Brunch and afternoon tea are perfectly good for Mother’s Day. Who doesn’t like cakes, small sandwiches, fizzy booze, posh teas and eating breakfast food in the afternoon.
But for those looking for something a bit different for the day of the mum, how about a few off-piste suggestions...
Whistle Punks
If she gave birth, she can probably throw an axe. And has probably wanted to at various points of raising you. Why not let her do it in a controlled environment, like Whistle Punks at the Great Northern. They do a bottomless brunch on Sundays too, and what could possibly go wrong with coupling booze and axes? Nothing at all.
Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
K2 Karaoke
Like we say, brunch is great, and so is afternoon tea, but then again so is stuffing yourself with dumplings in Chinatown and then belting out Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic and having cocktails delivered to you. And it’s open until - get this - 3am on Sundays, so make sure she (and you) has got Monday off.
52-56 George St, Manchester M1 4HF
Read more: All the restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this March
Flight Club
For the darts mum, there’s Flight Club. Similar to the axe throwing but potentially less threatening, this sports bar tucked away at the top of King Street is great for groups, so maybe grab a few pals and a few extra mums and head for the oche. You can book tournament sessions, and food and drink packages meaning you get waited on hand and foot as the arrows fly.
Ship Canal House, 98 King St, Manchester M2 4WU
Rummaging in Failsworth
Everything the nostalgic mum could desire can be found at Old Mill antiques and Antique World on Wrigley Head in Failsworth. You could find yourself heading home with a retro lamp, a Chesterfield sofa, a reclaimed radiator, magazines from the 60s or a suit of armour, depending on whether you’ve got an estate car or not. Either way, it’s a fascinating way to spend a Sunday.
Wrigley Head, Failsworth, M35 9BL
80s Rollerskating
For the mums who were born in legwarmers, why not strap some wheels to your feet at Paradise Skate World. There's a 4500 sq ft sprung wooden rink to go at, and packages with food and cocktails included.
Unit 5, Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
Bee Network bike tour
Grab a Beryl bike from any of the 204 bike bays across the city and hit the road (there are 200 of the e-bikes too, if you want to make things run a bit smoother). Head out from town along the Followfield loop, or follow the canals from the Piccadilly basin out into the wilds of Trafford and beyond. You will have to bring them back, so a circular route is probably preferable.
Calcio!
For the mum who loves football, others live sports, retro gaming and burgers, head for new (ish) Northern Quarter bar Calcio! For the 80s mums, there are Sega Megadrives, a Super Nintendo, a Playstation 1, Nintendo 64, Playstation 2, a first generation Xbox, a PS3 and an Xbox 360 to get stuck into, and live sports on the telly. Oh, and great burgers from What’s Your Beef. It’s open till midnight on Sundays, for the hardcore mums too.
24 Dale St, Manchester M1 1FY
Yoga and Puppies
If your mum’s the fitness type, but is also partial to a calendar with pictures of puppies and inspirational mantras (a specific group, granted) then you could try Paw Yoga, which brings together small dogs and yoga, as the name strongly implies. The classes are 30 minutes of yoga, and then 30 minutes of puppy action. They’re also planning to introduce kitten, rabbit and BYOD (bring your own) sessions soon too.
City centre, locations vary, Pawyoga.com
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