Tinder: The world’s best finger exerciser! "It’s not just about looks! Oh hang on. Yes it is." Tinder has taken the world by storm. Apparently. It’s estimated the app will have 100 million users by the end of 2015 worldwide and is currently worth a staggering UD$1.1bn. The numbers are certainly impressive. But is it any good? Well, no. But let’s look at how it works.
Tucked away in one of Fitzrovia’s more obscure streets is a gem of a basement bar - Nordic. With a nod to the dive bars of old but with a professional polish, Nordic combines an open front tabled area with a few little nooks and crannies for those more intimate discussions. Scandinavian wood is the furniture material of choice which, when combined with friendly and efficient table service no matter how busy it gets, provides a surprisingly comfortable evening of food and drink.
Black & Blue has been part of the Original Dating venue stable for a while now but since its beautiful new refurbishment we thought it warranted an update.
Something’s happening in South West London that’s challenging the dominance of bars north of the river. Local pubs seem to be enjoying a renaissance and this is particularly true of the Wandsworth area.
So we've got all the cocktail bars, secret basement dives, champagne venues and other central London frippery covered. And we love it. But London is about a lot more than the West End, the City and a few inner London areas only accessible by fixed wheel bicycle.
NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2015 It may only be February but it's been a busy time for us here at Original HQ.
Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. –P.J. O’Rourke
Valentine's weekend is, with good reason, the busiest weekend in the singles events calendar. It seems everyone and their pet animal of choice is running an event. Having worked in the industry for around a decade I've seen them all and it's clear that some work better than others.
Introducing Literary speed dating First event: Tuesday March 10, 2014 - Nordic, W1 Up to 20 four minute dates. Bring a book. Discuss a book. Discuss each other. Date again?
Valentine's Unlocked Party 2015 [Photos] 250 people joined us for our 2015 Valentine's night bash aboard The Golden Jubilee. We took in the stunning London skyline, danced and met loads of new people. It was a hell of a night! [More pictures to follow soon!]
Valentine's Unlocked Boat Party 2015 Saturday Feb 14, 2015
Dating can be tough, but the rewards can offer you more than enough to compensate for the initial scary step into the dating world. If you’ve met someone on a speed dating night that you’d like to get to know better, and you’re planning your first “proper” date, it can be pretty nerve-wracking. With this in mind, we’ve put together 5 of the most important tips to help that first date go well. You never know, it may be the start of something special!
We were already keen followers of Jenny Stallard's quest to find a boyfriend in time for Christmas in The Metro. Her Boyfriend by Christmas column has been a highly entertaining insight into the weird and wonderful world of dating in London and beyond.
It's something we've always believed to be true, online dating doesn't work. Of course, as a speed dating events company, we would say that wouldn't we. But now, according to The Telegraph there's some science to back up our assertions. Indeed, even the boss of Match.com admits himself that dating cycles are shorter when people meet online.
Tinder is big news at the moment and there's no denying it, it's changing the way people date. The trouble with Tinder however, just like online dating that came before it is it’s all just so darn superficial. Dating decisions on these platforms have to be all about looks as you’ve really got nothing else to work on. Now we’re not suggesting for a minute that all Tinder users are shallow but we found this social experiment carried out on a few unwitting Tinder users very interesting, so why not take a look.
Make the most of the extra long summer of love with our top tips for outdoor dates
What a week and we’re only half way through! Already we’ve got one busy speed dating event under our belt. Last night, we hosted 30 people at Match Bar which is located a minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus tube station. This event was for our ever popular over 30s age category.
Our regular weekly speed dating for people in their thirties has proved to be a very popular night and is now a stalwart of our calendar. Attracting a vibrant, typically professional crowd from across London we consistently find a match rate of between 70-80% amongst those that attend. That means that well over two thirds of everyone attending matches with at least one person as either a yes of a friend.
It's time to party! SOCIAL IN THE CITY - Friday, 22 August 2014 - Dion, St Pauls, London
We organise a speed dating event every Friday night at Dion Champagne Bar in St Pauls. This is one of our stand out events because of its popularity and we get a capacity crowd practically every week.
The beauty of Speed Dating London lies in its no-nonsense approach. You take an equal number of single girls and guys, put them in a room and give them a few minutes to chat with every other member of the opposite sex.
Original speed dating events in London normally begin at 7.30pm. You will need to register with our hosts and to begin with they will issue you with a score sheet. This will help you to keep track of the singles that you would like to meet again and perhaps go on a date with. After a short period of mingling, your host for the evening who will run through detailed instructions and give you your starting position if you are a guy or table for the event if you are a girl.
A London speed dating event is split into two halves, each lasting around an hour, there will be an interval at half time of about 15 minutes for speed dating London. You will have between 4 and 5 minutes with each person, after which you need to tick a box on your score sheet - "yes, I would like to meet this person again" or "no. Thanks but no thanks". Or "friend" if you'd like to get to know them platonically. Make sure that you do this after each date to keep track. Afterwards there is an opportunity for everyone to meet and mingle informally - this is often where the real action begins, so make sure you don't disappear too quickly!
After the event you simply tick who you liked on the Original Dating website and the site works about your matches automatically. If the dates you have ticked as a "yes" have reciprocated you have a match. You will be able to view the first names and message them via our site online without revealing your email address until you are ready to. You'll be having proper first dates in no time.