Friday night destination

How to pick a Friday night destination

The ban on smoking in public places has been around in Scotland for a few months now. Not wanting to over sleep on Saturday I headed home early from a rare Friday night out. Now I know where I like to go out in Aberdeen but when walking from Belmont Street up Union Street to the Sizzlers on Windmill Brae I realised that now that everyone has to go outside for a cigarette you can get a good idea of what kind of place a pub/club/venue is from all the people sparking up on the pavement. This encouraged me to consider entering some of those places I've been avoiding like the plague all these years. Another benefit of smoke free pubs is that my girlfriend (who is pregnant) can still come out with us to the boozer. As a lapsed ex-smoker I reckon the smoking ban is just great.

One of the more popular Sunday night hangouts in Aberdeen has got to be the folk night in the Prince of Wales just off Union Street (like all the best pubs it's down a tiny little side street). Over the years this open floor evening has seen names from the North East folk scene jam with that random-foreign-student-who-just-happens-to-play-the-bagpipes and, in doing so, has become something of a tourist attraction (the evening not the student). Now, to be brutally honest, I'm not the biggest fan but many people I know like to go from time to time and the Prince of Wales serves some of the best beer in Aberdeen. For those of you who know the Prince of Wales you'll also know that the folk evening takes part in one part of the pub only. Well I like to sit in the other part. To my surprise (shurely shome mishtake) a splinter (or fringe if you will) seems to have formed. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised at this after all this creeping extension of programs appears to be a fact of modern life. My friend Jasmin was recently complaining of the ever extending Edinburgh festival.

Are you tired of the same old town centre no matter which town your in? Those endless chains of Next, H & M, TopShop, M & S, Lewis's, Vodaphone, O2, Orange, that greetings card one, Ottakers, Waterstones, Maccy D's, Starry Buicks, tesco/somerfield/morrisons/sainsbury's metro/local/some-name-meant-to-imply-a-sense-of-family-corner-shop, next time your out and about and in need of a break try your local independent fair trade coffee shop. If your in Aberdeen I'd recommend Books and Beans at 22 Belmont Street. And, if you should be happening to pass through Ballater try the Chocolate Gallery on the main street. Both places serve fair trade coffee and homemade cakes. Books and Beans also stocks books (yeah it's in the name) while the Chocolate Gallery has very little to do with chocolate but stocks lots of lovely second-hand/vintage women's clothing (I'm a lumber jack and I don't care).

There's no bank holiday for us in Scotland but I hope everyone south of the border enjoys some fine weather and a bit of a break - just don't watch too many of those daft home makeover/how to buy a house where your not wanted/decorate my attic garden shows.

Useful info: Books and Beans online: www.booksandbeans.co.uk


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