First dates with a difference

When you're on the dating scene, you want to stand out from the crowd. So don't settle for the same old first-date ideas: a drink at the pub, or dinner if you're feeling adventurous. Here are some date ideas he'll never forget

by Jane Hoskyn

When you're on the dating scene, you want to stand out from the crowd. So don't settle for the same old first-date ideas: a drink at the pub, or dinner if you're feeling adventurous

Here are some sparky dating ideas he'll never forget, from exploring Mars to a cocktail masterclass.

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Have a date on Mars

You're too late for seats on Nasa's Phoenix probe to Mars, but this is the next best thing!

Snuggle up in the plush 100-seat theatre at the South Downs planetarium. Follow the show with a night-time star-gazing picnic on the gorgeous South Downs, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Where: Chichester
Price of love: £6 per show
Contact: 01243 774400
www.southdowns.org.uk

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Cook up a curry to die for

What man doesn't love a curry? Tell your date to ditch his takeaway menus, and treat him to a day of tuition with TV curry king Pat Chapman. You'll learn to tell your tandoori from your dhansak and get hands-on lessons in cooking up a calorific treat.

Where: Surrey
Price of love: £59
www.lastminute.com

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Bowl him over

Challenge your date to a slice of old-school Americana at the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, a retro bowling alley with a swish bar attached.

Sienna Miller's been spotted here, and look out for celeb bowling addicts Bill Murray and Vince Vaughn. Once you've bowled him over, grab a giant burger in the vintage American diner.

Where: West London
Price of love: From £3 a game
www.bloomsburybowling.com

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Re-enact Ghost

Forget making dinner for your date, make plates instead, Ghost-style. Explore your inner Demi Moore and get your hands filthy at the potter's wheel at Bristol's Village Pottery.

You'll end up with some lovely crockery, which may cheer you up if your date doesn't quite reach Swayze standards.

Where: Bristol
Price of love: From £15 for half an hour
Contact: 0117 973 4343
www.thevillagepottery.co.uk

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Fly through the air

There's nothing like a day at the big top, especially if you're the entertainment. The flying trapeze is the latest celeb body-toner of choice, with Gisele Bundchen and Sadie Frost among fans.

At Circus Space's skills day you can also try stilt walking, diabolo, tightrope-walking and 'acrobatic balancing'. Could do wonders for your sex life!

Where: Hoxton, London
Price of love: £55 half day, £99 whole day
Contact: 020 7613 4141
www.thecircusspace.co.uk

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Down on the cockney farm

Leave behind the bright lights and noisy pubs for an organic date at Mudchute Farm, the largest inner-city farm in Europe.

It's a stone's throw from Canary Wharf, but you could be forgiven for thinking you're in the middle of the country. Rub shoulders with pigs, cows, sheep, horses, goats and even llamas, or have a go at horse riding.

Where: East London
Price of love: Free; donations welcome
Contact: 020 7515 5901
www.mudchute.org

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Feast on wine and chocolate

From the ridiculous to the sublime. Meet Lisa Clarke, 'the chocolate tart', who runs chocolate and wine tasting workshops near Bristol.

Lisa trains all her chocolatiers to produce some of the finest choccie, and she'll show you how to pair it with the right wine. Lisa also runs chocolate-making workshops for £120 per day.

Where: Somerset
Price of love: £40
Contact: 01934 876881
www.thechocolatetart.co.uk

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Be a rollergirl

Pull on your dancin' boots for the Rollerdisco night at south London's Renaissance Rooms.

Falling over is all part of the fun, especially if you pull your date over with you. Go for broke in seventies hotpants and big hair, and you could even win a prize for best outfit.

Where: Vauxhall, London
Price of love: £10-£12.50
Contact: 020 7630 6625
www.rollerdisco.info

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Get lost in a giant maze

Britain's oldest theme park was built into the Isle of Wight cliffside in Victorian times, and it remains one of the country's quirkiest days out.

Ravish (or lose) your date in the vast hedge maze, work up an appetite in the giant Snakes and Ladders game or get the blood flowing on the Cliff Hanger ride.

Where: Isle of Wight
Price of love: £7.50
Contact: 01983 730052
www.blackgangchine.com

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Shaken or stirred?

Mix it up with a day-long cocktail masterclass with the experts.

You'll get to make and try the full range of contemporary concoctions, including the Martini, Mojito and Cosmopolitan, and you can experiment with your own creations. Best invite him back for a sobering coffee afterwards.

Where: Birmingham and London
Price of love: £135
www.iwantoneofthose.com

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