What to do on an evening with friends that isn't the pub?

Meeting up with friends tonight, but due to the fact that we all live nowhere near each other anymore then driving is involved.
It normally ends up in a pub with everyone having one pint and then moving on to softer stuff. If we go local to one of us then they get to enjoy a few pints while the rest don’t.

So, any suggestions of something sociable to do this evening that doesn’t involve alcohol?
A few other conditions… can’t be at home as wife is binge watching some new thing on Netflix and I want to be nowhere in the vicinity. We’re not all bikers, so a ride is out.
Considered cinema, but not massively sociable for a catch up as we don’t all get together often. Don’t fancy bowling as it’s all loud techno and UV light stuff on Friday nights.
If it makes any difference we’re around(ish) the York area.

Surely there must be something?? 😕

Snooker club?

Crack den?

Any greyhound tracks near you?

A few quid betting on the dogs is always a good night out….

Dogging?

Thats really sociable! 😀

LSD and go round and round on the little train thing in the Jorvik Viking Centre? (was a student in York)

Swingers party?

Depends where you are, if you’re near one of the big cities with a German market then head there. You don’t have to drink, there are soft drinks available and plenty of food and stuff to keep people entertained.

This was surprisingly fun and quite sociable: http://junglerumble.co.uk/ No good for you in terms of location but maybe there is something similar close by. We had a couple of beers as we went round but not a heavy session, just some chat and a few laughs. A go on a full sized snooker table is another option. Assuming everyone is pretty rubbish you’ll be there a while and plenty time for chatting if you have a team game.

Ghost walk?

Driving range! a quid each in the pot and the winner is the one with the most balls in the little net.
Amusements. Air hockey
Snooker or pool.
Lazerquest! lol
You could play cards in the pub, poker? or darts.
One of them trampoline places have adult sessions.
Bowling.
a nice meal out.

Fight club?

Curry house? Foam party?

Can you not just organise your nights out a bit better? To allow for a car free situation when you can all get leathered?

Sounds like your better half has already gone for the “sod that! I’m staying in and mainlining Chardonnay!” option 😀

Dinner instead of pub?

Casino! most of them do a poker tournament with entry at like a fiver or a tenner, great fun and they’re usually very welcoming to newbies as they want your money. The downside is they don’t usually let friends sit on the same table.

Naked Beach Party ?

Stumpy01, read this. Greyhound racing, just lovely for the dogs…

Casino! most of them do a poker tournament with entry at like a fiver or a tenner, great fun and they’re usually very welcoming to newbies as they want your money. The downside is they don’t usually let friends sit on the same table.

got caught by that a few years back – one of the pub poker set up. Sat asa group of mates, in pub & orgaiser came round saying do you fancy a game of poker, thinking they’d give us a set to play as a group of friends. After taking £20 from each of us they split us up and effectivly ended the night. Some folk went out quickly but at different times meaining either sit on your tod till / if your mates get out or go home… Most just left in dribs and drabs.

Felt like I had been robbed really, no interest in plaing with strangers and was at the pub to catch up with mates… bastards

Thanks for the ideas.
You had me at driving range….except the latest one I can find closes at 8pm 🙄
Looks like it may be a snooker hall.
Trying to avoid meals to keep costs down a bit, curry is planned for a couple of weeks time already 😀

Bike ride?

Get yourself to Red Goat and have a climbing session, might be a laugh. Can be sociable with a bit of healthy competition

board games.

Ticket to Ride, Power Grid, One night Ultimate Werewolf, etc. etc. etc.

board games.

This, either in the pub (quiet corner) or at a mates house. It provides something to talk about, you can learn at the same speed etc.

If you are close to a board games cafe that would cover it all (e.g. http://www.thirstymeeples.co.uk/)

Local climbing/bouldering wall?

I (well used to anyway) go with a few friends (none of us particularly into climbing or have ever climbed outside the wall) but nice to do something different, inside (good in the dark cold winter evenings), a bit challenging, and get a bit of exercise.

You don’t (and with my arms at least, can’t) go at it continuously, so plenty of breaks for chatting.

You can probably hire stuff at your local wall. For bouldering you only really need shoes (a chalk bag helps too).

Only downside: real climbers probably hate us.

I’d say something to eat. Or just get a quarter between ye, and get blasted!

I’m opting for a curry and then theatre tonight, going to see this stage version of the shawshank redemption. few pints or a bottle of wine will be involved, but nothing drastic.

Really though, if this is a regular issue and you want a proper night out, you all should really just think about booking digs something. Any shitehole will do, just somewhere to lay your head.

2nd the climbing wall

Meet up with old pals occasionally and go to Ratho or similar for a laugh and a chat. We mostly all did climbing but sometimes someone else comes along and hires stuff.

Are you good friends? What about a shower party??

Discuss all of the above and then end up in the pub anyway?

Stay in and play Cards Against Humanity.

Bowling
Naked twister
Go for a bike ride

This is why vans, estate cars and bivi bags were invented.

Vans > estate > bivi bag.

Just go to the pub.

Yeah, if they won’t let you camp in the beer garden, you’re going to the wrong pubs.

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Well, after all those suggestions we ended up going to the pub 😳
Although to be fair with a bit more planning and time we should be able to do something more interesting.
It just feels like trying to herd cats sometimes! 🙄

How about one of those indoor trampolining places..,
I took my Beaver Colony on Wednesday, it was bloody ace.
Can’t wait to go back on my own. 😀

I hope Beaver Colony isn’t a euphamism for a harim

I’m hoping it isn’t a euphemism for anything, and genuinely is a colony of semi-aquatic rodents on trampolines.