To ask for ideas on a solo birthday weekend?

[Haveimiscarried]

My birthday is coming up, and its been a bit of a weird few months.
I had a MC (although I didn't know I was pregnant) which then led to a break-up.
I moved to a new area for ex but haven't really made any friends since I've been here (London).

I have friends in other areas of the UK but none of them are keen on doing anything to celebrate, so I am planning to just spoil myself for the weekend.

Does anyone have any ideas what I can do? I will probably go for a nice lunch, and maybe book a facial or something, but that will all be over pretty quickly!

I like going out for drinks but I don't feel comfortable doing that by myself. My boss has given me the afternoon off on my actual birthday (the Wednesday) despite me insisting no, so that I can 'get ready' for the evening. Feel a bit silly telling her I won't be doing anything in the evening :(
I've already told her I will babysit on NYE for her, she must think I'm very boring. (She is aware of break up but not of MC, it happened 3 weeks into new job so didn't want to take time off so soon after starting)

I would do London tourists attractions like the wax museum, London eye, the dungeons and that sort of stuff.

Perhaps travel out side London to family or friends.

If you really want to treat yourself....The Sanctuary?

How about the cinema or theatre?

What's your budget? I love exploring new cities so I would book a nice hotel and a couple of spa treatments, look round the city, maybe go to a matinee, art gallery, just sit in a nice cafe and people watch, have a yummy meal. I sometimes book a 'walking tour' round a new city which is a good way of learning about the area. If you don't want to go away there are loads of those in London.

Have fun.

TheSanctuary has closed I'm afraid, it shut down in May.

If I had a whole day to myself, I'd go shopping in the morning and buy myself something lovely, perhaps also go and get a beauty treatment. Lunch somewhere interesting I could people watch. Museum/art gallery etc in the afternoon, dinner somewhere fun. Cinema or theatre in the evening. Bubble bath before bed.

Thank you for suggestions!

I have just googled The Sanctuary, looks amazing but out of my price range unfortunately.
I can't really spend more than £100 which I appreciate doesn't stretch very far in London. The cinema is a great idea though, there is a film I want to watch and I'm a sucker for pick 'n' mix sweets.

I've also been desperate to go to the Tower of London without kids in tow (I'm a nanny) so that's something else to add to the list.

mini has it? Is the website outdated then or was I looking at the wrong place?

I'd just say do things that you love to do and that you might find it hard to find others to accompany you to (for me that tends to be either massively obscure miserablist films or really embarrassing blockbusters, or exhibitions about the Tudors ).

For the going out for drinks bit, somewhere like the Curzon Soho is excellent for a few glasses of wine on your own. I frequently see people there alone, day or night, sitting happily with a drink and a newspaper or book or just sitting at the counter in the upstairs bit and gazing out of the window.

'none of them are keen on doing anything to celebrate' makes me a bit sad. Why not? Don't they want to travel?

Do you mean the sanctuary spa in Covent Garden? Then yes it's def closed - the spa bit anyway. They are still based there and selling products but it's no longer a day spa sadly. I loved that place and it was always busy when I went so can't understand it myself

Hopefully this link works

www.sanctuary.com/en-gb/spa-experience/spa-at-home/Link

Link

Oh that's sad mini!

only I will google Curzon Soho, thank you. No, nobody wants to travel (close to Christmas, too pricey for some). I did suggest I would travel if someone could organise something local to them, but again, they aren't keen. Felt like I was forcing myself upon them so have decided to just step back. Little bit annoying as I booked a day off work for one of the girl's birthdays during the summer, and travelled up to spend the weekend with her/treating her to lunch, night out etc. Not that I'm bitter

You've got a right to be bitter, by the sounds of it! Oh well, sod em and have a nice day doing EXACTLY what you want to do. I hope you like the C Soho if you go there. There is often some talent there, too, either in the bar or behind the bar or sometimes both .

I hardly think I will pull when they realise I'm spending a Saturday night and a birthday night ALONE

I've searched it, is it a cinema with a bar attached? So you can watch a film then sit at the bar afterwards? If so, that sounds like a dream evening.

Well, if they're alone too they can hardly judge ...

Yes, it is a cinema with a bar (well, more of a cafe-bar upstairs, more of a bar downstairs). Sandwiches and snacks and cakes, so you can have lunch or an afternoon snack before or after your film and a drink as well. A bit art-house and the more obscure end of mainstream (Gone Girl and Hunger Games, but also a lot of foreign-language stuff and things like Mike Leigh and Jim Jarmusch).

I'd go and have brunch somewhere like the Palm Court at the Waldorf or have lunch at the restaurant on the ground floor at Fortnum's and do some people watching in elegant surroundings with good service. Take in a special exhibition at the V&A and go and do some sight seeing.

You could try Groupon or Wowcher, spa days and eating out are what they do best, especially in London.

My dream solo day would be lazy brunch and the papers at home, spa in the afternoon, dinner out somewhere with a good book and then off to the cinema ( with a bag of sweeties up my jumper, the last time I went the pick and mix was more expensive than the ticket)

Actually a personal shopper session at a department store might be fun too...

What about a dance lesson? You could try something fabulously vintage like jive or lindy hop. My friend went to one on her own years ago, loved it, met loads of interesting people and is completely evangelical about it now.

Personally I enjoy London more alone -go somewhere you enjoy (a museum would be my choice) and somewhere lovely for food or get some fancy treats and eat in a park if the weather's good.

I live in London and indulgent me-days are my forte :-)

My favourite massage/facial place at the moment is Neal's Yard, I had an amazing massage there recently and a facial that also included foot massage/reflexology and head massage sections whilst various goops soaked into my face, it was sublimely relaxing. So I'd start off with a beauty treatment (1hour - £55-60), then lunch somewhere - I think it feels wonderfully decadent to eat lunch by myself in a restaurant with a book and a glass of wine. All independent footloose and fancy-free. Followed by a wander around a museum or gallery whichever I most fancied at that moment (free), and then head to Tkts in Leicester square to pick up a last minute theatre ticket for whatever was on that evening (around £30-35).

I like the cinema idea too. A lot of the Curzons/Picturehouses in London have bars and you can take your glass of wine into the film with you, which is nice.

And yes, the Sanctuary has closed, I share the sorrow. That place was absolutely amazing. Apparently the lease was up for renewal and being slap bang in the middle of Covent Garden it was too expensive. Damn property prices.

If you do end up at the Curzon leave room for birthday cake. The cafe is a Konditor and Cook and they do the BEST chocolate & vanilla curly whirly cake

I love London on my own too. I'd do a lovely autumnal walk round Hyde park and Kensington gardens, and definitely a film, Curzon cinemas are lovely or BFI on the southbank. If you feel like splashing out and don't mind eating alone, you could do the Film Club at one of the Firmdale Hotels - I usually go to Charlotte St, but they have ones in Soho and Covent Garden too, dinner and a film in a little private screening room, so cosy. And get your nails done, I don't know why that always cheers me up.

Olympic cinema in Barnes if you are west or Sw of London. Interesting place.

I'd also do shopping, art gallery, lunch, cinema happily on my own.

Have spent two birthdays alone in foreign cites. On one I met a delightful man. We stayed together for a year.

Nothing wrong with being alone - doesn't mean anything. You sound like a nice person. You are in a relatively new place though - in more ways than one.

Have a lovely day OP.

oneday that all sounds perfect.
caitmous do you think I can get them to stick a candle on it?
wedge groupon is a great idea, I'd forgotten about that. Hopefully there might be a spa treatment offer on...
blue I would love a personal shopper day, but I don't have the willpower to not max out my credit card! Maybe I will get my makeup done at one of those makeup counters though.

It's nice to read that others enjoy days on their own in London too.. I'm starting to feel excited about it now, rather than fed up, so thank you everyone!