Blind date: ‘The restaurant shuffled our table around three times so we could keep chatting until they closed’
conseil.margueritedyouville.ca –
Rachel on Josh
What were you hoping for? A lovely meal on a misty Saturday, hopefully with someone I’d like to see again.
First impressions? He bought me flowers! So instantly I knew he was a gentleman.
What did you talk about? The wonderful Bristol and Welsh standup scenes (a shoutout to Welsh Jesus). Podcasts (mainly me trying to convince him to listen to What Did You Do Yesterday?). His sister (a zookeeper). The surprising politics of lap swimming.
Most awkward moment? Spoilers, but when we hugged goodbye I didn’t realise he was putting his phone in his coat pocket, which fumbled things a bit.
Good table manners? Excellent – even when we ordered shell-on prawns, he kept his dignity.
Best thing about Josh? His joy when talking about his interests.
Would you introduce Josh to your friends? Yes, I think he’d fit right in.
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.
Describe Josh in three words Engaging, interesting, sweet.
What do you think Josh made of you? Not sure, I hope he enjoyed our evening chatting as much as I did.
Did you go on somewhere? No, but to be fair our dinner started at 5pm and the restaurant kindly shuffled our table around three times so we could keep chatting until they closed.
And … did you kiss? No.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be? Perhaps not ordering the prawns – so tasty, but so messy!
Marks out of 10? 10.
Would you meet again? Hopefully! We swapped numbers and talked about going to a gig as friends – we live too far apart for romance.
Josh on Rachel
What were you hoping for? To find the one!
First impressions? Very pretty, natural, great outfit and very easy to talk to.
What did you talk about? Our shared love of comedy – finding she is also a fan of Gareth Hunt, AKA Welsh Jesus, was a surprise! Our similar upbringings – she’s Australian, but we both grew up in small towns and, like me, she’s close to her family.
Most awkward moment? We were running out of time on our table, so the manager suggested we move for dessert, and there was just an awkward moment where we looked at each before we agreed. Then after dessert, it happened again!
Good table manners? I had no idea how to eat the prawns, so I had to ask her to teach me.
Best thing about Rachel? Really easy to talk to and a great smile.
Would you introduce Rachel to your friends? Yes.
Describe Rachel in three words Easygoing, confident, lovely.
What do you think she made of you? Hopefully kind, a little nervous, but I think she enjoyed my company.
Did you go on somewhere? No, but we stayed in the restaurant chatting until it closed.
And … did you kiss? We hugged goodbye. I think we both enjoyed the date, but unfortunately no romantic spark.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be? I don’t think I’d change a thing. It was such an easy, enjoyable evening.
Marks out of 10? 8.
Would you meet again? Yes, we’ve swapped numbers – hopefully we’ll go to a comedy show together.
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