BY Lucy Mansfield
Whether you’re single and ready to mingle or a smugly smitten newly-wed, Valentine’s Day is the time to get your flirt on.
What better place to do it than in Bolton where there is something to suit all manner of romance - from a secret smooch over a candlelit dinner to a tantalising high ropes course for the more adventurous.
Or if you want to skip the small talk and get down to business then why not pay a visit to one of Bolton’s dreamy spas. There really is no excuse to stay in next Tuesday and trawl Tinder endlessly.
1. For a traditional Valentine's, take your date or fellow singletons to see Dirty Dancing at Cineworld or the Vue. Watch Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey get down and dirty and you can try and learn some saucy moves for your date in preparation for next year.
2. Stroll up, hand in hand to Horrocks Wood viewpoint, and gaze over the lush, Lancashire foot hills as the sun descends behind the fields and pines. Perhaps take a bottle of red and nestle beneath a cosy blanket as the day comes to an end. But make sure to get there early, before dusk settles.
3. Excite your taste buds with a fine feast at Provenance restaurant in Westhoughton. It's offering a carefully-selected array of dishes from land and sea including oysters, king prawns, beef Wellington and baked Camembert to share. For dessert, you can feed each other strawberries dipped in cream or dark chocolate and passion fruit. This is the ideal spot for a romantic rendezvous. You will even receive a signature Provenance Valentine’s cocktail upon arrival to get things moving. Be sure to book in advance.
4. Step into a silky robe and soft slippers and enjoy a night’s stay at the Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa. You will be welcomed with canapes and, after a steamy sauna sesh, you can indulge in a three course meal. And if you feel a bit lively there will also be a live DJ.
5. For an exhilarating treetop adventure with a special person, unleash your inner monkey and Go Ape in Rivington. You can laugh at your partner in a harness and then push him or her over the edge. You can wail like a gorilla before launching yourself into the jungle, swinging like Tarzan from the trees. There are also ladders, obstacles and crossings to try too.
6. For something a little less terrifying and a little more raucous, take your date to see Bolton Wanderers play Rochdale at the Macron Stadium.
7. The Baltic Cellar will be opening at The Vaults in Market Place Shopping Centre on Monday, February 13. This is just in time for Valentine's Day! Celebrate with a delectable Baltic-inspired meal from their special set menu.
8. For a cheerful, jolly old time with your beloved, pop a bottle of champers or have a posh gin cocktail at Harvey’s Cafe Bar, Mawdsley Street. You can reignite the flame with some tipsy flirting.
9. To bring the fire and passion back, why not get locked in a room with your spouse and try and break out of it. Head to the No Exit escape rooms on Bark Street and attempt to solve clues and find your way out.
10. If you find the whole thing too cringe and a bit forced; why not just stay in with your other half and treat yourself to a taste of romance with 25p oysters from Morrisons.
The supermarket chain has dropped the price significantly from £1.59 per oyster, so now is the time to try the salty mollusc if you haven’t already. A true aphrodisiac, accompany this with some hot chillies and avocado, washed down with some chilled white wine and you’ll be sure to get in the mood.
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