If there's one city in the world that knows how to party, it's Manchester. This isn't exactly news to the hip and the cool - Manchester has been the center of hip for decades now. Trendy music, classic style, the original Pub crawl capital of the world and home to the Curry Mile - not to mention the Hard Rock Cafe - what more could you ask from a city if you're planning a stag do? Stag parties were made for Manchester - or should that be the other way around?

But there's more to Manchester than night life. By day, the cheeky city boasts some of the best sporting and active pursuits any man would be proud to admit to indulging. Stag parties in Manchester tend to run to full stag weekends of non-stop rousing and Arousing fun. Whether it's a spot of paintball (or a whole lot of paintball spots!), a round of golf, a jaunt around the course in an armored tank or a walk on the wild side in Manchester's hottest nightclubs, a Manchester stag weekend can boast something for everyone.

So you're the bloke that gets to plan a stag party in Manchester? Here's a handful of helpful tips to make sure you send your mate off on his wedding day with a photo album full of memories. (And you can't blame us if they're the sort he'll pay to keep hidden!)

Start with a THEME. In a city full of college pranksters and swaggering Mancunians, you'll need a way to make the Stag stand out from the crowd. Who could miss him strutting down the street in the midst of a dozen toga-clad Senators? Or if togas are a bit too Greek for your lot, why not hit the clubs wearing pith helmets and monocles for a jolly old night on the town?

Don't forget the PRANK - the lynchpin of any stag party in Manchester or anywhere else. The best we've heard is a direct steal from M*A*S*H - get your guest of honor totally soused... then encase him from neck to knees in a plaster cast. All right - that one might be a touch rough to pull off, but it's a bit more imaginative than hiding all his trousers and leaving him nothing to wear but a pair of boxers stamped with bright pink ribbons.

Even if you decide to do away with the theme and the prank, you'll still find a lot of benefit in some advance planning for your Manchester stag weekend. In fact, say many professional tour operators, you'd do best to start making your plans and reservations as much as six months in advance, especially if you want to include popular activities like quad bikes, five a side football or hovercraft racing. If you're feeling especially organized, you might even arrange a full weekend of spy games to entertain the man of the hour in his final hours.