Fun with friends
Getting active with friends is easy as pie in England's cities. Hone your snowboarding skills at Sheffield Ski Village, Europe's largest dry ski slope. A range of slopes caters for all abilities, from tricky mogul fields to shallow-gradient nursery slopes – and the après ski isn't bad either. For boarding skills of another kind, make for Seaburn Beach near Sunderland – a sandy stretch renowned for its great surf.
Human hamsters
Try something you've probably never tried before (and may never want to try again, depending on your constitution). Sphereing is a British adaptation of 'zorbing', a sport popularised in New Zealand and described by its inventors as "the human hamster ball". Spheremania sum it up nicely in their brochure: "Take two logically challenged people, two safety harnesses, one sphere and a sizeable hill, and what have you got? The latest extreme activity – a spherical universe where the sky is the ground and the ground is the sky. You'll love it!" Spheremania operate at various locations across England, including grassy spots near Newcastle, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Bristol, London and Nottingham.
More fun and fresh air can be had on the Exeter Canal Trail, where Saddles and Paddles operate canoe and cycle hire from Exeter'sHistoric Quayside. Miles of canal and towpath (and the odd welcome pub) lie in wait. And if all this seems a little too hands-on, then how about a day at the races or the dogs? Walthamstow is England's most popular destination for greyhound racing, while Glorious Goodwood, five miles north of Chichester, is the highlight of the English flat-racing calendar.
Night out with friends
Each of England's cities has its own very distinct nightlife, from the chic night haunts of Chester (try the fantastic cocktail menu at the Bar Lounge) and the innovative Cavern Club in Exeter (a regular stop-off for up-and-coming bands), to the 365 pubs of York, one for every day of the year (and offering the chance to sample almost as many real ales). Tickle your funny bone in Leicester, home to England's longest-running Comedy Festival, or enjoy a civilised night out with friends at Bordeaux Quay in Bristol – a new bar, restaurant and cookery school with sustainability at the heart of its operations.
The new place to be after dark in Manchester is Deansgate Locks, home to Comedy Store, Loaf, Revolution, Fat Cat Café, the Lock and Baa Bar – all lined up among the canalside railway arches. Or else head for the fashionable Northern Quarter, Manchester’s funky, alternative district – a great place to track down quirky bars, vintage boutiques or a general sense of urban chic. Keep your ear to the ground and you might catch wind of an unusual one-off event, or the next up-and-coming artist exhibiting at one of the many independent galleries.
Something different
Finally, purge your sins with a visit to the Eco House, a world-famous show home in Leicester demonstrating how we can all care for the environment. Or get a lofty perspective on some of our great cities by riding the Yorkshire Wheel (in York) or the equivalent in Manchester, Birmingham and London. The London Eye remains the tallest of the four by far, measuring 135 metres in height.
