Valentine's Day the SOUTHAMPTON Way

It’s Valentine’s Day and as always we here at the Soton Tab have our readers’ interests at heart. It can be a stressful time for everyone, whether single, dating, in a relationship or asexual, and the worries of this beautiful day can get to anyone, but we are here to help make sure your love story ends a little more successfully than normal. To do this, I have thought of some potential ideas of where to take your date, and weighed up the pros and cons so that YOU don’t have to. Once you’ve made an informed decision, you can then whisk your potential, or current lover away, and both have the Valentines Day you’ve always dreamed of.

1. Jesters:

Pros – for some, the ‘Palace of Dreams’ may always seem like it’s Valentine’s Day. We’ve all had to wade through the hormone-fuelled orgy at some point in our time here, so why not embrace the love on this special day? Take your loved one for a night at a place where dreams come true. If worst comes to worst and you get rejected, I’m sure you’ll find someone there, and if not, just drown your sorrows with a Jesticle or two.

Cons – Of course, Jesters is not for everyone. For many, Jesters may have the romantic allure of a landfill, and to brave this one you would have to be incredibly drunk. It’s a bold move, but cheap alcohol mixed with floods of drunk students could result in your date being courted by another suitor. Plus, Chicoland isn’t exactly the Ritz.

Jesters dancefloor: the well-known location of many a romantic encounter

2. Nando’s:

Pros – Listen, maybe it’s time to step off your high horse and accept that Nando’s is as good as a normal restaurant. Now lovingly referred to as ‘Pulling an Adnan Januzaj’, Nando’s will be the obvious choice of many on this most romantic of days. And rightly so – after all, their chicken is superb, and it’s pretty reasonable on that student budget. It’s also quite relaxed, so you would not have to worry about forking out extra dollar for some flashy clothes.

Cons – “Oh, you’re a vegetarian…” Nando’s do technically have a vegetarian option but it’s not exactly the ideal setting for someone repulsed by the idea of meat/animals being killed/deliciousness. Also, for some, it might still be considered expensive, so for all you chivalrous lads or strong independent women who insist on paying the bill, this could leave you with a hefty chunk out of your bank account.

3. Stay at home for a romantic evening:

Pros – This allows you complete control over how the evening goes. Maybe cook your date a nice meal, give your date a loving massage, play a cheeky game of strip scrabble, or even plan how you’d decorate the floral arrangements at each other’s funerals: the possibilities are endless!

Cons – Unless you’re interesting/funny/can cook/are really knowledgeable about floral arrangements, this could end up being a bit boring and generic. Your date might find you passionless and run off with a liberal French artist or join a commune afterwards, and nobody wants that.

4. Break up with them to save time, money and effort:

Pros – You get to go to your favourite drinking ground with complete freedom to prey on those desperately seeking love. Or you could stay in and watch Netflix. Or you could have Nandos because your previous love interest was a vegetarian and wouldn’t let you go to Nandos. Or you could start a fight club. Or you could go to a petting zoo. So much room for activities!

Cons – Pretty damn ruthless. Even if you want to break up just grit your teeth and last another couple of days. Plus freedom can be overrated, in a relationship there’s always someone who will want you and let’s face it, the dance floor at Jesters might not be the place to go and replace that. Your call though…

What are your star ideas for Valentine’s Day? Any horror stories to share? Comment below and help your fellow students avoid difficulties. Most importantly, have an awesome Valentine’s Day, whatever your persuasion or preference!