Bowling

Bowling – a classic. It's often best done as a group activity so ideal for a double date, or an 'introduce to your friends date'. In fact, lets be honest, probably an 'I want to test you out in a group scenario first to see if I actually like you' date!

So, you may have memories of going bowling for your 12th birthday, but that doesn't mean it's not a fantastic date idea. In fact, bowling has changed a lot since you were twelve. The new breed of retro bowling lanes are stylish and slick (but not too slick!) and provide a great venue for a fun night out. Two of the best "boutique" bowling alley's in London are the All Star Lanes and The Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes. These venues will provide you with a bowling alley, restaurant, bar and even karaoke all under one stylish 50's inspired roof.

Bowling does throw up a couple of hazards. Firstly it has the potential to highlight massive sporting inadequacy and, for the ladies, an obvious issue with bowling is the shoes - how do you look nice whilst wearing ill fitting multicoloured rubber shoes? Thankfully, someone was listening to that query. If bowlers wear flat shoes with a rubberised sole they can wear their own! However, it says something about a persons character if they don't want to wear bowling shoes… do you really want to be dating that sort of person? Ask yourself that question.

If you are planning a day date or a weekend date then why not combine bowling with a trip to the fantastic British Museum? There is so much to see here - from the Elgin Marbles, to Egyptian mummies and from medieval manuscripts to original Beatles lyrics - you will be in no danger of the conversation drying up! The Great Court, which houses the original British Library where the likes of Karl Marx used to sit and write, now has an amazing glass roof courtesy of Lord Foster and is worth a quick visit in itself.

Its also worth mentioning Ulysses, one of London's best first edition bookshops. If the date turns out to be a hit you could come back here to buy an anniversary present a year on. They might even have a book on bowling...

Don't forget, as with so many of our dates, bowling doubles up extremely well with a movie date. Why not offer to cook and get out The Big Lebowski, or go one better and continue the 50's theme with tickets to see Grease.

Yes - you are slicker than Danny Zuko's perfectly coifed hair.