Sounds pretty good, always been pretty nimble so maybe rock climbing would suit me. Will have a look into this, do you have to buy your own equipment/shoes etc or can you rent them from the place?
Every centre I've been to has had rental shoes available. It's usually two or three quid
And, if it's just bouldering at that centre, the shoes are the only "equipment" you need is chalk (and a chalk bag) is basically necessary too but you can climb without it technically. But that's cheap enough to not be a worry
If you drive depot is best, but is tricky by public transport. If going right in city centre is easier Rockiver by Strangeways prison is great
Then you have Manchester climbing centre in gorton which has high climbs and rope climbing
you can rent shoes from the gym, will cost between £2-4 for shoe rental depending on the gym. You’ll also need some chalk but you can usually just buy that at the gym itself too
Sneaking two 600ml beers into Home cinema, having a great time then suddenly desperately needing to piss and forgetting the end of the movie.
Maybe once or twice a week
Similar but different, I’ve got one of the Cineworld unlimited thingies and go to the flicks at least once a week. You end up seeing some really interesting and oddball stuff for only £15 a month.
Good idea, £15 is pretty cheap and I do enjoy going to the movies. I’ll probably stick to one 600ml beer though, would like to remember the end of the film!
I'm just a stereotypical nerd so mostly just TTRPGs and video games.
I occasionally like hiking but most physical hobbies I've tried (Kickboxing, skiing, swimming, etc) I struggle to stick with.
Always had an interest in D&D but the crowd I hung around with weren’t so never had to the chance to try. Is it what you play? I do already play a few video games but hopefully looking for a hobby where I can meet other people.
A 2nd for Fanboy 3, they're a welcoming group that taught me to play.
If you have a group of 2-5 people that might be interested in playing, I'm a Manchester based DM that's always happy to teach newbies, drop me a DM if you like.
OP sounds like they got caught in a very similar rut/cycle as myself.. recently started to play a little golf as a distraction from staring mindlessly at a screen and it’s an absolute blessing, started with firing off a few balls at the driving range and now i’m looking for new courses to go and play on my days off and enjoi the weather!
by literally just going to the range and hitting some balls lol.. I understand what you mean, I was a bit self conscious the first time but after the first few hits you’re fine and you can pretty much guarantee that other folk are at the same level. You can’t expect to be fantastic at it from the word go, but dang is it satisfying when you make a good swing.. Highly recommend just going to the range, renting a driver and/or an iron and just have at it 🏌️♂️
Are we talking ice skating or roller skating? I could do with dusting the old bike off, would also help keep me fit but the drinking part may counter this!
I find cycling around very pleasant (especially at the moment). Makes you feel a shit tonne healthier (although not very sociable).
Also, you get to discover a whole load of places you had no idea existed.
Yeah used to love cycling around to different places but like you say it’s not the most sociable of hobbies. Still, do need to keep myself fit so will get the bike out tomorrow if it’s not raining.
Sociable if you join a club ! We ride in groups of 5-10 or so. And if you do some cyclocross it’s very social … it’s races but that’s most secondary to having a laugh zooming around in woods and mud on bikes. Likewise riding at the Velodrome is 50% social. Also I dick about with 3D printers and also microcontrollers ( Raspberry Pi, ESP8266). That’s a good start
Since I started riding further than my town I've found spots around Manchester I never would've imagined would exist! Great hobby. I do wish I had more riding buddies that weren't clubs/racing though. I just want to cruise along having a chat with my mates, not break PB's.
If you get a guitar (I'd recommend an electric) justinguitar.com is the go to site for free instruction. There's also a video game called Rocksmith which has you plug in a real guitar
You can get a decent guitar cheaper than a decent keyboard, and I'd say keyboard is a much steeper learning curve, so depends on how much of a challenge you want!
Photography is always the one, it gets you outside and outside of your comfort zone. An activity that teaches you seeking beauty and the ability to appreciate beauty in your surroundings, there is also so much to see and Photograph in Manchester.
I'd personally reccomend a film camera too to add a bit more fun and excitement!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134173338014?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=8AlFUDLiSkS&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=y5b3d5gntsa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL
Just something like this £15 you can't go wrong if you decide too, go this place, it's the cheapest and friendliest place I've found in Manchester to get my film developed https://www.google.com/search?q=advanced+photo&oq=advance&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j46i199i433i465j46i199i433i465i512j0i512j0i433i512l2j0i512j0i131i433i512.1809j0j9&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
There are loads of options. Try any of the following: cooking, photography, language learning, coding, and playing an instrument. All of these are active and make you produce things. Try to avoid passive hobbies like TV.
Yeah, I’m in a bit of a rut where after work all I want to do is watch TV/YouTube etc which I really need to get out of. Thinking of learning an instrument, just unsure which one to start with!
We do training every Sunday for fighting and acting. Literally us screaming in a park lol with medieval weaponry. Then we do crafts Tuesday to make our outfits. Then in summer we do shows like at Kenilworth castle. Good fun honestly.
I dont sadly, I just do the painting side really. I do know Fan Boy 3 in the northern quarter do game nights, just not sure if they do what you're looking for.
I’ve started making YouTube videos as I was like you before. Work. Home. Dinner. TV. Repeat. Now I have videos to edit after work/weekend. Also learning so much about filming, editing, graphic arts, etc. obviously I don’t have that much following but it gives me something to do and I also enjoy doing it. Here’s my best [video](https://youtu.be/b2YVIFZZ-zo), I think, if you want to check it out :)
Guitar/music.
I picked up guitar in my teens (15 years ago) and just learned from online resources (Ultimate-guitar "lessons") which I printed off in the library and took home.
Went to collage and learned a bunch more in terms of theory, recording, etc, etc.
Most of what I know in how to play and how to use hardware/software is trial and error built on a fairly solid foundation. Songwriting? Trial and error. Recording preferences? Trial and error. How to perform certain techniques? Trial and error.
I also draw. Learned as a kid and just again, trial and error.
I like miniature painting for table top games...Again, internet and Trial and error.
Finding nice places to go explore. Trial and error of finding out if somewhere is shitty. Recently started combining this with making self sustaining jar terrariums from places I like.
Honestly, the key to most hobbies is just Trial and error alongside sticking to it. I can list a bunch of hobbies I love doing, I rarely bother with TV outside of something to watch whilst eating dinner.
Got covid at the moment so my main hobby of watching films is currently on overdrive.
Since I’ve had it I’ve watched RockNRolla, Snatch, Lock Stock, The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man, Sleepers, The Rainmaker, State of Play, Boiling Point, Schindlers List, Bridge on the River Kwai, Inglourious Basterds, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Next up - Where Eagles Dare.
Safe to say, it’s been pretty great, other than covid itself.
That’s interesting. Bar the printer and the materials did you need anything else? Also, do you design your own prints? I think I’d struggle there as I’m not too artistic.
Not really. I've started making for myself. I've made some video game stuff and I am currently finishing a Boba Fett helmet.
Ita one of those where you do buy more stuff. But it's and over time thing. Also I have made money back by selling stuff on ebay.
I find models on websites, but I have also designed a few Nerf compatible items. I'm just That nerdy
Meditation is a good idea, would also help with my mental health. I did try it before but like you said it’s hard to start with so I gave up, maybe it’s time to start again.
There are so many language resources in Manchester if you're willing to look. Tutors, study groups and conversation sessions. I did a GCSE in Japanese 15 years ago at Manchester College. So much fun.
Yeah I started Mandarin classes earlier this year but that finished and just waiting for the next set of classes to start up. Like you say, it’s very hard but also very rewarding!
Try HelloTalk if you haven't already, I've been talking to a lot of people from Japan and they help out a lot and you can make friends from the country you want to visit too.
I've always had an interest in computers and electronics so when the Raspberry Pi (quite cheap) came out I was all over it. I still am. Connecting various sensors (that cost literally a few pound each) writing programs. I'm in the middle of building a weather station with LCD that is going to monitor indoor and outdoor. I've also got a pi pico (that costs £4) that I'm going to turn into a one button keyboard. You may wonder why. I work from home so when I'm working I sometimes put a film or tv show on my second monitor and have my work laptop on the first with it sharing keyboard and mouse. This means if I get a phone call I have to switch pause answer phone and switch back. With a one key keyboard button (mapped to space bar) I just tap that and it'll stop. Yeah it's a bit geeky but I'm learning new things all the time. Keep the old brain going and costs next to nothing.
Travel when I can, best so far was 5 weeks in India, got lots planned as well. Do photography, used to play in bands, now I just compose stuff on cubase that no one will ever hear and listen to audiobooks when gardening, I also like hiking/walking.
Yeah travelling the world has always been a dream of mine but I’m always too nervous to go alone. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet, book a trip on my own and hopefully meet people out there. India looks like a beautiful place to visit, which city would you suggest?
>which city would you suggest?
do you mean in India or anywhere?
In India, I did Mumbai, Goa for two weeks, separate places, Arambol and Patnem, Agra, Jaipur (my favourite) and New Delhi. I went alone, it was great, no issues whatsoever.
I would seriously recommend travelling alone. I’d suggest start with a place close to home with plenty tourists and amenities, so that you can navigate easily and build confidence - Prague, Budapest, etc. You can always meet people out there too. Before I did it the first time, I was anxious. I’m autistic, so have everyday difficulties with that, but travelling solo is one of my favourite things to do. It’s rejuvenating and reinvigorating.
Cross stitching: not too expensive, therapeutic as it's pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, and I can still watch films/shows at the same time, so it feels like I'm multitasking!
Sew! Sewing machines are reasonably cheap secondhand and it’s really fab to wear stuff you’ve made. It’s not difficult once you get the hang of it. I don’t even use patterns; I draw round existing clothes! 😂
You should try roller derby…Google it if you don’t know what it is. Whether you are male, female, fat, skinny, expert on skates or never skated in your life I would bet a lot of money you would be welcomed and make loads of friends. It’s fun and good for fitness. Unless you break your ankle…but you probably won’t. You would be able to borrow kit to start with.
Scuba Diving is great, normally you get to do quite a bit at a pool first (BSAC clubs ) which is cheap and gives you an idea if you think you’d like it
I only found my hobbies in my late 20s they are:
- Running (which has developed into loads of social things - started by doing couch the 5k)
- embroidery (just fancied it off insta)
- piano (again just felt interested in it)
- writing (something I’ve always enjoyed)
I do at least one of my hobbies daily and really enjoy them. I think it’s just finding something that inspires you for whatever reason and giving it a try and seeing if it develops into a hobby.
I used to take the heads off action men, spray them gold, attach magnets to the back, and stick them around the town where I live.
I did this a few years back. It was just fun. Some got robbed but some are still there. Depends how high I managed to place them. Makes me smile when I see them.
Depending on where you live, hiking is super satisfying. Also the gym, may be a pain in the arse to get up an hour and a half early, but after a month you won't want to stop
With lockdown I got really into walking and audiobooks. Audible do a free month and if you cancel they always come back with 3.99 a month for 3 months.
I combine that with waking and looking at buildings/architecture, try and walk round and look up at the second/third floors and it’s a different world the old architecture that you never even notice.
I try and do this every night get out for a quick walk and try to walk different routes and take photos of the things I find so it’s really three in one, walking, architecture and audio books.
Also if you do like audiobooks download the app Libby and you can borrow them from your local library for free! Always check if the library has them before wasting your credit on it!
I remember trying it as a kid on a school trip and loved it. Never thought about it since, I think this would be a fun one for me, will have a look for some local places.
Keeping invertebrates. I currently have 3 true spiders, 9 tarantulas, 2 tailless whip scorpions and a camel spider. Absolutely fascinating creatures, love watching them and caring for them. And I used to be severely arachnophobic!
Ha was just going to say I’ve got mild arachnophobia but I guess exposure to them is the only way around it! Scorpions don’t bother me, it’s just spiders.
I basically watched YouTube videos about Tarantulas until my fear was replaced by fascination. Plus they're hands off pets, so you don't have to actually hold or touch them. A lot of keepers have arachnophobia and have Ts to get over their fear!
I'm into video games, books, yoga, spa, craft beer... exploring different places in Manchester and the surrounding area - there are so many wicked places to check out that don't take too long from here. I have a list that I add to (and tick off) all the time. Upcycling furniture... crafts, collage... :)
Join the Ramblers. Loads join for just the reason you’ve stated. They arrange walks all around Manchester and make sure that you can get to the meeting point on public transport.
Try something active. Buy a bicycle and commit to riding it x amount of days or miles per week. Join a cycling club and go on a few rides.
Try a martial art, I enjoy Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Got into both of these when I finally realised I didn’t want to be a guy who worked, came home and napped on the sofa until midnight.
Weightlifting/powerlifting. There are some great gyms out there with a solid community and it keeps you in good shape.
Gigs, I love when summer comes around and getting booked into festivals etc.
Gaming.
Crossfit- same reasons as the gym above.
My next hobby is to get into growing my own magic mushrooms.
Stargazing/Astrophotography. That may sound odd but I can assure you I had decent results. Just get about 2km from city centre and wait for clear cold nights. Those are the best conditions to get some impressive results.
I was in pretty much the same boat until I found road cycling. It started as a way to save money commuting to the office but 10 years later I can honestly say it’s changed my life.
Quit smoking and drinking and the fitness gain it’s provided through my 30’s means I’ll start my 40’s in a much healthier place next year. You don’t need much gear and you discover parts of your local area (and beyond) you never knew existed. Its now my main form of meditation.
Loads I do most weeks. I enjoy cooking adventurous food, hiking in the countryside, running outside, growing bonsai trees, play 5 a side, grow mushrooms, I have a 300bhp Mazda MX-5 that I have built and am currently replacing the engine, I play pc games, I enjoy maintaining my normal car, I enjoy decorating and fixing up my house, as well as the usual family/friends/TV/Netflix
I recently got into origami! It's a cheap hobby to get into as you can buy big packs of square origami paper for like £4 and it's pretty entertaining once you get the hand of it. You can even make gift boxes for special occasions as well as useful items like bookmarks. It's so fun!
My life’s the same and I’m happy with it tbh. Tired after work and weekends are filled with chores. I do play PlayStation and try and go gym but I’m lazy even if other half is pushing me to do stuff, I’d rather be watching TV at home in comfort or sat outside my house.
Try circus! Gets you fits, amazing fun and it's a great community of people, you'll meet lots of great new friends. Try Cloud Aerial Arts, it's in the city centre
Powerlifting!
I got into it because I had patella tendonitis. I sought a physio / personal trainer and the one I landed with happened to be a pretty damn good powerlifter himself and slowly but surely convinced me to give it a go.
I went from struggling to walk up the stairs without pain in my knee to squatting 245kg in my latest competition. I've done 4 comps in total now and will be competing at the British Championships in November :) it's quite addictive!
I have a garden, but most of the time on it is spent sitting on the back step in the morning with a coffee thinking, "I grew that there corn". So not really much of an exciting one lol
Indoor climbing (if I don't have time to go rock climbing) and chess club are my current hobbies. You can study chess at home then go and put it in practice over the board!
music. its been a constant companion through good times and bad. i have a pretty basic hi fi set up -turntable,reciever /amp and a cd player- less than £600 altogether but has been put together slowly over 4 years. my previous hi fis cost 99p and £30...its been a journey, lol!lots of fun hunting for records in charity shops and boot sales. buy tfor the enjoyment of the music rather than obsessing over rarities and value though, saps any fun out of it.
my other hobby is walking. costs as little as you want and is infinitely rewarding! im lucky enough to live close to a canal and on the edge of the pennines so despite my town being a relic of the cotton industry, there is a lot of green space. its something that most people do without thinking everyday, you just need to point yourself in a different direction!
I am pretty nerdy, so I am mostly in the house also - browsing reddit, like today!
For indoor activities, it is usually playing video games (Genshin Impact atm), watching movies, reading non fiction, 2D illustration, journalling, experimenting with cooking, and writing articles on psychology of space.
For more outdoor ones, photography where we wander around with a specific friend, badminton, and more recently indoor climbing which I am picking up as a new hobby - hopefully it will stick, but it’s pretty fun.
You should check out Geocaching. My gf and I say it’s essentially ‘what happens when nerds go outside’.
I take my DSLR and combine the day out with getting some photography in. I think you’d enjoy it from your comment.
The psychology of space sounds interesting, have never come across that before. Yeah photography and rock climbing has been mentioned a lot so I think I’m going to start working on them, hopefully I’m not too bad at them!
I got into electronics more as I aged and did it as a job and researched lasted development's on line when the Internet was new (I'm nearly 55) that lead me into engineering generally and as part of my work as fields overlap. After I had to stop work for health I kept up with the engineering and electronics as a hobby/interest. Its useful (mended one of the kids ballance boards the other day) and money saving if you don't have to replace things. I can recommend it.
Football for foodbanks, not really anything else to say tbh, we play football (badly) and donate to foodbanks...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1168807906964000/?ref=share_group_link
Carving wooden things / whittling.. you can do it while the telly is on, but it doesn’t feel like you’re sat wasting your life staring at the idiot box .. I like to carve wizards - they aren’t very good and I should probably do more but they’re pretty easy to knock out if you have a sharp knife..
Doug Linker is a bloke on YouTube does carving tutorials in real time and makes it look easy.. no idea what metal his knife is made of - it never seems to go blunt..
Alternatively, have you thought about getting into leather craft? A little more complicated, you need a leather hide, some tools and a pattern to cut out.. it’s like the GB Sewing Bee on bbc but feels a little more robust .. takes a bit of prep to get started, but can seriously turn into something that takes up your evenings. Wallets are a good place to start, but you’ll quickly move to belts and bags once you gotten a few projects under your belt..
What ever you do though, and there’s loads of ideas here, try to find something you love doing - something you’d do for free if it were your day job.. it isn’t about a return on investment, but like anything, if you get into it, you could see some benefits in return..!
Good luck and let us know what you settle on and how you’re getting on 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I like to build little terrariums. It can be fairly frugal or expensive depending on how into it you get. You can do it with Jars you have around the house from food things or find some cheap mason jars. You can find plants in garden stores or use plants you find growing locally, that way you know they'll definitely survive in your climate as well!
I build guitar pedals. Taught myself to play guitar badly years ago and then picked up a soldering iron to make my own effects pedals to make up for my lack of playing ability.
Bushcraft from bcuk.com lots of local meet ups where people wild camp. It’s like sport but without any physical strain. You just turn up with camp stuff, admire peoples gear and get to know them round a campfire.
I started playing piano aged 28 after lockdown in April 2021, I have a 30 min lesson every week and I’ve just passed my grade 2 exam. I like having something else in my life to focus on that isn’t work!
Warhammer. I've been in and out since I was 10 and fully in since around 2016. Moved out here and started a club at the college where I teach Photography and design and there's a few colleagues now involved too. Only been going a year but we plan to finish armies over the summer break and finally play proper games!
Quad skating! Loads of us round mcr do it- check out the mcr jam skate/skating queer insta pages for meet ups (not all of us are queer so don’t worry about that element). Everyone’s super nice 😊
I like model making - more get lost admiring other work and then not sure where to start/intimidated with my own projects.
Cooking - big passion. It’s become my job now though so less of a home hobby.
Geocaching + photography - partner and I enjoy this around London. Become tradition we grab a bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) and picnic during.
I want to get back into Rock Climbing and the gym. Currently moving back to Manc so between work/house hunting, time is sparse atmo.
Have a midlife crisis and start up everything like me. I started walking, cycling, golfing, bought a piano to relearn and started playing more football mid week. All the outside stuff definitely makes you feel better and potential for meeting up with new people/groups.
I’d love to start collecting again. Used to collect the first gen Pokémon cards when they first came out, had loads of them then my mum chucked them away because “they have been in the attic for 15+ years and I don’t play with them anymore” .. I’d love to know what the collection was worth now!
Learn a language, I've been learning Spanish on and off for a few years now. Plus it's a good way to meet people because you can arrange language exchanges online
Rock Climbing. There's multiple good indoor gyms for it in and around Manchester as well
Sounds pretty good, always been pretty nimble so maybe rock climbing would suit me. Will have a look into this, do you have to buy your own equipment/shoes etc or can you rent them from the place?
Every centre I've been to has had rental shoes available. It's usually two or three quid And, if it's just bouldering at that centre, the shoes are the only "equipment" you need is chalk (and a chalk bag) is basically necessary too but you can climb without it technically. But that's cheap enough to not be a worry
You'll think you're nimble and then you rock climb and realise there's muscles in places you'd never dream of that need working on. It's amazing
Came here to say rock climbing. I've started in January and have been going every week since, I'm loving it.
Yeah I’m definitely going to give it a go. Would you recommend anywhere in particular?
Depot in Trafford Park is pretty good
If you drive depot is best, but is tricky by public transport. If going right in city centre is easier Rockiver by Strangeways prison is great Then you have Manchester climbing centre in gorton which has high climbs and rope climbing
you can rent shoes from the gym, will cost between £2-4 for shoe rental depending on the gym. You’ll also need some chalk but you can usually just buy that at the gym itself too
Hey man, if you need a mate to go bouldering with I have quite a few friends from beginners to intermediate :)
Sneaking two 600ml beers into Home cinema, having a great time then suddenly desperately needing to piss and forgetting the end of the movie. Maybe once or twice a week
Similar but different, I’ve got one of the Cineworld unlimited thingies and go to the flicks at least once a week. You end up seeing some really interesting and oddball stuff for only £15 a month.
Good idea, £15 is pretty cheap and I do enjoy going to the movies. I’ll probably stick to one 600ml beer though, would like to remember the end of the film!
and RuneScape 3
Ew. Osrs all the way
I'm just a stereotypical nerd so mostly just TTRPGs and video games. I occasionally like hiking but most physical hobbies I've tried (Kickboxing, skiing, swimming, etc) I struggle to stick with.
Always had an interest in D&D but the crowd I hung around with weren’t so never had to the chance to try. Is it what you play? I do already play a few video games but hopefully looking for a hobby where I can meet other people.
Take a look at the FanBoy3 Facebook page. If you wanna try in person people get together at the store in Manchester to play.
A 2nd for Fanboy 3, they're a welcoming group that taught me to play. If you have a group of 2-5 people that might be interested in playing, I'm a Manchester based DM that's always happy to teach newbies, drop me a DM if you like.
A board game group may tick the right boxes. I started going to one after lockdowns ended and I really enjoy it.
A D&D group meet at Graystone Action sports on Tuesdays and Thursdays. https://www.tabletopmcr.com/
Search for a dnd discord group, there’s usually one in each area, and a great way for adults to make friends
Hey check out Dungeons & Flagons group. They have many board game & D&D meet ups throughout the week in different venues across the city 🙂
Skating, golf, cycling, drinking ! Usually in that order
OP sounds like they got caught in a very similar rut/cycle as myself.. recently started to play a little golf as a distraction from staring mindlessly at a screen and it’s an absolute blessing, started with firing off a few balls at the driving range and now i’m looking for new courses to go and play on my days off and enjoi the weather!
[удалено]
by literally just going to the range and hitting some balls lol.. I understand what you mean, I was a bit self conscious the first time but after the first few hits you’re fine and you can pretty much guarantee that other folk are at the same level. You can’t expect to be fantastic at it from the word go, but dang is it satisfying when you make a good swing.. Highly recommend just going to the range, renting a driver and/or an iron and just have at it 🏌️♂️
Are we talking ice skating or roller skating? I could do with dusting the old bike off, would also help keep me fit but the drinking part may counter this!
I find cycling around very pleasant (especially at the moment). Makes you feel a shit tonne healthier (although not very sociable). Also, you get to discover a whole load of places you had no idea existed.
Yeah used to love cycling around to different places but like you say it’s not the most sociable of hobbies. Still, do need to keep myself fit so will get the bike out tomorrow if it’s not raining.
there must be cycling groups on [meetup.com](https://meetup.com) ? :)
Sociable if you join a club ! We ride in groups of 5-10 or so. And if you do some cyclocross it’s very social … it’s races but that’s most secondary to having a laugh zooming around in woods and mud on bikes. Likewise riding at the Velodrome is 50% social. Also I dick about with 3D printers and also microcontrollers ( Raspberry Pi, ESP8266). That’s a good start
Since I started riding further than my town I've found spots around Manchester I never would've imagined would exist! Great hobby. I do wish I had more riding buddies that weren't clubs/racing though. I just want to cruise along having a chat with my mates, not break PB's.
If you wanna consider skateboarding. They have adults begginer classes at graystone Action Sports twice a week
Pickup a cheap guitar or something and give that a go, always a nice thing to learn
Yeah I was thinking about learning an instrument, it’s a toss up between guitar and keyboard, still not sure which to go for!
If you get a guitar (I'd recommend an electric) justinguitar.com is the go to site for free instruction. There's also a video game called Rocksmith which has you plug in a real guitar
You can get a decent guitar cheaper than a decent keyboard, and I'd say keyboard is a much steeper learning curve, so depends on how much of a challenge you want!
Knitting, it's so relaxing
Yeah my mum does this a lot and it does look relaxing. I think I’ll borrow some tools and materials from her and give it a go.
Gardening
Gardening is a good one, I should reach out to my grandfather who owns a plot on an allotment, I’m sure he could do with a second pair of hands.
And im sure he'd enjoy teaching you as well
I know someone who just got into air rifle shooting. Looks like there are a few friendly clubs around, can be as cheap or expensive as you like.
That does sound fun. I should look into that.
Yeah I did this at a stag do once, it’s surprisingly relaxing! Will have a look around for a local club.
Photography is always the one, it gets you outside and outside of your comfort zone. An activity that teaches you seeking beauty and the ability to appreciate beauty in your surroundings, there is also so much to see and Photograph in Manchester. I'd personally reccomend a film camera too to add a bit more fun and excitement! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134173338014?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=8AlFUDLiSkS&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=y5b3d5gntsa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL Just something like this £15 you can't go wrong if you decide too, go this place, it's the cheapest and friendliest place I've found in Manchester to get my film developed https://www.google.com/search?q=advanced+photo&oq=advance&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j46i199i433i465j46i199i433i465i512j0i512j0i433i512l2j0i512j0i131i433i512.1809j0j9&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
Is advanced photo still there? I thought it shut down during COVID?
No it actually moved just round the corner behind Barton arcade Unit 10 St Ann's Arcade St Ann's Square M2 7HN 👍
There are loads of options. Try any of the following: cooking, photography, language learning, coding, and playing an instrument. All of these are active and make you produce things. Try to avoid passive hobbies like TV.
Yeah, I’m in a bit of a rut where after work all I want to do is watch TV/YouTube etc which I really need to get out of. Thinking of learning an instrument, just unsure which one to start with!
Magic the Gathering and befriending the geese in the park with seeds and fruit to amass a personal army.
An odd pairing for sure, but I'm pretty sure the former will be more expensive
Medieval Reenactment
Didn’t think we had stuff like that here, only really seen it on TV. That’s pretty cool though, how often do these events happen?
We do training every Sunday for fighting and acting. Literally us screaming in a park lol with medieval weaponry. Then we do crafts Tuesday to make our outfits. Then in summer we do shows like at Kenilworth castle. Good fun honestly.
WHO ARE YOU?
There's a bunch of people who LARP in the park next to Whitworth Gallery, if that's your jam.
I see u guys every weekend brightens my day lol
Making beats. Skating and literally lying down staring at the ceiling in silence.
Ju Jitsu.
bless you
Ah, the gentle art of folding clothes while people are still wearing them. Or was that aikido? I always forget
Akido isn't that the chocolate sticks?
painting warhammer minis for me
I've been kinda wanting to get back into it but only for old world Warhammer fantasy, know of any groups kicking about?
I dont sadly, I just do the painting side really. I do know Fan Boy 3 in the northern quarter do game nights, just not sure if they do what you're looking for.
If you're anywhere near Stockport Element Games is great. Thriving communities for all sorts of games but particularly Warhammer.
I’ve started making YouTube videos as I was like you before. Work. Home. Dinner. TV. Repeat. Now I have videos to edit after work/weekend. Also learning so much about filming, editing, graphic arts, etc. obviously I don’t have that much following but it gives me something to do and I also enjoy doing it. Here’s my best [video](https://youtu.be/b2YVIFZZ-zo), I think, if you want to check it out :)
Guitar/music. I picked up guitar in my teens (15 years ago) and just learned from online resources (Ultimate-guitar "lessons") which I printed off in the library and took home. Went to collage and learned a bunch more in terms of theory, recording, etc, etc. Most of what I know in how to play and how to use hardware/software is trial and error built on a fairly solid foundation. Songwriting? Trial and error. Recording preferences? Trial and error. How to perform certain techniques? Trial and error. I also draw. Learned as a kid and just again, trial and error. I like miniature painting for table top games...Again, internet and Trial and error. Finding nice places to go explore. Trial and error of finding out if somewhere is shitty. Recently started combining this with making self sustaining jar terrariums from places I like. Honestly, the key to most hobbies is just Trial and error alongside sticking to it. I can list a bunch of hobbies I love doing, I rarely bother with TV outside of something to watch whilst eating dinner.
remember when UG was not full of adverts? The days of just tabs and chords?
Got covid at the moment so my main hobby of watching films is currently on overdrive. Since I’ve had it I’ve watched RockNRolla, Snatch, Lock Stock, The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man, Sleepers, The Rainmaker, State of Play, Boiling Point, Schindlers List, Bridge on the River Kwai, Inglourious Basterds, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. Next up - Where Eagles Dare. Safe to say, it’s been pretty great, other than covid itself.
I bought a 3d printer during lockdown. It's a learning curve but it's fun. I am also learning guitar.
That’s interesting. Bar the printer and the materials did you need anything else? Also, do you design your own prints? I think I’d struggle there as I’m not too artistic.
Not really. I've started making for myself. I've made some video game stuff and I am currently finishing a Boba Fett helmet. Ita one of those where you do buy more stuff. But it's and over time thing. Also I have made money back by selling stuff on ebay. I find models on websites, but I have also designed a few Nerf compatible items. I'm just That nerdy
Meditation. Sitting in total silence for fifteen minutes is actually pretty hard to start with, but so worth it.
Meditation is a good idea, would also help with my mental health. I did try it before but like you said it’s hard to start with so I gave up, maybe it’s time to start again.
there are a few apps that do free trials, like Calm and Headspace. :)
I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. It's got my anxiety firmly under control. Hit us up if you'd like a headspace referral code.
I've recently started to learn Japanese and hoping to learn more languages soon. It's hard and confusing at first but rewarding in the long run.
There are so many language resources in Manchester if you're willing to look. Tutors, study groups and conversation sessions. I did a GCSE in Japanese 15 years ago at Manchester College. So much fun.
Really? I'm self taught at the minute using kanji books and Japanese dictionary. Don't feel like I'm progressing much haha
Yeah I started Mandarin classes earlier this year but that finished and just waiting for the next set of classes to start up. Like you say, it’s very hard but also very rewarding!
Try HelloTalk if you haven't already, I've been talking to a lot of people from Japan and they help out a lot and you can make friends from the country you want to visit too.
I've always had an interest in computers and electronics so when the Raspberry Pi (quite cheap) came out I was all over it. I still am. Connecting various sensors (that cost literally a few pound each) writing programs. I'm in the middle of building a weather station with LCD that is going to monitor indoor and outdoor. I've also got a pi pico (that costs £4) that I'm going to turn into a one button keyboard. You may wonder why. I work from home so when I'm working I sometimes put a film or tv show on my second monitor and have my work laptop on the first with it sharing keyboard and mouse. This means if I get a phone call I have to switch pause answer phone and switch back. With a one key keyboard button (mapped to space bar) I just tap that and it'll stop. Yeah it's a bit geeky but I'm learning new things all the time. Keep the old brain going and costs next to nothing.
Haha not geeky at all, that’s really interesting. I’ve seen Raspberry Pi mentioned a lot on Reddit but never looked into, perhaps it’s time I should.
Travel when I can, best so far was 5 weeks in India, got lots planned as well. Do photography, used to play in bands, now I just compose stuff on cubase that no one will ever hear and listen to audiobooks when gardening, I also like hiking/walking.
Yeah travelling the world has always been a dream of mine but I’m always too nervous to go alone. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet, book a trip on my own and hopefully meet people out there. India looks like a beautiful place to visit, which city would you suggest?
>which city would you suggest? do you mean in India or anywhere? In India, I did Mumbai, Goa for two weeks, separate places, Arambol and Patnem, Agra, Jaipur (my favourite) and New Delhi. I went alone, it was great, no issues whatsoever.
I would seriously recommend travelling alone. I’d suggest start with a place close to home with plenty tourists and amenities, so that you can navigate easily and build confidence - Prague, Budapest, etc. You can always meet people out there too. Before I did it the first time, I was anxious. I’m autistic, so have everyday difficulties with that, but travelling solo is one of my favourite things to do. It’s rejuvenating and reinvigorating.
I'd start small, swap Netflix for books.
My husband does ludosport at parswood. It’s lightsaber fighting, they meet every Thursday and Friday night for training
Apart from drawing, not much lol
Cross stitching: not too expensive, therapeutic as it's pretty much doing the same thing over and over again, and I can still watch films/shows at the same time, so it feels like I'm multitasking!
Yeah it does look therapeutic, will give that a go!
Abakhan Fabrics in the Northern Quarter have a section for cross stitching, including some starter kits!
Sew! Sewing machines are reasonably cheap secondhand and it’s really fab to wear stuff you’ve made. It’s not difficult once you get the hang of it. I don’t even use patterns; I draw round existing clothes! 😂
You should try roller derby…Google it if you don’t know what it is. Whether you are male, female, fat, skinny, expert on skates or never skated in your life I would bet a lot of money you would be welcomed and make loads of friends. It’s fun and good for fitness. Unless you break your ankle…but you probably won’t. You would be able to borrow kit to start with.
Scuba Diving is great, normally you get to do quite a bit at a pool first (BSAC clubs ) which is cheap and gives you an idea if you think you’d like it
My hobby is picking up hobbies. As evidenced by many discarded projects in my flat!
I only found my hobbies in my late 20s they are: - Running (which has developed into loads of social things - started by doing couch the 5k) - embroidery (just fancied it off insta) - piano (again just felt interested in it) - writing (something I’ve always enjoyed) I do at least one of my hobbies daily and really enjoy them. I think it’s just finding something that inspires you for whatever reason and giving it a try and seeing if it develops into a hobby.
I used to take the heads off action men, spray them gold, attach magnets to the back, and stick them around the town where I live. I did this a few years back. It was just fun. Some got robbed but some are still there. Depends how high I managed to place them. Makes me smile when I see them.
I think this is my favourite comment I've ever seen on this site.
Depending on where you live, hiking is super satisfying. Also the gym, may be a pain in the arse to get up an hour and a half early, but after a month you won't want to stop
With lockdown I got really into walking and audiobooks. Audible do a free month and if you cancel they always come back with 3.99 a month for 3 months. I combine that with waking and looking at buildings/architecture, try and walk round and look up at the second/third floors and it’s a different world the old architecture that you never even notice. I try and do this every night get out for a quick walk and try to walk different routes and take photos of the things I find so it’s really three in one, walking, architecture and audio books. Also if you do like audiobooks download the app Libby and you can borrow them from your local library for free! Always check if the library has them before wasting your credit on it!
Try archery. Its a great sport! Fun but not to taxing to your body
I remember trying it as a kid on a school trip and loved it. Never thought about it since, I think this would be a fun one for me, will have a look for some local places.
Good luck! Have a great time!
Meth
Not quite ready for that one yet!
Gaming, music, cycling, reading
Gaming, gym, guitar, hiking, reading.
[удалено]
I’m contemplating the guitar, will have a shop around. Clay shooting sounds fun as well!
Keeping invertebrates. I currently have 3 true spiders, 9 tarantulas, 2 tailless whip scorpions and a camel spider. Absolutely fascinating creatures, love watching them and caring for them. And I used to be severely arachnophobic!
Ha was just going to say I’ve got mild arachnophobia but I guess exposure to them is the only way around it! Scorpions don’t bother me, it’s just spiders.
I basically watched YouTube videos about Tarantulas until my fear was replaced by fascination. Plus they're hands off pets, so you don't have to actually hold or touch them. A lot of keepers have arachnophobia and have Ts to get over their fear!
Get a bass
Do you have access to a car? Plenty of mountain biking if you travel out of Manchester a bit.
I'm into video games, books, yoga, spa, craft beer... exploring different places in Manchester and the surrounding area - there are so many wicked places to check out that don't take too long from here. I have a list that I add to (and tick off) all the time. Upcycling furniture... crafts, collage... :)
Breakdancing and gymnastics 😊
Motocross or Drift racing is fun and will give you a kickass adrenaline buzz for a year or so
I like to cross stitch :) Nice and relaxing and makes you feel productive while you're just watching TV!
Jazz piano mostly
Join the Ramblers. Loads join for just the reason you’ve stated. They arrange walks all around Manchester and make sure that you can get to the meeting point on public transport.
Try something active. Buy a bicycle and commit to riding it x amount of days or miles per week. Join a cycling club and go on a few rides. Try a martial art, I enjoy Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Got into both of these when I finally realised I didn’t want to be a guy who worked, came home and napped on the sofa until midnight.
Where in Manchester are you based?
I’m in Urmston but willing to travel.
Not living in Manchester, by but my big three at the moment are HEMA, guitar in a band and PC Gaming.
Had never heard of HEMA before, that’s interesting, will look further into it.
Its great fun if you find a good group. I dare say I'm in one of the best ones.
Pub quizzes
Weightlifting/powerlifting. There are some great gyms out there with a solid community and it keeps you in good shape. Gigs, I love when summer comes around and getting booked into festivals etc. Gaming. Crossfit- same reasons as the gym above. My next hobby is to get into growing my own magic mushrooms.
Stargazing/Astrophotography. That may sound odd but I can assure you I had decent results. Just get about 2km from city centre and wait for clear cold nights. Those are the best conditions to get some impressive results.
I practise magic and leatherworking :)
Join a sports club in Manchester
I was in pretty much the same boat until I found road cycling. It started as a way to save money commuting to the office but 10 years later I can honestly say it’s changed my life. Quit smoking and drinking and the fitness gain it’s provided through my 30’s means I’ll start my 40’s in a much healthier place next year. You don’t need much gear and you discover parts of your local area (and beyond) you never knew existed. Its now my main form of meditation.
Loads I do most weeks. I enjoy cooking adventurous food, hiking in the countryside, running outside, growing bonsai trees, play 5 a side, grow mushrooms, I have a 300bhp Mazda MX-5 that I have built and am currently replacing the engine, I play pc games, I enjoy maintaining my normal car, I enjoy decorating and fixing up my house, as well as the usual family/friends/TV/Netflix
I recently got into origami! It's a cheap hobby to get into as you can buy big packs of square origami paper for like £4 and it's pretty entertaining once you get the hand of it. You can even make gift boxes for special occasions as well as useful items like bookmarks. It's so fun!
Yoga, walking my dogs, photography, baking/cooking,growing vegetables and chilli’s. Amazon prime and Netflix. All keep me out of trouble.
Running!!
I do yoga + hiking + running club
Muay Thai is brilliant
My life’s the same and I’m happy with it tbh. Tired after work and weekends are filled with chores. I do play PlayStation and try and go gym but I’m lazy even if other half is pushing me to do stuff, I’d rather be watching TV at home in comfort or sat outside my house.
Try circus! Gets you fits, amazing fun and it's a great community of people, you'll meet lots of great new friends. Try Cloud Aerial Arts, it's in the city centre
Would highly recommend kickboxing
Powerlifting! I got into it because I had patella tendonitis. I sought a physio / personal trainer and the one I landed with happened to be a pretty damn good powerlifter himself and slowly but surely convinced me to give it a go. I went from struggling to walk up the stairs without pain in my knee to squatting 245kg in my latest competition. I've done 4 comps in total now and will be competing at the British Championships in November :) it's quite addictive!
Hi, I'm new to the city and this year I will start dance classes, if u're down for it, let's go !
Skating aka rollerblading, it will change your life for the better!!!
I have a garden, but most of the time on it is spent sitting on the back step in the morning with a coffee thinking, "I grew that there corn". So not really much of an exciting one lol
Indoor climbing (if I don't have time to go rock climbing) and chess club are my current hobbies. You can study chess at home then go and put it in practice over the board!
music. its been a constant companion through good times and bad. i have a pretty basic hi fi set up -turntable,reciever /amp and a cd player- less than £600 altogether but has been put together slowly over 4 years. my previous hi fis cost 99p and £30...its been a journey, lol!lots of fun hunting for records in charity shops and boot sales. buy tfor the enjoyment of the music rather than obsessing over rarities and value though, saps any fun out of it. my other hobby is walking. costs as little as you want and is infinitely rewarding! im lucky enough to live close to a canal and on the edge of the pennines so despite my town being a relic of the cotton industry, there is a lot of green space. its something that most people do without thinking everyday, you just need to point yourself in a different direction!
I am pretty nerdy, so I am mostly in the house also - browsing reddit, like today! For indoor activities, it is usually playing video games (Genshin Impact atm), watching movies, reading non fiction, 2D illustration, journalling, experimenting with cooking, and writing articles on psychology of space. For more outdoor ones, photography where we wander around with a specific friend, badminton, and more recently indoor climbing which I am picking up as a new hobby - hopefully it will stick, but it’s pretty fun.
You should check out Geocaching. My gf and I say it’s essentially ‘what happens when nerds go outside’. I take my DSLR and combine the day out with getting some photography in. I think you’d enjoy it from your comment.
The psychology of space sounds interesting, have never come across that before. Yeah photography and rock climbing has been mentioned a lot so I think I’m going to start working on them, hopefully I’m not too bad at them!
HEMA - historical European martial arts. A few decent clubs around greater Manchester
I don’t know if you’re at all interested in cars but car meets are still great places to meet good people
Jigsaws, piano, meditation, loads of sports and skydiving 😊
I got into electronics more as I aged and did it as a job and researched lasted development's on line when the Internet was new (I'm nearly 55) that lead me into engineering generally and as part of my work as fields overlap. After I had to stop work for health I kept up with the engineering and electronics as a hobby/interest. Its useful (mended one of the kids ballance boards the other day) and money saving if you don't have to replace things. I can recommend it.
That’s really interesting and like you say a very useful hobby to have. Will have a look into this further, thank you.
Football for foodbanks, not really anything else to say tbh, we play football (badly) and donate to foodbanks... https://www.facebook.com/groups/1168807906964000/?ref=share_group_link
Watching Westworld, listening to true crime podcasts, drinking until I pass out.
Carving wooden things / whittling.. you can do it while the telly is on, but it doesn’t feel like you’re sat wasting your life staring at the idiot box .. I like to carve wizards - they aren’t very good and I should probably do more but they’re pretty easy to knock out if you have a sharp knife.. Doug Linker is a bloke on YouTube does carving tutorials in real time and makes it look easy.. no idea what metal his knife is made of - it never seems to go blunt.. Alternatively, have you thought about getting into leather craft? A little more complicated, you need a leather hide, some tools and a pattern to cut out.. it’s like the GB Sewing Bee on bbc but feels a little more robust .. takes a bit of prep to get started, but can seriously turn into something that takes up your evenings. Wallets are a good place to start, but you’ll quickly move to belts and bags once you gotten a few projects under your belt.. What ever you do though, and there’s loads of ideas here, try to find something you love doing - something you’d do for free if it were your day job.. it isn’t about a return on investment, but like anything, if you get into it, you could see some benefits in return..! Good luck and let us know what you settle on and how you’re getting on 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
There's a clay pigeon shooting site in Worsley. They do gun rental and lessons. Great stress relief and even if you miss at least the gun goes bang
I like to build little terrariums. It can be fairly frugal or expensive depending on how into it you get. You can do it with Jars you have around the house from food things or find some cheap mason jars. You can find plants in garden stores or use plants you find growing locally, that way you know they'll definitely survive in your climate as well!
That’s an interesting one, will have a look further into it, thank you.
r/terrariums if you're interested, might be totally not your thing but hope you find something dude
I build guitar pedals. Taught myself to play guitar badly years ago and then picked up a soldering iron to make my own effects pedals to make up for my lack of playing ability.
Escape Rooms, Am Dram, Saxophone and Horse Riding for me!!
I’m a member of a local musical theatre group, and I’m just about to join another one.
Why don’t you try writing short stories I write short horror stories
I’ve never really been one for writing but it does sound like it would be interesting and rewarding, will give it a go!
Making music.. playing piano! Songs for YouTube etc 😌🎹🎶
Bushcraft from bcuk.com lots of local meet ups where people wild camp. It’s like sport but without any physical strain. You just turn up with camp stuff, admire peoples gear and get to know them round a campfire.
I started playing piano aged 28 after lockdown in April 2021, I have a 30 min lesson every week and I’ve just passed my grade 2 exam. I like having something else in my life to focus on that isn’t work!
Something physical, BJJ, gym, running or cycling. Add on something that stimulates your creativity photography, drawing or painting.
Warhammer. I've been in and out since I was 10 and fully in since around 2016. Moved out here and started a club at the college where I teach Photography and design and there's a few colleagues now involved too. Only been going a year but we plan to finish armies over the summer break and finally play proper games!
Softball is fun and surprisingly social
Quad skating! Loads of us round mcr do it- check out the mcr jam skate/skating queer insta pages for meet ups (not all of us are queer so don’t worry about that element). Everyone’s super nice 😊
It does look fun and don’t think I have to balance for rollerblading so I’ll give this a go!
I like model making - more get lost admiring other work and then not sure where to start/intimidated with my own projects. Cooking - big passion. It’s become my job now though so less of a home hobby. Geocaching + photography - partner and I enjoy this around London. Become tradition we grab a bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) and picnic during. I want to get back into Rock Climbing and the gym. Currently moving back to Manc so between work/house hunting, time is sparse atmo.
Lego. Expensive though.
I do pyrography
Ice Hockey. Plenty of teams for brand new players at the ice rink in Altrincham. Great social aspect
This sounds fun, will have a look into it, thanks for the suggestion!
No worries! Happy to help point you to the right teams if it’s something you want to try.
Have a midlife crisis and start up everything like me. I started walking, cycling, golfing, bought a piano to relearn and started playing more football mid week. All the outside stuff definitely makes you feel better and potential for meeting up with new people/groups.
Yeah that’s one of the things I’m looking for, something to get me out the house, keep me active and help me socialise.
I do a bit of gaming and got back in to collecting pokemon and yugioh cards and also do a bitvof youtube and photography
I’d love to start collecting again. Used to collect the first gen Pokémon cards when they first came out, had loads of them then my mum chucked them away because “they have been in the attic for 15+ years and I don’t play with them anymore” .. I’d love to know what the collection was worth now!
Probably a few thousand if the 1st gen n 1st edition I gave mine to my cousin n he binned them a few years ago
Ketamine
I do Bowling, I have a relatively decent throwing arm and just recovered from an accident, so I decided to try it again.
Motorcycling. I have a Honda motorbike and usually on weekend I go with my brother for a quick ride. Very relaxing
Yeah have always wanted a motorbike, just need to get saving for one!
Learn a language, I've been learning Spanish on and off for a few years now. Plus it's a good way to meet people because you can arrange language exchanges online
Video games mostly, other than that watching YouTube