Monday 2 July 2018

What are the best activities to do on a hen night in Durham City?

What are the best activities to do on a hen night in Durham City?

First, where is Durham?


Durham is a small historical city based above York and below Newcastle. It has an excellent rail route right into the heart of the city based on the East Coast Mainline, as well having a popular and highly regarded university.


But you are probably asking yourself what has this got to do with a Hen night or <Hen party>, well, the city is growing with an uptake in bars, restaurants and things to do this sleepy city is perfect for a Hen Weekend that want to get away with their friends for a catch up or just a one day night scenario.

Why Durham?

We are seeing a rise in Hen groups coming to Durham especially over the summer months as the pubs and bars are nicely spread within walking distance throughout the city but also as they based on the river or very close it is a beautiful setting.

The city is also full of great restaurants and a strong cafe culture in which large groups will be looked after and made to feel comfortable as well as filling you with local knowledge on the best-kept secrets so your time in this amazing city is memorable for all the right reasons.

So let's get started on making this a great day, night or weekend and start to look at what is there to do for groups in Durham.

So here are some amazing activities for hen parties in Durham, during the day.



    Burlesque Dancing class for a
    Hen Party in Durham
  • Burlesque Dancing lessons in Durham - This is a brilliant activity 1hr 30 mins activity, min number of 8 and the cost is £20 a head - you warm into a routine learning some classic burlesque moves involving feather boas, gloves and tutus. 
  • Cheer Leading Lessons in Durham - About £20 
  • Pole Dancing lessons in Durham - You have all thought about it, so now is the time to try it. Learn basic spins, dance moves and sexy floor work, have a go at climbing and sitting up the pole, learn to walk in heels and strike flattering poses. Finally, you put what you have learnt into a choreographed routine freestyle dance-off with prizes for best dancers. 
  • Sparkling wine tasting - in Durham. We deal with an amazing wine sommelier who will teach you the difference between sparkling wine, champagne and prosecco. He is a cheeky chappy with huge experience of wines from across the world. You can add a lunch package to this as well for afterwards in one of Durham most acclaimed restaurant gastropubs the Garden House. 
  • Cocktail Making in Durham - We work with one of the liveliest bars in Durham but when you will be drinking and learning about cocktail you will have full use of the bar. this is your chance to be Tom Cruise and make a drink you can die for. £25 Fabio's is the place to be for cocktails as it has an amazing bar that stretches across what becomes a dance floor later int he evening. Get in for cocktails and make sure you come back later for a boogie. 
  • Gin Tasting in Durham - Durham has now some fantastic Gin venues and with Durham Gin popularity growing overnight you will have a fantastic chance to learn from people really know about Gin, the local sources and what to put in it. This package can also come with a fantastic food plater to make sure the Gin does not go straight to your head. Old Toms is one of the Quirkiest bars and if you don't go in for Gin tasting you should head there later for a couple of cheeky Gins, eclectic decor that will keep you guessing. 
  • Lunch in Durham - We deal with a large number of venues across the city from private room dining to more casual light lunch. The packages start from £15 a head and go up depending if you want to add drinks. For a light lunch for smaller groups, we strongly suggest Flat Whites. these two guys have bound onto the scene in Durham over the last few years and created a shabby chic perfect coffee shop, but it is small. 
  • Evening Meal in Durham - Durham has some fantastic venues but as it is a hotspot for tourists it is important that you book the meals in early to make sure you get the space for large groups, but again there is something for everyone starting from £20 a head. Some of the best burgers we have tasted are from Tango, this is a special little restaurant situation on Elvet bridge that really looks after groups but again it is quite small so book in advance. If you are looking for a cheap and very cheerful we strongly suggest Spaghettata, Fabio runs an amazing restaurant that is full of the cheeky chap charm of the Italians of old and the food is fabulous. 
  • Spa Day in Durham - There are some great spas in the city centre and surrounding areas or Durham again it just all depends on the budget. Radisson and Marriot are very centre with others like Seaham Hall and Rockcliffe slightly further afield and Ramside in the middle. 
  • High Ropes near Durham - This is held up at Beamish Wild it is about 20 minutes from the city centre and it a great day out, an activity that gets the blood pumping but also very different from the normal boring lunch and cocktails. 
  • Afternoon Tea in Durham _ most of the hotels in the city centre have an Afternoon Tea if you are looking for something a little more special try tealicious tea rooms on Elevet bridge. 
  • Quad Biking Driving near Durham _ this is an amazing hen party activity as it is full or adrenalin, all the girls get their own quad and then to you take to the fields of County Durham. It is perfect for the ladies that are sick of the female driver banter and want to let rip whilst having a great time with your best friends. At this site, you can also do Clay Pigeon Shooting, Rage Buggies, Mud Buggies as well as the less petrol head activities of Archery and Axe throwing. 
  • Photo Sessions in Durham - Allow a photographer to follow you around on your night out for a few hours getting some great shots and then putting them into a memorable photo book for the hen to keep and preserving the more memorable moments of your Durham Hen Night. 
  • Afternoon Tour including wine and Prosecco stops through Durham 
  • Ghost tours in Durham - Durham is crazy old and has some stories to be told. We link you with one of the cities historians who takes you on a whistle-stop tour of haunted pubs, graveyards, prisons and buildings while also enjoying an odd refreshment along the way. 
  • Gorge Walking near Durham - We have some amazing suppliers that will come to Durham and pick you up for the day, taking you across to the lake district where you can enjoy amazing Gorge Walking and other crazy activities. 
  • Sightseeing River Cruise in Durham - This is a set cruise that runs most early evenings along the river Wear - there is a bar on board and it can also be privately hired if you would prefer to be on your own. It is perfect in weather like we are enjoying at the moment, messing about on the river!. 
  • Life Drawing Classes in Durham - This is such a fun Hen Party activity where you get the girls together and give drawing a naked man ago, all equipment is provided and you will have a resident artist there to help but to be fair it is all fun and generally done in a bar so you can have a few drinks while trying to find your inner Picasso. 
  • Make Over session - Hair Nails and makeup we can do it all before your big hen night out in Durham. Packages change depending on what you are looking to have done but they are very reasonable and you will not be disappointed. 
  • A cocktail Making class
    for a hen party in Durham 
  • Hosted Evening Bar Crawl in Durham _ you will be hosted throughout the evening by some amazing young gentlemen. They will guide you through the bars of Durham and then take you to one of the leading nightspots in the city. Generally, in the evening you taken to 4 bars in the night and finish in a Nightclub. In most bars, you receive a complimentary shot to get the Durham Hen Night off in the right direction.



Friday 18 May 2018

Stag Weekend Check List !!

Stag party help 

Here I am again,

Over the past 12 years, I have arranged ten of thousands of Stag and Hen Weekends throughout the world. I am producing a little guide to help you gain a step up when starting to plan a Stag party.  
I organise parties for a living,  and the first and most important point is to make the process STRESS FREE. I am sure you will all agree!!
There has been checklists and articles written before not my ME! so check this one out. 

The blog today is for the best man !! 
It will allow you to create the perfect send-off for your best friend, funnily enough as I am writing this my best friend is contemplating getting engaged to his girlfriend so I will be blogging through the whole process as we go along. I have planned a stag do in the past for friends but none for my BEST FRIEND, sorry for all those I have done before I still love you !!
Over the past few months, I have found the press including TV want to get more involved in Stag and Hen Weekends, recording groups away and finding out the ins and out that go on, don't watch these programmes as every one knows "what goes on tour stays on tour" 

This Blog over the next couple of weeks will help in different areas 
  • Check the list to make sure you are organised  
  • Give you an idea of different Stag locations throughout the world 
  • Give you an idea of what Stag activities you can do in certain places 
  • Give you options on +FancyDressShack.co.uk for the Group and the Stag 

  • The Mankini with Tutu 
    Good Hotel Options +Hotel Direct 
  • And much more day to day things I find.










Well let's crack on with the checklist 

  • Like most male groups you might have been planning this for a while and I am sure in the pub you have heard the line " when I get married I want to go to ?? " well this is your chance to sort that out for him. 
  • You should have as little involvement from the future wife other than maybe " I will look after him, or, don't you worry he will be safe hands!" 
  • Get together a small group of friends and met up preferably over a pint, to get your practice in, discuss location options. Bare these in mind when doing this. 
  • What is different from organising a Stag night from a Hen night, is that you take the choice away from the Stag. It has nothing to do with him. You are in control. So with that in mind pick a suitable location with your small group of friends.
  • Ask him who he would like to invite Very important as you need to know if the Brides father will be invited. It is important to get the guest list organised early 
  1. If his future wife will not give his passport over you must make sure it is somewhere this is not needed.
  2. Try and get a budget so everyone can come but bear in mind who he has invited from the point above.
  3. How many days are you looking to go away for? A good point to think about, if he has only invited a small group of close friends, he may be planning a home leg for the masses closer to the event so you can get away for a little longer without upsetting people. 
  • Create a facebook page and email thread for those not on email so you can invite and confirm people who will be attending as well as opening the streams of Banter. 
  • Whatsapp groups is always a must as keeps people instantly up to date with what is happening.
  • Contact a Stag Company to get ideas, they will help you with advice on areas you may not know. They can also put in place payment plans that can ease the constant chasing of money from the rest of stag group. All stag companies need to be paid in general one month before but can put in payment plans to get guys to pay each money or whenever they like, but they will chase this for you.
  • Have a list of tasks you would like him to complete while you are away, such as Drinking a pint from some one's shoe, Wearing tutu or dress for the day and so on. 
  • This leads on to Themes for the day make sure you as the best man pack the Stags outfits for the few days you are away. As an example I had "Only gay in the village" for the airport, we also have airport drinking games http://www.kgbanswers.co.uk/what-are-the-rules-to-the-airport-drinking-game/2073218, "Borat mankini" for the second day and "A Smurf" for the third day. 
  • Take photos but they are never to be published and shall always be kept private to be used for banter and examples for future stags do within the group. 
  • Try and arrange either an event or an activity to participate in so you will not have three or 4 solid days on the drink. Honestly, this is a good idea as it bonds the group together and allows everyone a rest even if only for a couple of hours check out all the stag and hen companies but also now air bnb have experiences that will point you in the right direction for some water-based activities. A simple football game is always a good cheap option.
  • Other Daytime options are things like Pub Golf as it lends itself to a theme. http://pubgolf.co.uk/rules.htm 
  • Make sure that you have all the medical requirements or conditions of the whole group. If you think this is not necessary check out stag and hen stories on tomorrows blog and find out about my Stag Do
  • Decide on a stripper and plan when wearing and what she is wearing
  • Try and have a plan of action for each day and an itinerary so you have meeting point as say the morning afternoon and evening, so if people what to do there own thing they can step out and rejoin at certain times.
  • Make sure no one logs onto Facebook over the weekend and adds things as in most cases the future wife will also be friends with this individual and might get annoyed with what she has seen. I am talking from personal reference here when my friend decided to post photos of me getting lead around a bar on my hands and knees by a stripper. Not Good !!!!!!!
  • Give one telephone number to the future wife so she can get in touch at some point over the weekend, for peace of mind. I would not let the stag keep this phone and generally, with +Fancydress247.com there are no pockets, so carry a bum bag for him.
  • If you pick an overseas stag location please do a little research with sites like +TripAdvisor  or similar so you know what you can get away with as a Stag group.

Well, there is a lot on this blog and I hope you find it useful in the planning of the Stag do. I am here to help if you have any questions or ideas. 

Wednesday 4 May 2016

What does a your man feel about proposing?



For months and months you have been secretly talking to your best mates about the following questions,

When do you do it ?

What is her ring size ?

How much should a ring cost?

What is her dad going to say ?


In a way, with myself, it became slightly more of an event than first planned. I am extremely lucky to have married an amazing Irish Girl "Galway Girl".  We were sort of mid table in terms of friends and family that have got married and we had discussed it slightly in the past but nothing of significant note..... well that is what I thought! haha No in all serious, my now wife stated she wanted to get married before she was 30 and on a few occasions on alcohol fuelled nights she had been know to shout out "why are we not married". This was the kick I needed to nudge me in the right direction and get things moving.

Her birthday was actually flying up and I had one month to plan and make tracks across the Irish sea to ask her father and move ever closer to making this official.


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It is a hugely daunting factor to ask the father of the women you love for permission to marry his daughter, or so I thought!


In my circumstances the scene was set. I planned on taking the future father in law to a Hurling Match, the sport he loves, with this game having now became more significant, bearing in mind one of his sons was also competing.


My thinking at the time was great, me being English and Jose Irish from the west coast, there would be a minor bump with the accent but his attention would be elsewhere. I will quickly slip in the question, fingers crossed a positive answer, then home to hopefully celebrate a victory in the Hurling Match and in Anglo Irish relations because of the marriage of his daughter.


We did start to make small talk, it was tough to understand initially but considering I have been with my then girlfriend for 8 years and having lived in Galway, I should be used to the accent,  I put it down to nerves.


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I had plucked up the courage and was about to pop the question when whom should turn up but my “fingers crossed” soon to be fiancé and her family. Plans were scuppered now moving to Plan B.


There was actually no plan B,  I had lost my mojo and could not find a suitable time again when father in law to be and myself would have a moment to ask.  I just proposed on my return home in a hugely romantic setting.


 What should I have done ? Should I have just grabbed him ? I had been in the family at this point for 8 years they must have known it was coming. On talking to some friends they did engineer conversation over the telephone to get the answer they required, is this more suitable ?


It is the traditional side and I was disappointed with myself but needs must and I just reacted to my circumstances.


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So anyway back to the questions

When do you do it ?



When she keeps going on about it, as I am sure you will love her but just being a man you may not have thought about moving it on to the next level. Their is no shame, your relationship is fantastic, you are both happy sometimes you just need a prod in the right direction.


What is her ring size?


Grab an old ring that you know fits and take it into a jewellers they will be able to help and also give you advice on the right ring and what how much, all very useful info ?


How much should a ring cost?

I personally don't agree with this one in the scene, Love is love and you live by your own means, but it should involve some sort of financial sacrifice as far as hurts a little to find the money. You want to spend the rest of your life with this person don't forget. I have attached a number of articles for you to have a read up.


http://www.moneyunder30.com/how-much-should-you-spend-on-an-engagement-ring


http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/how-much-to-spend-on-engagement-ring


What is her Dad going to say ?


In all honesty you should hope he is going to say yes, relationships are not cooked to perfection over night and you would have had on occasions to talk candidly to her father about current affairs to see where his views are. If he knows you love and will love his daughter this is always going to be positive.


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So all in all in conclusion I add that if you love the girl everything will fall into place and their will be a happy ending, if not there is always Tinder!


Then it is on to the fun part the Hen Party and Stag Night, that is where I can use my professional experience to help you organise something special, so get in touch with grant@popthefizz.co.uk and have a look on www.popthefizz.com for ideas.