Where to Meet Friends in Preston This Christmas

For the Christmas catch-up with friends in Preston, you want three things: a table you can keep all night, a room quiet enough to talk, and enough Christmas to feel like an occasion. A hut at The Winter Lodge on Friargate does all three, and it's free to reserve.

Everyone has that group. The school friends, the old flatmates, the ones you mean to see all year and only manage in December. When the night finally comes round, you don't want to spend it shouting over music or hunting for somewhere to sit.

Why a hut works for a catch-up

Every hut is its own little wooden lodge, with a pitched roof, tartan cushions and a blanket on the hook. Up to eight of you fit round the table, and once you're in, it's yours. Get a round of hot chocolate with marshmallows, or go straight to a litre stein, and settle in.

If it's just two or three of you, you don't need to book. Walk in and take the stools by the window, where you can watch Friargate go by while you talk.

When to go

The Lodge is open from 14 November to 28 December. Early in the season is quieter, and the week before Christmas is the busiest. If your group can only do a Friday or Saturday in December, book your hut early.