Your one-stop guide to navigating Manchester on a hangover

Yes, you can have fun in Manchester without a drink


Picture the scene, you’ve woken up with vape in hand, makeup all over your pillow and a mouth drier than the Sahara. You hear the kettle flick on so you sprint to the kitchen to catch up on last nights antics. After being reminded of your questionable dance moves, cautiously checking your bank account and concluding that last night was a belter, you decide today is a write-off in terms of any university work. After all, you came here for the partying not the studying.

Sometimes there’s no hope other than a hefty UberEATS followed up with a day of naps and regrets, but in case you do feel up to venturing outside here is a list of sober, wholesome activities in glorious Manchester.

Number One: Feed Your Cold and Empty Soul

A day doesn’t start without breakfast; unless you’ve spent the morning with your head down the toilet in which case lets go for brunch. If you don’t feel like moving too far from your bed I would recommend hopping 5 minutes on the bus to Withington. My top choice for a venue is Toast, but this is fiercely rivalled by Fuel. If you can make it into town, Café 19 is a great stop right next to Piccadilly, or you can hop on over to Ancoats for some ‘eggsquisite’ food at Trove.

Number Two: Paint All Your Problems Away

If you just want to unwind and relax to distract yourself from the fact you rigorously overshared in the smoking area last night or spammed your ex with messages, might I recommend a wholesome painting session with your flat or housemates. For under a fiver take yourself to Sostrene Greene at the Royal Exchange Theatre where you will find a selection of mini paints and canvases at a very student friendly price. Nurture your inner Picasso and use your pain to make a masterpiece!

Number Three- Overdraft say whaaaa?

The Trafford Centre. Need I say more? What is going to cheer you up faster than spending an extortionate amount of your student loan on some new clothes? However, this is not for everyone. Being in the Trafford Centre on a good day already feels like trying to push your way through Times Square, so add a hangover to the mix and the sensory overload could be a step too far. If this is the case, might I highly recommend the mini golf next door to the Trafford Centre. Miles better than the indoor Treetop Adventure Golf at Printworks the course here is outside giving you some much needed fresh air, and features waterfalls, caves, and some very phallic looking dinosaurs. Well worth every penny and well worth the trek it takes to get there (it’s the 150 and 250 bus if anyone was wondering).

Number Four- Put That Dysfunctional Noggin To Use

Sticking to the activity theme, as we approach winter you might be looking for things to keep you entertained indoors. Now, I understand that sometimes it can be difficult to engage your brain when your body is still processing the ungodly number of alcohol units that were consumed the night before. However, if you can bring a team together, Escape Hunt over near the Arndale is an escape room well worth a visit. For a reasonable price you go through multiple rooms and the puzzles are a mixture of skill and common sense. Coming from a dumb blonde with little to no common sense, it is much more doable than some other escape rooms but its not too easy or childish either. You also get a free photoshoot at the end and who doesn’t want a cowboy themed photo to slap onto the Insta story.

Number Five- Touch Grass

An under appreciated activity for a wholesome Sunday moment has to be Tatton Park. Unfortunately, this is situated slightly out of Stagecoach’s reach, so you’ll need a willing friend with a car to take you (remember to offer petrol money). This National Trust property is about 20 minutes’ drive from Fallowfield and features miles of parkland full of deer, as well as gardens you can pay to enter- there’s even a maze that I never managed to complete! The perfect spot to wander round and debrief the previous night, as well as a great place to take some amazing Instagram shots so you can prove how much better you are than everyone else because you can hack your hangovers and they can’t.

Number Six- Get Your WAG On

Now, I know football is not for everyone (private school peeps I’m looking at you), but there is something really therapeutic about standing outside and watching a good game of spot the fitty. Uh- I mean- spot the footy ! You don’t have to blow the bank either. There are several lower league teams in and around Manchester- Curzon Ashton, Bolton Wanderers and Altrincham just to name a few. So why not gather your housemates and pretend to be a local for a couple of hours? You can scream to your hearts content in the crowd to repent last nights sins, or, if you like to opt for the hair of the dog approach then this is just the place to do it. An unexpected bonus is that you are outside if you need a tacky chun.

Enjoy nursing that hangover!

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