We're throwing a pre-Christmas lock & key party on Saturday 7th of December in the stunning bar of The Malmaison Hotel in Clerkenwell and we'd love you to be there!
Last time I gave you my Top 5 Winter Dating Venues but let’s be honest, cold is cold. Even the most intrepid of couples will feel the need to warm their proverbial cockles and romance rarely follows frostbite.
Looking for some festive outdoor fun in London? Check out John's pick of date destinations in London this winter.
Back in 2010, a documentary – Catfish* - was released that followed the exploits of Nev Schulman. Nev had established a serious relationship online but suspicions grew as to the veracity of his paramour’s true identity. Nev undertakes to meet her in person. In reality she is, of course, somewhat different from her online persona.
It’s been a while since my last article but here I am back at the keyboard and I’ve got to admit, it’s a relief.
All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown) And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey) I went for a walk… Ahem… Sorry. Got a bit carried away there. While it may be tempting to indulge in a little ‘California Dreaming’, you’d be doing the great city of London a huge disservice.
Hot on the heels of our most romantic cocktails comes the much anticipated top 5 most romantic foods. Okay, anticipated by the editor. I was supposed to write this before Summer. But it’s finally here. 5 foods that will allegedly lift you to dizzying dating heights.
It sounds like a treatment for a reality TV show. Take 40 strangers. Put them in a room. Add a drop of alcohol. Force them to chat to each other for four minutes each. Light the blue touch paper and stand well back. Perhaps not even a reality show, perhaps simply a disaster movie. And yet this is what we do 6 nights a week, 51 weeks of the year. And we've yet to scrape blood off the walls.
We saw this video and just had to share! Don't worry, we'll never do this to you at our speed dating events in London!
You’ve met someone who appears charismatic, intelligent, is good looking and – this is important – likes you. You’ve taken the significant step of swapping numbers and arranged a first date. This is of course a fraught outing. So much is a stake and so much could go wrong.
One of the most significant revelations I’ve had regarding speed dating in London occurred about a month ago. For me, speed dating is less about meeting the ‘one’ than it is about meeting a whole bunch of like minded singles, having a chat and enjoying a genuinely fun night. And it certainly beats going down to the Dog & Desperate with the same mates talking about the same things and waking up with the same hangover AGAIN.
Wednesday Speed Dating in London has become a step classier as we welcome our new venue, Eclipse, in Kensington. Wednesday's are traditionally a more relaxed speed dating experience and this hang out for the occasional chilled celebrity and wealthy local certainly holds this vibe close to its heart.
It's an oft cited legend within the dating world that if you want to find a Saturday that will remain dry, find out when the next Original Dating Boat Party is.
Regular readers of this blog will know that I hold a particular distrust for online dating. It's not that I think it's a bad idea, it's just that the way most sites are constructed mean you're unlikely to avoid a plethora of spam messages, fake profiles and bots trawling the site collecting your email address so they can helpfully offer you sex enhancement pills, PPI claims and the occasional Nigerian money laundering opportunity.
So, a recently published report has found that couples that meet online enjoy longer lasting marriages. Apparently this is due to the time it takes to meet someone and the amount of information you find out about each other before doing so.
I'm often asked why we, as Original Dating, don't court appearances on TV. The greater dating world is, after all, mad for it.
The perception of speed dating has changed significantly in the last 10 years or so. No longer seen as the preserve of the desperate and dateless, it has become a normal – dare I say fashionable – way to meet like minded individuals, even if it is just for fun evening out.
The dating industry is worth billions and some have got very, very rich indeed off the back of one of our greatest fears: remaining alone. There are literally thousands of books dedicated to teaching people how to 'pick up' - The little tricks and tactics to make you absolutely irresistible to all but the deceased.
As the Summer creeps up on us like some naughty school boy that didn't come home for dinner when called, it's time to embrace the best of London in the sun.
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.