Valentine’s Day is coming up and Prestonians will be looking for romantic plans with their nearest and dearest for the weekend.
Either that or they’ll be closing their eyes and ears and ignoring it completely, but if that’s you, then you aren’t even reading this.
There’s a fair amount you can get up to in Preston for Valentine’s Day and we’ve picked our favourites to help give you some ideas and make sure you don’t end up in trouble this Valentine’s Day.
These are the places we think you should visit, or get your gifts, on Valentine’s Day.
Let us know what you’ll be getting up to in the comments.
You could also head to KFC if you feel like being single afterwards is a good idea.
Japanese Garden
This is definitely weather permitting but this part of Avenham Park is comfortably one of the most beautiful.
A visit here probably shouldn’t be the entirety of your Valentine’s Day plans, but it could make up part of a bigger set of ideas.
You could also: Head down to Preston Docks for a walk instead
Heart-Shaped Burgers at The Ferret
Kudos to the great meat-shifters at The Ferret for getting involved with Valentine’s Day.
£17.95 will get you and a partner a couple of the burgers with £4.95 getting you a dozen bacon roses.
You’ll also get free entry to the PINS gig that night.
You could also: Try Burgers N Bibs
East Z East
From experience, going for a curry is something that often takes a lot of persuasion from one half of the couple to the other.
It’s simply one of those things that some people love and others are happy to leave. Luckily, there’s always a compromise.
The snazzy interior and superior presentation at East Z East means that it tends to impress people a little more than your traditional curry house.
You could also: Head to the King Karai on Watery Lane. Who knows, you might even run into the Blog Preston team.
Mystery Tea House
This place on Cannon Street is one of those that is loved by many and unknown by others.
You should rectify this swiftly. Mystery Tea House remains one of the cutest places in Preston and the perfect place to discover on Valentine’s Day.
You could also: Buy their specialist teas and have your own tea party
Afternoon Tea
There are lots of places that you can get afternoon tea in the area and the small sandwiches and cakes that come with it are undeniably cute.
Patisserie Valerie is an obvious shout since opening in the city centre but you could also try Farington Lodge or Marriott Hotel.
You can usually get it with champagne to make it a little more special.
You could also: Make a savoury afternoon tea. Replace the sweet with scotch eggs, steak sandwiches and fish finger butties.
Flowers
Absolutely clichéd but there’s a decent reason for that, although both sexes can definitely appreciate them.
Margaret Mason is just one of the florists that you can visit. You can even ask for recommendations.
You could also: Head to Lush and grab some decent toiletries.
The ELO Experience
Jeff Lynne and his Electric Light Orchestra might well be performing at Glastonbury and on an immensely popular UK tour, but that doesn’t mean tickets are easy to get.
Luckily, the Guild Hall welcomes The ELO Experience on the Saturday.
What says romance more than a sway along to Mr Blue Sky? Not much.
You could also: Go and see PINS at The Ferret for a different live music experience.
The Warehouse
If neither of the above options is for you, then maybe a mosh along the a three-song salvo of Disturbed, Slipknot and Drowning Pool is what you want.
If that even flickered onto your radar then there’s a good chance you’ll be doing it anyway.
On the other hand, you can also stay in and watch Take Me Out (we’ll see you in town).
You could also: Go for cocktails at Kuckoo and Treehouse.
Heathcote’s Brasserie
Booking into Heathcote’s will show your date how serious you are.
Paul Heathcote has been one of the jewels in Preston’s dining scene for quite a long time.
Locally-sourced produced, presented eloquently, in surroundings that have a special occasion feel.
You could also: Try The Olive Press for an Italian alternative