Please tell me about hen nights you've enjoyed. Organising a friend's and I'm stumped!

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I've been asked to organise a hen-night for a friend and I'm a bit stuck for ideas!

There's two of us organising it together, we live in London and I expect we're doing it as a surprise.

A mutual friend of ours had a great hen night - we hired an old London double decker bus, and drove round visiting our old haunts. It was brilliant! I need to think of something just as good but I just keep coming back to the bus idea. It'll be mostly the same people so we can't do it again!

Another hen-night I really enjoyed was a weekend away, but we can't do this either as so many of us have kids nowadays.

If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it! Have you been on any really good hen nights? (Or terrible ones?!)

TIA

One of my friends (who has lots of friends, I mean LOTS) hired a room over a pub, had a buffet and a hypnotist for entertainment. It was very entertaining too!

Mine was very old-fashioned - wasn't going to have one at all but ended up having a small get-together the night before with just 5 of us and a bottle of champagne - lovely in its impromptu-ness as much as anything else.

I have done a few weekends away and although they have been fun, they haven't been that special, just mostly expensive (activity, meal out, club) and I'm getting too old for that shit now.

Having said that, I am going on one in a few weeks time - at a Theatre Restaurant with vampire waiters and floor show. But it is in Australia so of no use to you, unless you can find similar in London.

I also enjoyed ones at a Greek restaurant where they do the plate smashing and dancing on tables - again don't know if there are any of those near you. The Greek Vine in Claygate was where we went - too provincial for London? There must be more of them in London somewhere, surely!

Just looked to see if I could find something comparable and realised that "theatre restaurant" has a different connotation in London of course! (haven't even been out of the UK that long!)

The type of restaurant I am talking about is like a Rocky Horror Show but in a restaurant - a themed restaurant with a floor show as well. Don't even know if they exist in the UK!

You could always try a Mediaeval Dinner - I always wanted to give one of those a go.

I realise I am the only one posting here so far but never mind - I tried googling cabaret restaurants and found this burlesque one - might not be to your taste though, although it's not all burlesque, there are other acts too.

Good luck!

Hiya thumbwitch thanks for the replies.

I really like the idea of a rocky horror night actually, that's the kind of thing my mate would like I think. She does enjoy getting dressed up and this would be a laugh I think. I'll see if I can find one.

I know she'd enjoy the burlesque night, great idea in principle, you're doing well! The only problem is I think it's a bit pricey, and we want to make it affordable. The bus was great - there was a hire charge, but we paid that ahead of time so those who were skint could pay in bits. Then on the night we has our own drinks and food on the bus, and the places we stopped at were mainly free to get in so people could spend as much or as little as they liked, and it worked really well.

Something kind of alternative would be great. Ad a DIY element (like on the bus) might be work well.

Come to think of it, we know a few female DJs, hmm, I wonder ...

On another tack, my MIL just suggested a Mediaeval dinner too! If there was one where you could pay in advance that might work.

I like the hypnotist idea too actually, you're good at this thumbwich

Has anyone else been on a great hen night?

Actually it sounds good to me, cat!

But as you've guessed it's not really the kind of thing the bride to be wants - she wants a night on the tiles I think. There won't be any of that silly hen night dressing up stuff. She likes a laugh and loves dressing up in general, but with style and humour, not l-plates etc!

Looks like there's going to be about 40 of us! Does anyone know anywhere good in London that can actually cope with 40 of us?

A friend of mine went to Madame Jojos - had an awesome time!

Mine was great as was my SIL's, it was simple, mine was an evening in local thai restaurant, my mother paid for the wine and then on to local pub before hiiting the dance floor. (bear in mind this ia a very local fishing village so rest only opened 2 nights a week and the dance floor was in the local beach cafe)

SIL - BBQ, booze and stripper.

I was at a hen night last weekend, we went out in our pyjamas . It was ok, I felt a bit silly until I had a few drinks in me, and my feet have never been more comfortable on a night out.

Anyway, Im not suggesting pyjamas, but the maid of honour made little party bags for everyone, which I thouht were a great touch. Each bag had a name badge, sparkly tiara, whistle, sweets, hang over cure, bubbles and some other stuff. I lost mine .

I went to a hen day last year which was a jewellery-making workshop at Claire Aristides in Kingly Court. Cost a bit but you make and take home earrings, bracelet, and necklace, so worth it for that alone.

They were absolutely lovely, in particular getting their assistant and workers from other boutiques to entertain my 6-month-old so I could enjoy myself.

The others then went out for a meal and a cheesy club.

The jewellery thing can only take about 10 people, though.

Other friend did 10-pin-bowling followed by posh cocktails in a hotel bar (so practically empty), then meal, then clubbing - so people could come to different bits of it. Another organised a group trip to see Chicago followed by hiring one of those Thames boats with a restaurant and club on it - trip was good but the boat reeked of damp, food was shit, and the staff kept trying to grope us. However someone got chips to eat, and bride-to-be decked a waiter, and demanded some free booze so it worked out OK in the end!

Some ideas:

Hire a cinema screen to start off the night choose a musical and crack open the wine, after head on to a club if you contact them before you maybe able to get discount or VIP passes!

Salsa Dancing lesson then on to a Salsa Club.

Party Boat instead of Bus!

Fancy dress could be the grooms occupation.

Murder mystery night

Found this: The Peacock is Battersea and Clapham Junction London's award winning 2am late night cocktail bar, restaurant & night club venue, but with a twist, combining burlesque and cabaret early evening with retro 70s/80s/90's Djs later on.

Cheerleading night out: everyone must learn the same cheer before the night so when you blow a whistle or similar the whole group will start the routine!

If I think of anymore I'll get back to you!!

Some nice ideas here, and some which I would enjoy I'm sure.

But ... although they're up for a laugh, they're a pretty cynical bunch I'm afraid. And mostly in our late 30s/40s. If can just imagine the response if we handed out tiaras. They'd ask me straight out if I was taking the piss! (And that would be the polite ones!) Same for cheerleading routines I'm afraid.

I did look at Peacocks online. I liked the burlesque side of it. But then the reviews on the site I was looking at descended into bitching between the clubs owner and the owner of another local club who was accusing him of writing the positive reviews himself. Also all the pictures seemed to be women, and I've come to the conclusion that really we need an audience
I'd been keen to hear from anyone who's gone there though.

Love the cinema idea. It's not right for this group, but I'll keep it up my sleeve for the future.

I did consider a party boat too - I like the way you're thinking - but I've ruled it out as I'm worried it'll be too much of a danger with drunk people! Plus no audience on a boat.

It's got to be out on the town I think. The question is where ...

A friend of mine hired a recording studio and we recorded a couple of her favourite (cheesy) songs. We dressed her up as well for each one! She loved it but she is obsessed with singing, etc. Then we went out on the town afterwards (she was still dressed up - as Amy Winehouse, bless her, she loved the attention)

Other things we've done were - went camping and did a Gladiators competetition at the campsite, with silly games, etc. This is probably too silly for you though! If you did want to do something like that you could always go to one of the London parks in the afternoon, have picnic and booze, etc.

We've also done a treasure hunt type thing, well it was more of a list of challenges, we split into groups, had a camera per group and had to take photos to prove we had achieved the challenge. E.g. Photo of one/all of you kissing a policeman, wearing a wedding dress, sat on a motorbike, etc, etc. Though this sounds silly, if you can get people on board it is fun, cheap and would guarantee you an audience. If you do it in the afternoon, you can meet up in the evening, possibly get the photos actually developed so they are easier to share around and have a laugh at how your teams have done.

Or a murder mystery night?? Dunno if you can get these pre organised.

Sorry if these are too cheesy. It's a tricky one as people can be cynical, but you want to do something different!

We went to a Westlife concert. Or was it Boyzone? I think it was Boyzone.

You can tell I am not a fan, but SIL is and it was her henny night.

It was actually really good fun, in a cheesy sort of way.

Mmmm the treasure hunt idea could be a god. We could tailor it for the cynics! It could be quite tongue in cheek, and basically a bar crawl, which is good!

Cynical people are difficult yes!

I went on a lovely hen weekend once. We hired a truly beautiful house with a walled garden and swimming pool. We spent the time downing sipping cocktails, running around the pool starkers and playing naked boules. (I think the boys thought later we made that story up for their benefit, but not at all it twas not about them it was all about us!) It was great, but this one has to be a one-day/nighter.

Could be a god?!! It's a nice idea but that's overstating it a little!

I meant it could be a good thing, of course!

If any one has any more ideas I'd really appreciate them!

TIA