The most festive date possible is now available in Manchester in the form of Skate & Date, so quicker than you can say mistletoe, I grabbed my date by the hand, and head towards Spinningfields in pursuit of some wintery romance…

The North Pole Style Helter Skelter overlooking the ice-rink

Skate & Date is a fantastic offer for lovebirds, comprising of an ice skating session in Manchester’s only open-air ice-rink, and a 2-4-1 drinks voucher that can be used in either of the two pop-up bars, Hibernate or Long Bar. We donned our ice skates, tied them really tight – as instructed, and were let loose on the ice surrounded by other love-bitten couples.

At the head of the rink hung a huge screen that was showing the ultimate Christmas rom-com: The Holiday. With a soundtrack provided by Capital FM and a huge helter skelter in the scenery, it felt like we were gliding along in our own little Winter Wonderland party. There were skaters of varying expertise; some were gliding backwards with ease, whilst others were doing a shuffling trot whilst grasping the outer rail. It was a great laugh, full of collective camaraderie. Many a couple were holding hands, for practical and romantic reasons, creating a perfect backdrop for a romantic date.

The Holiday playing on the big screen whilst workers prepare the rink for skating!

Once we had enough of the ice and reached terra firma, we headed towards Long Bar to utilise our drinks voucher. We were offered a bottle of beer, or cider, or a glass of wine as part of the deal, for which we both opted for a glass of red - a beautiful blend of Malbec and Shiraz. We also popped over to Hibernate, a cosy and wintery bar complete with tree stump stools and white faux fur cushions and throws to keep us warm. Here we tried two exclusively Christmassy Cocktails: The Ginger Martini and The Merry-Politan. By this time we were well and truly merry and loved-up, so we left arm in arm.

Skate & Date is a fantastic date offer for couples on the look-out for a date with a difference. It’s a great way to break the ice (har har), and I'd thoroughly recommend that you take someone special there this Christmas.