Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

What to do for upcoming big birthday?

6 replies

Sorry10 · 26/08/2018 16:02

I’ve a big birthday coming up want to do something to celebrate. I don’t fancy a party it’s too much work atbh that’s the other thing my in laws are great but my family don’t make the effort to family gathering always a excuse that can’t go so it’s embarrassing if I arrange something and it’s just DH family and my friends. I don’t get along with my dad either so perhaps it’s a bit awkward for them too thats why they don’t come . This happened to dh big birthday and I know he was hurt. It’s the same for a meal who to invite. ? I’m thinking about going away but as it’s winter where ? Don’t want to do long haul . Advice tips please .

OP posts:
cannycat20 · 26/08/2018 16:47

Balloon trip? Helicopter ride? (Advantage of not allowing many people in the transport....) Nice spa weekend? Short cruise round the Med or somewhere else warm and sunny? Or, since it's winter, what about going somewhere you wouldn't normally, like Iceland, for a short break?

Sorry10 · 26/08/2018 17:46

I hate heights ,spa weekend sounds good.

OP posts:
cannycat20 · 26/08/2018 20:29

If the spa type experience appeals, you might also like something along the lines of a chocolate making workshop. A colleague had one of these for her hen event and it was lovely, really civilised and nice. Plus, obviously, we got to eat the chocolate...

I'm not sure where you're located, but another option would be to pick a part of the country you'd like to visit and have an appropriate "experience" there...

So, Bath might include trip to the Roman Baths (get there early though, they've been so busy this year), tour on the hop on/hop off bus, trip to the Jane Austen centre and afternoon tea, trip to the Fudge Kitchen if you have a sweet tooth (they also do make your own sessions), blow your own glass bauble at Bath Aqua Glass, and maybe a ghost or comedy walk in the evening.

York - Jorvik, York Minster, Betty's Tea Shop (though I hear it's not quite as good as it once was), chocolate making workshop, and a river cruise or ghost walk (I'd recommend the ghost walks in York, they're excellent).

Devon/Cornwall - nice, slow pace of life, after a walk along the beach/clifftops or to a farmers' market, visit the underground passages in Exeter, enjoy a cream tea and/or a Cornish pasty or two, or a chocolate making workshop.

Or make something completely off the wall, in a nice way, like a willow basket in Somerset, or a sea glass ring in Scotland?

If you really want to get away from it all and don't mind taking a ferry/train or flying then driving (sorry, I know you said earlier you don't like heights), then Donegal in Ireland is about as remote as you can get, and there are foraging, felting and turf-cutting workshops amongst many, many others. The food and hospitality are usually pretty good too and it's rare to find a pub without live music in the evening.

Whatever you decide, hope you have a lovely time.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Sorry10 · 26/08/2018 20:47

Thanks for taking the time to reply , all lovely suggestions will have to put some thought into it . A nice break with dh sounds appealing but also would like to do something with ds and dd . Trouble is everyone expects you to hand some sort of party planned which is not my thing .

OP posts:
mygrandchildrenrock · 28/08/2018 12:02

I had a big birthday earlier this summer and my DC and DGC are scattered about. I looked for a country house/hotel with nice grounds that did afternoon tea half way between everyone.
I found a wonderful place which was 2 hrs drive for most of us and 3 hours for one family member. We all met there at 2 pm and had a great afternoon. We said we would do it again for the next big birthday, there must be country houses/hotels all over beautiful part of the UK.
I did look at staying there for one night but at £300 a room thought better of it!

PoptartPoptart · 28/08/2018 12:17

First of all, forget what everyone else ‘expects’ you to do. You don’t have to have a party/dinner with everyone if you don’t want to.
I had a big birthday last year and chose to go away for a few days with DH & DC. There were a few protests from family/friends but I wanted to spend the money on something I wanted to do instead of forking our hundreds of pounds on a party I didn’t want, just for the benefit of other people.
DH recently celebrated a big birthday and he and I went to London for a couple of days. We splashed out on a nice hotel and had a posh meal and went to the theatre. The following weekend we took the DC out for the day and had afternoon tea to celebrate.
Do what you want op.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page