Brighton

North Laine is a useful setting for vintage shopping, galleries or a coffee conversation. The streets around Sydney Street and Kensington Gardens give the outing a manageable focus. Pick an identifiable doorway as your meeting point so a busy shopping street does not become a search exercise.

The Lanes sit between North Laine and the seafront, with a different feel from the straighter shopping streets inland. A short browse followed by food can make a complete plan. If you continue outside, allow for coastal weather and keep an indoor option in mind.

A session at Pottery Gagliano is a different way to meet from a gig at The Hope & Ruin. One gives you an activity to work through; the other centres the evening on listening. Use the event cards to compare dates, duration and entry arrangements. If you prefer talking first, start with a nearby table before the programme begins.

Fabrica on Duke Street brings contemporary art and public programmes into a former church. Phoenix Art Space on Waterloo Place combines galleries with artists’ studios and creative learning. An exhibition and a hands-on course offer different ways to spend the afternoon, so let the activity lead the choice.

A screening has a fixed start; a gallery visit may leave more room to browse; a workshop involves taking part. Compare those formats before choosing a date together. For access requirements, use the room-specific information on the programme rather than assuming every part of a historic building or studio complex is reached in the same way.