1. Have a wander around and choose what you’d like to do, plan your time. 
2. If you’ve got time left after your choices, do another treatment as an extra. 
3. Talk to the staff, they are there to give you advise and tips so make the most of it. 
4. Stay hydrated and take a rest if needed. 
5. Enjoy the day! 

Escape Reality is based in The Printworks, Manchester; they have newly launched a Virtual Reality experience. I was invited by GO PR to trail the experience; on Tuesday evening, me and a couple of friends headed there for the evening.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a VR experience as this type of event is new to me, I’ve tried VR on a phone previously but that was it; I was super excited to get stuck in. Arriving at the venue, we were kindly greeted by the staff, once the experience was ready we were directed inside the room. The room is quite small and painted black, there were a few seats around the room and some VR equipment, a large TV on the wall, a computer and the game master. Groups up to 4 people can book the room for the experience, this is an hour and 15 minutes slot so gives each member of the group a good amount of time in the VR.

The game master went through everything from safety to game choice before we started, this gave us an insight in what to expect, what to do and what not to do. One person at a time experiences the VR world, the headset that is placed on you has a little weight to it but nothing uncomfortable, you also have two controllers to hold and use; one in each hand and a battery pack which you can attach onto your own clothing or use the Velcro belt that is provided.


To get used to the VR experience we firstly was put into a virtual world under the sea, this wasn’t a game but you could interact with the sea creatures and plants in the experience. I was joined by a huge jellyfish and was able to boop the them and the sea plants which caused them to move; I could also walk around and explore. Next up was ‘The Plank’ in a new VR world I was directed into a lift of a high skyscraper and taken to top of it then told to walk out on a plank that was hanging over the edge of the building! Not lying I felt scared, wobbly and unsteady, I was a little apprehensive about taking that first step onto the plank but I did eventually get to the end of it then the Game master told me to step off the plank ... at first I couldn’t but did step off and fell all the way down the building into the virtual street... it was absolutely crazy!!!


Other members of the group experienced the plank in different situations; one was horror based with a massive spider and a clown character. I’m so glad I wasn’t in the VR kit for this one, my friend did a few screams on this one. After we’d all got a feel for the VR worlds, we started to play some games. Still it’s one member of the group playing each time but we could interact by helping them and directing them as we could see what they see on the TV screen just not in a virtual way.

We played 'Beat Saber' which is a music game a bit like Guitar Hero but with lightsabers, yes that’s correct... LIGHTSABERS!!! It was a little hard to get the hang off but we all super enjoyed this one, I choose ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance which only had the expert difficulty option but I gave it a go. I’d definitely play this at home if I had all the kit.


There was also an escape game that we all got involved in, one person is in the game using the controllers to move around instead of actual walking although you can move around as well. We were then able to help the group member to find clues to escape this room they were in, it was fun as we had a timer going, we were all shouting try this, try that and laughing throughout the whole thing. We didn’t make it out of the room though but it’s a game I’d like to give another go next time.

The Game master gave us some other game options, there was a shooting one that was in space, again you used the controllers to play the game. This was quite high impact and experienced so would be good for keen gamers. There was also another bow and arrow shooting game which was fast paced and quick to play so this was a fun one to watch and experience. There are so many games to choose from you’d need more than one visit to experience them all.


Our time in the room did come to an end but we all left laughing about the experience and talking about it all the way home, it’s a new thing to try out and something you can’t do everywhere. Escape Reality’s escape rooms are amazing and much fun so to add this VR option into this mix gives the place an edge and adds to the excitement.

You can book an Escape Room or the VR experience via the Escape Reality website here and the more of you there are, the cheaper the price so grab your mates and spend an hour or two at Escape Reality.

The Gin Society’s first gin festival of the year happened this weekend and it was a great success with sold out tickets, a wide selection of gins (120 to be exact), a beautiful venue and some yummy treats along the way. 


The Gin Society team were kind enough to send me a complimentary ticket so I could attend on Friday night. I was really excited as I’d been to Gin Festivals in the past but not a Gin Society one. To start they chose to host their event inside Manchester Cathedral which was such a good venue. It’s beautiful inside, roomy and a really good setting for sipping gin. I’m always blown away whenever I visit the cathedral. 

Arriving at the festival was a breeze, the security scanned in my ticket and I was led inside, greeted with my gin glass, gin booklet, a pen and a drink token plus all the information I needed. Everyone was also given a card to fill out to enter a competition. 



Once I was given everything I needed, I was directed towards the bars, seating areas and gin stalls to enjoy the evening. Down the middle of the room were the bars with a cocktail bar on the way in, at the sides were gin companies showcasing their products and offering samples to taste. There was also a street food stand, token desk and a masterclass area. All the gin festivals I’ve attended have had a drinks token system so you buy however many tokens you’d like and use these at the bars. Buying tokens was easy at the token desk were they accepted cash or card. 

The first gin of the night was the handmade Buss No 509 Raspberry gin which I mixed with Fentimans Rose Lemonade (as a gin drinker it’s unfortunate that I’m not a tonic fan so tend to stick to lemo). I sort of played it safe getting a Raspberry gin as it’s my regular flavour when it comes to choice but this was a new taste with a good fruity flavour and smooth gin element. I’d rate this gin at a 8/10. 


With a gin in hand we were able to have a wander around the stalls, find new gin’s to try, sample them and purchase if wanted. I really liked the Fenney Street Gin which is created in Manchester by Paul and Becky, their small batch gin’s are made in their nano kitchen distillery. Their blush gin was really tasty and fruity being made from fresh strawberries, raspberries and apples. 


I was pretty hungry at this point so took advantage of the food stall and got some Mac & Cheese which was bloody delicious!!! We had a lovey sit down, chatted and finished our gin’s ready to continue our evening at the event.


Time for another... this time I didn’t play it safe and ordered the Persian Blue Marshmallow flavoured gin and I’m so glad I took the risk! Literally my new favourite gin! Again I opted for Rose Lemonade although I think a regular lemonade would of been beautiful with this gin, lemon was recommended in the gin booklet as well. The gin has a blue colour and the mixer turned it purple so I was pretty happy, haha. This gin gets a 10/10 rating and is on my to buy list! 


With another gin in hand we headed to the masterclass to see what was going on there. Here we learnt the history of gin from one of the stall holders Uncle Val's and got to taste test Uncle Val's Botanical gin too. The history of gin is a pretty wild story to be honest and you’ll be surprised at some of the stories so make sure you attend one of the masterclasses to find out more. 


The whole event felt well organised, not too crowded, we had lots to do and see and lots of gin to sip! There was even a swing/jazz band playing music throughout the evening to keep us all entertained. 

-lots of gin choice - check!

-having things to see and do - check!
The Gin Society ticks all the boxes!

On the way out of the venue I spotted a small gin shop so you could purchase a full bottle of gin from a selection of brands, just another part of the gin festival and a chance to take the experience home with you.

Thank you to Gin Society and the team for a wonderful, fun and gin filled evening. I can’t wait to attend again. The Gin Society have many dates available you can purchase tickets for them all here using their eventbrite page. 

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to Three Rivers MCR for an evening of gin talk, gin-spiration, gin drinking and gin making; yes I said gin making!!!

Three Rivers is Manchester’s first of its time, city centre Gin distillery. They create all their own gin in house which is sold all over the UK and is a smooth tasting gin perfect for any gin fan.

Fashion is a huge part of my life and I like to express myself through what clothing, accessories and footwear I wear. I’ve gone through many trends over my teenage years and now well into my 20's and I still came out loving an alternative style.