Socials

The club prides itself on running a social every week or so during term-time. And we don't just go to the pub every week. That is, obviously we do go to the pub every week but we try to do something interesting beforehand. Here is a list of some of the socials the club has run over the last couple of years.

Social Secs
The committee has two social secs who help research, organise and run socials within the club. The positions are a job share so both social secs share the same remit, allowing a broader range of ideas and the chance for individual social secs to split the small workload/time commitment.

Socials secs are elected at AGMs or EGMs.

Annual Dinner - The biggest and often the best social of the year
Location - For the last couple of years the club has taken a coach out to somewhere hilly (Grindleford in 2009, Glossop in 2010, Buxton 2011) and people have done some walking/climbing/sight-seeing/drinking during the day. Before that dinners often took place in Manchester

Cost - Around £20 for the meal and £10 for the coach

Booking needed? - Oh yes. Start looking for places in January for a dinner in April.

Christmas Party
Location - Traditionally, the party was held in the Beerhouse, a peculiar pub in the Northern Quarter which has now sadly closed down. In these modern times The Red Lion in Withington has become a good venue, albeit one that has too early a closing time.

Cost - Around £3 is usually charged to cover food and party prizes and, of course each person's pint for the boat race

Booking needed? - It can be a bit of a hassle finding somewhere so best to look early

Jazz Club
Location - Matt and Phred's Emporium of Jazz

Cost - Usually free to get in, but the drinks don't come cheap

Booking needed? - No

Hyde's Brewery tour - A favourite of the club. Many people have been many times
Location - Hydes Brewery, in Moss Side. No, it's not that bad, honest.

Cost - A fiver, which includes as much beer as you can drink!

Booking needed? - A few weeks in advance

Ice-climbing - If you don't feel like nipping up to the Cairngorms, why not have a go in Manchester
Location - Indoor ice wall, North Face shop, Deansgate

Cost - We did a special deal with the management where groups of six got an hour on the wall for £10 each (which is a lot cheaper than the normal price)

Booking needed? - Yes. Only worth bothering if they give you a good discount

Hotpot - A sumptuous post-hiking banquet and quiz
Location - Well, this used to happen in the Hare and Hounds in the city centre until this was taken over by new management (who had the audacity to remove the piano!). This social hasn't happened for a good few years now, maybe one day a brave social secretary will bring it back...

Cost - Around £4

Booking needed? - Obviously

Christmas Markets
Location - Each December in Albert Square, and then a nearby pub.

Cost - Bratwurst don't come cheap!

Booking needed? - Nope

Christmas Ice Skating
Location - Somewhere near the Market, the past two years have been in Spinningfields

Cost - About £6, works best if the club sells the tickets to hikers the couple of weeks before to fill all the spaces

Booking needed? - A group must be booked, this is around 15 people so interest should be garnered beforehand