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The Guardian
Blind date: ‘She told me there wasn’t a spark in the middle of the date’
By Kitty Drake,
10 hours ago
Sonia on Richard
Composite of Sonia and Richard Composite: Graeme Robertson & Anna Gordon
What were you hoping for? Having a little faith and humanity restored to the dating world – two things that are completely absent online.
First impressions? Warm, welcoming, well presented and with a cheeky twinkle in his eye. I felt immediately at ease and conversation was natural, relaxed and flowing.
What did you talk about? Travels. Work. Family. But mainly cycling – we share the same values on back street “knowledge” and hi-vis.
Blind date is Saturday’s dating column: every week, two strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It’s been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here .
What questions will I be asked? We ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions cover everything you would like to know, tell us what’s on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with? No, it’s a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests, preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely to be.
Can I pick the photograph? No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear? Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer? Honestly but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person’s answers? No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One? We’ll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town? Only if it’s in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
Good table manners? Impeccable, old-school: no elbows on the table; outside-to-in on the cutlery; and if we’d had port, I’m sure Richard would have known which way to pass it.
Best thing about Richard? His many, many stories of travels with work and bicycles.
Would you introduce Richard to your friends? I wouldn’t not introduce him to them.
Describe Richard in three words. Intelligent, interesting, interested.
What do you think Richard made of you? He agreed that time had flown, so I’m taking that as a compliment.
Did you go on somewhere? We wandered to the station together.
And ... did you kiss? No, just a “Thank you for a lovely evening” embrace.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be? There wasn’t an attraction for me – so, that! Also, our restaurant had a “Push for Champagne” button – I’d have pressed it a few more times!
Marks out of 10? A solid 8.5, but he’s a 10 for one lucky lady.
Would you meet again? I had a lovely evening but I’m going to continue my search.
Richard on Sonia
What were you hoping for? Without being corny, to meet someone.
First impressions? Smiling, slightly nervous and attractive.
What did you talk about? Everything and everything – conversation flowed. Cycling in London. Swimming. Travel. Our jobs. Also, Sonia explained an effective method for cooling down: put cold blocks from the freezer in your socks, under your arms and on your chest.
Most awkward moment? She told me there wasn’t a spark in the middle of the date, but strangely that wasn’t awkward at all. We’d drunk some vodka by then.
Good table manners? Impeccable: we shared puddings.
Best thing about Sonia? Easy conversation, and she’s really interesting.
Would you introduce Sonia to your friends? Yes, Sonia is sociable and interested. She’s a great listener. They’d get on.
Describe Sonia in three words. Fun, genuine, interesting.
What do you think Sonia made of you? Excitable, pleasant and passionate about my kids.
Did you go on somewhere? We walked to the station together, before going our separate ways.
And ... did you kiss? I thought it was going well, but I sensed from her comment about the spark that it was just friendship for her. We parted with a hug. It was all very amicable.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be? The romantic chemistry. But the conversation, food and vodka were excellent.
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