Your Ideas for His Birthday Present Experience please!!

[PeckhamRose]

Hi all. This time last year you were kindly recommending restaurants in Paris for me to take MrPR to.

He did not even know I was taking him to lunch let alone that it was in Paris so it was a lovely experience and we had a great time. I often try and do something like this - one time we stayed overnight in a boutique hotel in Bayswater, another time I took him to a matinee at the Savoy, another time to Dennis Severs House in Spitalfields (highly recommended!).

This year I have earned very, very little so can't afford to splash out in quite the same way.

Aside from having a bring a bottle party or inviting friends he has not seen for ages over to the pub, can anyone recommend anything imaginative and fun? I checked my meagre airmiles but we only have the one day and can't stay overnight anywhere.

I suppose we're talking ?100 tops. But that would be a stretch!

Thanks everyone for any suggestions!

[daizie]

What about thamesribexperience.com ? Someone on the forum recommended it to me , and it was great fun .

p.s Just thought, maybe not in this weather .

[PeckhamRose]

Thanks daizie!

Anyone else got any ideas?

[Bellenden Belle]

If you liked Dennis Sever's house, then you could try http://www.soane.org/

It's quite gothic and absolutely fascinating.... they do candelight tours occasionally too.

[PeckhamRose]

Done that! Thanks BellendenBelle - how the blinking flip are you!

I need something treat-like for his birthday.

[Applespider]

Grab a group of friends and go to the Ceilidh Club for lots of dancing? Think they do them most Friday nights although you do have to hike into town. Tickets are about ?12/15 depending on venue. Although admittedly not very romantic...

Quite a few of Michelin restaurants have some good value lunch menus at the moment - ?30 a head. Obviously, you'd have to go light on the wine/drink front to stay within budget and I guess it might be a little too like last year.

Or how about, if he's into beer, taking him on a brewery tour followed by a good lunch? Shepherd Neame in Faversham do an interesting tour (I was there for a wedding recently)? Or if he's got a favourite beer, see if that brewery run tours?

[PeckhamRose]

I like your thinking.

Specially as I like beer too!

Nice idea indeed.

I just rang Shephed Neame and they're not doing tours that day, just schools tours (seriously) which are booked up.

Anyone else?

[Applespider]

School tours?!?! Lucky sods - although having said that I did go round the Glenmorangie distillery with my school - complete with a tasting of a rather nice reserve malt. I suppose brewing is a science after all.

Hmm... Fullers do a tour too although I've never been on it so can't comment on quality...

[Applespider]

School tours?!?! Lucky sods - although having said that I did go round the Glenmorangie distillery with my school - complete with a tasting of a rather nice reserve malt. I suppose brewing is a science after all.

Hmm... Fullers do a tour too although I've never been on it so can't comment on quality...

[PetuniaButtons]

Hello dear- well, aren't you a lovely lady! Paris for your other half's birthday- what a lovely idea!

I haven't got anything as good as that up my sleeve. Mind you, Mr Buttons did take me up the Oxo Tower for my 60th- I can't say too much about it, but it was certainly a surprise!

I have said it before and I'll say it again- you can't go wrong with a voucher. Or I think they have them little plastic cards these days. You can even get them for Sainsbury's -he could maybe get himself a tin of nice biscuits and then he might do the weekly shop, if you drop a couple of hints!

Anyway dear I've got to dash. I'm off to get ready for the Pyrotechnic's Arms. Course it's meat raffle night so we need to get there early to get a comfy seat...

ttfn!

[PetuniaButtons]

Hello dear- well, aren't you a lovely lady! Paris for your other half's birthday- what a lovely idea!

I haven't got anything as good as that up my sleeve. Mind you, Mr Buttons did take me up the Oxo Tower for my 60th- I can't say too much about it, but it was certainly a surprise!

I have said it before and I'll say it again- you can't go wrong with a voucher. Or I think they have them little plastic cards these days. You can even get them for Sainsbury's -he could maybe get himself a tin of nice biscuits and then he might do the weekly shop, if you drop a couple of hints!

Anyway dear I've got to dash. I'm off to get ready for the Pyrotechnic's Arms. Course it's meat raffle night so we need to get there early to get a comfy seat...

ttfn!

[Narnia]

Does he like wine? You could visit Vinopolis for something different. They have a comprehensive website. Just type the name and you'll find it.

[PeckhamRose]

Thanks - the idea of a voucher fills me with dread. Very unimaginative! Sorry!

I have organised a Fullers Tour for the afternoon and may go to Kew Gardens in the morning, we both love Fuller Beer so thanks for the idea Applespider! I hope if I have a bit more money next year we'll do something a bit more fabulous. But time's are tough. Thanks everyone!!

[woofmarkthedog]

Where ever you take your man on his birthday is great, as long as you can both wear your "birthday suits" together.

As my Grandad said .....( bless his soul )

" Draws a man further than dynamite will blow him "

W**F

* carnal I know......but...*

[Applespider]

Great! Glad that the idea worked out. Would be interested to know what the tour is like...

Enjoy!

[Ladymuck]

Hope I'm not too late, but check this out: http://www.premierinn.com/pti/home.do?CMP=KNC-Google_brand. They don't have the 5* trimmings, but their rooms are spotless, modern and comfortable...and you get tea and biscuits etc!

Have a lovely time whatever you do xxx

PS: Beds are good too (*winks mischievously at PR*)

[PeckhamRose]

Nope, in my first post, we can't stay overnight anywhere this year.

Working the day before and the day after!

But thanks anyway!

Just hoping it's a nice day so we might even fit Kew Gardens in, in the morning!

[sazzle]

I see you have something booked already but i recently bought someone tickets on the thames rib voyages boat cruise and they were really pleased with it.

I also bought someone a cookery lesson at the jamie oliver place in clapham, I went along as well and we did rack of lamb! it was great fun you prepare it all there and then bring it home to cook. There are lots of different sessions you can do and you get a glass of wine included. Some of the stuff you make there and eat round the big table. It max 10 per group. Might be one for you next year!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipease/index.html

[PeckhamRose]

Nice idea! But not for us!

Another time we did a photo expedition down the Thames on some boat and listened to the awful biased ignorant utterings of the tour guide tell us his opinions on the architecture. And at the end he asked for donations! This for another topic maybe, but certainly if we have visitors I shall take your recommendations for the RIB cruise thing.

For now, if it is nice, a morning in Kew Gardens, and if it isn't - a lay in! followed by lunch at - and a tour of - Fuller's Brewery, and then the rest of the afternoon coming home and a meal with mates at the Clockhouse! Hope I can earn more money so I can do something more exciting and expensive next year (see below for the way I sometimes earn money!) but thanks everyone for your kind suggestions and recommendations.

The best one I did for a milestone birthday he had - Virgin and BA were in a fight and Virgin offered 2 for 1 flights to USA so I took him to California for 2 weeks and we did a road trip. Will I ever be so rich again? Sighhhh

[Bellenden Belle]

Your efforts are commendable Peckhamrose...can I cheekily ask a question? Does he make sure your birthdays are equally memorable? Hope so!

[legalbeagle]

I know I'm probably far too late but it sounds like you both like gardens? If so have you thought about a years membership of the RHS? The RHS gardens at Wisley are not that far away and are beautiful, and very interesting, and if one person is an RHS member they can take someone else in for free, so it would benefit you both. It's only about ?40, maybe a bit less.