Gifts or Experiences in London, UK for 40th birthday?
January 6, 2015 3:38 AM Subscribe
I took us indoor skydiving for his 39th birthday and now I am completely stumped as to what I give him for his 40th, and was hoping for suggestions to make the Big Day (31 Jan) special.
To celebrate my bf's 40th birthday we will be spending 30.01.2015 - 03.2.2015 in London.
(Poly V so please no couple-experience-centric suggestions, couples massages etc would just be a bit awkward. Also, as I suffer from ME/CFS the trip alone is going to be challenging, so it would be extra special awesome if any suggestions were not too physically challenging. )
He works with security, and enjoys gaming, anime, roller coasters, Ghibli movies, RPGs, board games, IPAs, science fiction, and other nerdy/geeky pursuits.
He's already been skydiving, diving, rafting, hiking, flying, etc. ad nauseum which makes my quest to figure out something novel and memorable for his gift that much harder.
Are there any unmissable experiences? Cool, odd things that are happening that day? Any gifts a newly minted 40 year old would LOVE to receive?
We've been to London many times, so the standard stuff is pretty much covered, but having said that I took him to see the Wallace collection in October and he enjoyed that (mostly for the exquisite collection of arms and armour).
Also, is there burger joint which is as enjoyable for burger lovers as the Hawksmoor is for steak eaters? Preferably one which does not have MEATliquor noise levels :/
Thank you so much in advance!
To celebrate my bf's 40th birthday we will be spending 30.01.2015 - 03.2.2015 in London.
(Poly V so please no couple-experience-centric suggestions, couples massages etc would just be a bit awkward. Also, as I suffer from ME/CFS the trip alone is going to be challenging, so it would be extra special awesome if any suggestions were not too physically challenging. )
He works with security, and enjoys gaming, anime, roller coasters, Ghibli movies, RPGs, board games, IPAs, science fiction, and other nerdy/geeky pursuits.
He's already been skydiving, diving, rafting, hiking, flying, etc. ad nauseum which makes my quest to figure out something novel and memorable for his gift that much harder.
Are there any unmissable experiences? Cool, odd things that are happening that day? Any gifts a newly minted 40 year old would LOVE to receive?
We've been to London many times, so the standard stuff is pretty much covered, but having said that I took him to see the Wallace collection in October and he enjoyed that (mostly for the exquisite collection of arms and armour).
Also, is there burger joint which is as enjoyable for burger lovers as the Hawksmoor is for steak eaters? Preferably one which does not have MEATliquor noise levels :/
Thank you so much in advance!
If you want amazing burgers with a Hawksmoor atmosphere, then how about booking some bar space at one of the Hawksmoors? They're generally more relaxed than the main restaurant areas, have a great menu (example for Hawksmoor Seven Dials) and are still widely considered to provide one of the best burgers in London. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with any other places on that list really, although many have a 'no booking' policy (like MEATliquor) and so can involve a bit of queueing, and most are pretty trendy, which generally equals noise... MEATliquor is definitely the noisiest I've been to though!
posted by amerrydance at 4:53 AM on January 6, 2015
posted by amerrydance at 4:53 AM on January 6, 2015
What about immersive/interactive theater? My boyfriend (a native) had a really great time at a Punchdrunk production, but the only current show I see is playing in New York, not London. :/ It does look, however, as if there are other immersive theater productions going on in town at that time.
posted by spelunkingplato at 4:55 AM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by spelunkingplato at 4:55 AM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In terms of activities, escape games seem to be all the rage in London at the moment and several of my nerdy/geeky friends have been and loved them!
posted by amerrydance at 4:56 AM on January 6, 2015
posted by amerrydance at 4:56 AM on January 6, 2015
As the 30th is the last Friday in the month, you can go to a Natural History Museum 'Lates' - I can't speak for the things on offer specifically, but the Wildlife photog. exhib should be amazing, and who wouldn't like a 'dinosaurs through time' tour? (and if the walking on that is too much for you, the bar will be open instead :D)
posted by AFII at 5:06 AM on January 6, 2015
posted by AFII at 5:06 AM on January 6, 2015
The dates leapt out at me because I am very much planning on going to Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonders. But have to admit I have no idea what to expect which such an eclectic lineup
posted by handybitesize at 5:17 AM on January 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by handybitesize at 5:17 AM on January 6, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If he likes Lego: Art Of The Brick?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:40 AM on January 6, 2015
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:40 AM on January 6, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all the ideas!
We ended up going to Lego: Art Of The Brick and doing an escape game. He seemed to enjoy his birthday a lot.
I can highly recommend escape games for any others looking for gift/outing ideas for those of the nerdly persuasion.
posted by 73pctGeek at 6:21 AM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
We ended up going to Lego: Art Of The Brick and doing an escape game. He seemed to enjoy his birthday a lot.
I can highly recommend escape games for any others looking for gift/outing ideas for those of the nerdly persuasion.
posted by 73pctGeek at 6:21 AM on February 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by terretu at 4:30 AM on January 6, 2015