening back then and though some things don’t change (it’s still my motto for day to day living, especially getting to school on time), I have come to realise that at the grand old age of 43, I want to know exactly where I’m going on those rare and snatched “out, outs” with my mates and more than that, I want a thorough and well thought out plan so that minute by minute I know the time is being maximised to its best advantage!
I don’t want to spend hours waiting at bars for sub-standard drinks, I definitely can’t fathom why anyone would want to stand up to drink them and actually, I just want to chat and to be able to hear my friends chat yet still have a rocking vibe, great atmosphere and the feeling that an evening has been well spent. Organisation is key I realised when I went out with my friend Cookie a few years ago and she’d locked down every element to our evening out so that it didn’t dare do anything but run to her time-table like clockwork and you know what? It was a BRILLIANT night out because of it. She knew the best places to go, the most inexpensive way of doing it and she had us moving from place to place at just the right pace. Everyone needs a Cookie night out planner but if you haven’t got one (and she’s mine just so you know), these are the top tips she’s shared with me to make sure a night out runs as smoothly as possible!
BOOK YOUR JOURNEY HOME FIRST!
It may sound like backwards before forwards but honestly you’ll thank me for it later. Long gone are the days of me wanting to argue the point to staying till the bitter end (with my Mum who reasonably always suggested I leave a little before the club ended to ensure I got a taxi – I was unreasonable about the rationale in return), because there’s nothing worse than getting to the end of a night out, with sore, danced out feet and not being able to catch a ride home. Book it in advance, come on… We all know our true limitations and cut off points, mine, like Cinderella is midnight so there’s no point in winging it till then before finding a free car – Uber? What Uber in Norfolk? It hasn’t reached us yet! You can simply stroll out of the last venue where fun has been had and into your pumpkin home – bliss!
EAT IS REET!
Back in the day we used to say “eating is cheating” but good Lord, why?! I now know in the wisdom of my forties that not eating is very much flooring and starting off the evening with a good meal, great wine and friends to chat to in comfort is the perfect way to begin a group night out. Book a table using Square Meal UK who will take the hassle out of private and group dining experiences, and THIS is where your night begins!
HAVE A PLAN!
Once the meal is over you don’t want anyone to sidle off home (honestly, I’m looking at me here), you need to have a good and concise plan for the next step which is inviting to all so that no one bails and the evening continues just as you wished for it to do when you were looking forward to a night on the tiles. The next step has to be a medium to quiet bar with an air of “civilised” about it. Wine, more nibbles to soak it up and most importantly a table. You knew where you were going, booked ahead and for once that RESERVED sign was for you! See, this is good isn’t it!
COCKTAILS!
What night out is complete without a cocktail or two? You’ve done dinner, wine has been drunk over the catch up chats and now it’s time to hit a bar with Happy Hour for a frugal yet fancy element to the evening’s proceedings! Turtle Bay is a national chain which has regular 241 elongated Happy Hours but there are so many independents which also do the same. Research where, when and how before you go out so the next step on the map takes you straight to a sunrise of tequila!
GET YOUR DANCING SHOES ON!
You’ve reached that moment in the night when everyone is a bit tipsy and all you need now is a dance with your mates around your hand bags just like your Mum used to do when you were little – we are that old now right?! However, walking around aimlessly trying to find somewhere to go is NOT the ticket on two cocktails and half a bottle of wine, research, research, research where’s best to dance with music you can sing-a-long to and that’s where you will be making your move. Or moves!
And that’s it… The perfectly planned night out in a nutshell but… There are a few other things we need to remember in advance and put into the plan because we are old and wise and we know the score if we neglect them – in no particular order don’t forget the fab five:
- For every alcoholic drink match it with a glass of water.
- Don’t leave anyone behind – no man goes anywhere alone!
- Take lots of pictures but disable videos – when we THINK we are the greatest dancer, we usually are not!
- Do a Doodle poll for the places you might like to be adding to the agenda so that everyone is having an input and say!
- Before the end of the night take advantage of having everyone there and synch your diaries for the next one! Strike when the iron is hot!
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