asically my older brother roped me into it. I initially thought "You must be mad!", "No bloody way!", "Out of your mind!" Five minutes later I reluctantly submitted. What the hell! At the very least it will be an interesting and entertaining night and, if I'm lucky, I may meet someone I really like.
I used to be a Special Events Manager and, in typical fashion (being a little
nervous), I scouted the venue the night before (Thai Square in Trafalgar
Square, London.) I was pleasantly surprised to find it was very stylish but still relaxed
with lots of little nooks and crannies to have quiet chats in.
On the day of the even my heart was thumping when I left to meet my brother for a stiff drink in
the pub next door--then another at the venue, while we both sat surveying
the floor. I could see my brother going "No, no, no, no, no, hmmm maybe...."
in his head - he's a very fussy bugger! I have to say though, that at first
glance I was a little disappointed in the women. I notice a lot of body
language, how people stand, walk, smile, etc. and, to be honest, the crowd looked a bit dull.
Mind you, a lot of the men looked very boring too, all in dark suits straight from work... yawn yawn.
We both signed up and then instantly realized that we had consecutive
numbers.... what if we were sat right next to each other? Dating the same
girls straight after one another!? What a nightmare! The brother's double
act! Arrrrghhhhh! What if they noticed and started comparing us and asking
questions? We're both pretty independent and like to be taken on our own
merits so you can imagine the scene. We quickly formulated a back-up plan!
We'd been chatting to a nice looking guy and decided that should we be sat
together, one of us would swap paces with him.... no problemo! We actually
sat on opposite walls. A little word of advice--don't sign up together!
The boys had the advantage of sitting down while the girls moved around, so
we could watch as they approached, see what they were wearing, how confident
they were, etc. (It also meant that they were sometimes standing there waiting
to talk to you while the last girl got ready to switch seats - an instant false ego boost!)
I have to say that it was much easier than I anticipated. We had both sat
down worried that we may instantly make up our mind "absolutely no
way!" and then have to talk to the girl for an agonizing three more minutes!
But in reality, the time was either just right or was way too short. It
sometimes felt like all I'd said was "Hi how are you?" before "RIGHT. TIMES
UP. MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TABLE." "What--already!?"
All the girls were really easy to talk to, and I'm pretty chatty anyway.
None were boring, although none of them particularly wow-ed me. Three minutes
was often too short to decide if I fancied them too, so I ticked people
if I found them interesting enough for a second drink. After all, first
impressions are important, but they can be wrong. I even got along so well with two
of the women that I told them instantly that I was ticking them--a bit cheeky, but
that's me!
RESULTS:
Out of 30 girls, I ticked 9 and got 7 matches.
Out of the 7 that matched, two girls that I had gotten along with really well (who I told I was choosing them) ticked me, but then never replied to my emails!? (They had consecutive numbers--19 and 20. Hmmmmm.) Another two who I had earmarked as friends never really got further than a couple of emails... not much surprise there.
Two others didn't reply initially, but when pressed, one said she decided the speed dating lark wasn't for her, but we could meet as friends. I never heard from her again. The other who I was quite keen on started seeing her ex again. There are still seeing each other, but we are still in contact--by email only--I still have not managed to extract her phone number from her.
And finally the one successful date that did reply and I have seen several times since, has become a good friend. We've kind of decided that we're not quite right for each other although we get on very well.
So there you have it. Not the most successful, but not the worst either. (My
brother only ticked four and got one match who did not reply. Fussy bastard!)
About Speed Dating - Pros and Cons
Speed Dating Event #1 - British Airways Stewardess
Speed Dating Event #2 - Professional Chef
Speed Dating Event #3 - International Fashion Model
The Verdict & Tips
Speed Dating in London - A Guy's Perspective
Speed Dating
