UK Speed Dating Article

Certainly one of Americas best exports! - I loved every minute of it. I came with a group of workmates and all of us had an amazing night. I will definitely be back if it doesn't work out with one of my matches"

Anna, Balham

"I felt compelled to email and let you know how much fun I had last night, the people there were great and it was all so well organised"

Russell, Wimbledon

An insiders Guide to Speed Dating
by Eoin Sanders of Viewlondon.co.uk

Speed dating, so we are being told these days, is the newest dating craze and is taking the capital by storm, so naturally we thought some single members of the office should be sent out to try the waters...

The Rules

Now, for those of you who still remain in the dark (and it's hard to being as there have been more than a few column inches devoted to this particular activity of late), the idea is as follows;

Equal groups of men and women are placed in a venue for an evening and, with the aid of a compare of sorts, spend three minutes with each member of the opposite sex throughout the rest of the night. This is done in well-regimented fashion with a whistle being blown every time three minutes has elapsed - indicating that it's time for the gents to move on to the next table and the next lady (as chivalry demands, the ladies are seated at different tables and the gents circulate).

Everyone is issued with a printed sheet of numbers (as well as a number to wear for the evening, very Prisoner) and, by the number of each potential date, one ticks a "yes" or "no" box after you've spent your three minutes with them - for quite obvious reasons. At the end of the night all the sheets are collected, results collated and, within 24 hours, potential matches (i.e. folks who both ticked "yes" in relation to each other) are emailed to all attendees.

This, of course, is the theory…which is why Viewlondon decided to test the practice and sent a pair of us (one of each) along to the latest event that www.originaldating.com decided to hold…

NEXT - Part 2: Warming Up

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