Blind date: Gareth and Ian

Gareth (above left) and Ian (above right) visited the Thali Cafe in Montpelier for their blind date. But did things get hot and spicy? 

Name and occupation? 
“Gareth, officer manager.”
“Ian, customer care advisor.”

Have you ever been on a blind date before?
Gareth: “Never.”
Ian: “Never. Many dates but none of them as scary as this!”

What made you want to go on this blind date? 
Gareth: “I thought it might be a bit of fun, and an interesting way to meet someone I might never have considered dating before.”
Ian: “I was reluctant at first but was badgered into it by my friends…plus free food!”

What were your first thoughts when you saw your date?
Gareth: “Nice smile and I liked his shirt, although I only thought to tell him so at the end of the date.”
Ian: “The first thing I noticed was his beard. Who doesn’t love a beard? He looked like an intelligent guy.”

What did you talk about? 
Gareth: “Family, work, theatre (and our rather different interests in it – he likes musicals, I’m more a performance art kinda guy), the worst dates we’ve been on. Oh, and Rupaul’s Drag Race (mandatory gay conversation topic!)”
Ian: “We found a common interest in performing arts and drag queens and I really enjoyed hearing about his past performing experience.  We even delved into previous relationships – brave for a first date!”

What was the atmosphere like? 
Gareth: “Slightly nervous at first, but relaxed as the night went on.”
Ian: “There was a very relaxed atmosphere in the Thali, lots of couples and groups enjoying a relaxing evening. It didn’t feel too romantic, which I thought was good.”

Any moments when you wished you were somewhere else? 
Gareth: “Not especially. There were a couple of lulls in conversation, but nothing excruciatingly awful.”
Ian: “I thought Gareth was really engaging and interesting and only felt awkward once or twice, but that’s to be expected on a first date! He definitely kept the conversation flowing when I was feeling a little less talkative.”

What would you say is the best characteristic of your date? 
Gareth: “He was very friendly and relaxed and seemed very content with his life.”
Ian: “Gareth had great eyes, I was happy to be staring into them all night.  He was a very interesting guy with lots of stories and creative things going on in his life.”

What do you think your date made of you? 
Gareth: “I’m not sure. I hoped he thought I was relatively easy to talk to, despite our divergent interests.”
Ian: “I think he will have found me quiet, maybe a little shy.  I’m hoping he thought I was cute, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be attracted to me or have felt any sexual attraction.”

Is there anything you would change about the evening? 
Gareth: “I could have done with being less tired, but the evening was pleasant enough to not need to have changed it.”
Ian: “We should’ve ordered pudding or more drinks. We sat talking until the restaurant closed so we should have taken advantage of the gin!”

Did you go somewhere else after your meal? 
Gareth: “No.”
Ian: “We walked home in the same direction and gave each other a hug goodbye.”

Were there any sparks of potential? 
Gareth: “Not romantically, alas.”
Ian: “I wasn’t feeling any sparks.”

Will you meet again? 
Gareth: “I would say hi to him if our paths crossed again, but I don’t think we’ll be organising anything soon.”
Ian: “I will definitely say hello.  As for romantically, I don’t think that would ever work out.”

If you would like to take part in one of our blind dates, then please email [email protected]. You will have your meal and drinks taken care of, leaving you to concentrate on the chemistry of love. 

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