A guide to Galentine’s in Bristol

In a world of Hinge where the only  ‘special skill’ a man has mastered is ‘getting back the hoodie you borrowed’, I believe Galentine’s day is the only acceptable way to view February 14^th, for those single and taken alike. Let’s ditch the men and enjoy a night with the girls. So to make your lives a bit easier I’m going to walk you through some fun things to do this Valentines, alternatives to a club night, because, let’s face it, you’re not going to find your Anthony or Benedict Bridgeton (sorry Colin) in La Rocca, or, god forbid the Brass Pig, on Saturday night.

Obviously, this is a galentines guide – but boys do not fear – whilst ‘palentines’ or ‘blokentines’ don’t have the same ring to them, and sound slightly like old time disease names, this guide could be adapted, or influence you to spend your V-Day in a more exciting way – but I am going to entirely ignore you now. This is just my pitiful attempt to make you feel slightly included.

Night In

Most Read

I’m in prison with Lucy Letby right now and this is what she’s really like

Here’s why people are so freaked out about that super creepy Ring Doorbell advert

Here are Bad Bunny’s translated Super Bowl lyrics, so you know why people are angry

Right let’s start with the basics, on hosting a girls night in. Get a group of your girls over to your ‘lovely’ flat, pick up some pink balloons and perhaps even some outrageously overpriced roses. Light some candles, turn up the music, hope you don’t get a noise complaint, dress up or do a pyjama theme, banish your male flatmates and pop open some prosecco. You could put together a home-made pizza station or emulate summer vibes with a table of picky bits, perhaps make a large lasagne or pasta bake, a charcuterie board or smash burger tacos, or simply order in and treat yourself. Who ever said cupid’s arrow had to be aimed at a person and not food?

If you’re feeling adventurous whip up some meringues (I promise they’re actually super easy to make), make chocolate covered strawberries, or bake some brownies or cookies. Also, this is a reminder that microwave mug cakes exist and whilst not being a delicacy for sure, are quick and easy to make.

You can always turn it into more of an event and bring some crafts into it. Tesco sells fake lego flowers for £4, which are surprisingly quite good quality, and I will admit took me and my flatmates much longer to piece together than we anticipated. You could also buy some cheap wine glasses and/or candles and decorate them. Obviously pink G&Ts would be my go to choice for drinks, but you can’t go wrong with making, I guess, ‘love’ themed cocktails.

If you want to turn the night into a movie night, Mean Girls, Clueless, Legally Blond, Bridesmaids, The Princess Diaries and my personal favourite, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, are all classic options. Regardless, booze, girls and gossip, what more can a girl ask for? However, if you want to brave the Bristol streets, and incessant rain, and venture beyond the triangle for once, here are some Galentines events and things to do!

Cinema trip

Firstly, if you weren’t aware of the new Wuthering Heights being shown at the Odeon from the 11^th onwards, I’ll be very surprised, and whilst I think we can all agree Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi make a very peculiar couple, tickets are only £4 from the 12-22^nd Feb, so that’s definitely something to keep in mind to go watch.

Bottomless Brunch!

This week, a bunch of places all over Bristol have great offers and deals for bottomless brunch. Pizza on the Park are hosting a ‘bottomless bubbles’ Galentines day, to, in their words ‘help you celebrate your sisterhood’ – which yes made me cringe slightly, but I like the sentiment. It’s £35 a head, so it’s a bit steep, but you’ll just have to drink enough to get your money’s worth. Slug and Lettuce are also hosting a brunch, so is Fight Club who have a DJ, bottomless sourdough pizza and booze for £33 a head. No. 4 Clifton Village are hosting an afternoon tea, if you want something a bit calmer and possibly more relaxing. Anyway, all of these are specially labelled as Galentines, so thankfully there won’t be any men there to judge your ability to sink glasses of prosecco like water.

Galentines ‘sip and paint’

If your willing to venture to Bedminster, Studio Pachira are putting on a sip and paint experience, which apparently includes said painting, karaoke, wine and margaritas, and ‘good vibes’. It’s £23 per person, so a bit of a cheaper option, though I don’t believe the drinks are included, and considering what Bristol is like, I think we can safely assume they’re not. However, canvases and painting materials are provided. Also,  the business is women-owned, which is always good to know – like the moment you realised buzz balls also were, and suddenly drinking them feels like your helping out the feminist movement, and not just trying to get drunk quick but can’t handle straight spirits. Sorry bit of an aside, but yes sip and paint is another great option!

Silent Disco

Another brilliant option is the Galentines Silent Disco at the Bristol Museum on Friday 13^th – let’s ignore long standing superstition associated with that day. The Silent Disco is £15 for the late slot ticket, 9:30pm-12am, there’s promises of LED glow sticks and to be honest it does look surprisingly like a lot of fun. I mean when else are you going to go to the museum, I don’t think I can even remember the last time I went to one. So, if you want to dance your way into valentines day, and listen to squeaky shoes and lots of bad singing when you take your headphones off, then this might be the activity for you.

Okay, I think that covers most stuff, obviously lots of pubs will be hosting quiz nights etc, but if you’re trying to avoid the surplus of happy couples, then these Galentine events are probably the better way to go. Valentines day shouldn’t just be a celebration of romantic love, platonic love is far superior, and this way you’ll actually have a fun night, and not have to go on the hunt at the last minute for a date with some random dude tried to order for you!