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Patrick (the Adventurous One) You know those dates where you think you’re meeting someone for a quiet drink, maybe a chat about holidays, hobbies, the usual “so what brings you to online dating,” and instead you find yourself mentally checking your travel insurance? That was Patrick. And to be fair, I did  have a clue before we even sat down. Because Patrick arrived on a bike — not a normal bike, not a commuter bike, but one of those impossibly light, aerodynamic contraptions

You know when you go on a date thinking you’re going for a nice glass of wine and a chat, and you slowly realise you’ve accidentally wandered into someone else’s five-year relationship plan? That was this date. David is early 60s, very well put together, very warm smile, very easy to talk to. The sort of man who looks like he knows how to choose a decent bottle of red and would absolutely insist on walking you to your car “just to make sure you’re safe.” He has that old-schoo

James arrived already mid-transformation. You could tell straight away. The clothes were newer than the habits. The haircut had been booked recently, possibly in a mild panic. There was a definite sense of " I’ve decided to get my life together and I’m hoping you’ll notice"   which in theory is admirable and in practice is… revealing. It makes me wonder if this is only found in the "dating over 50" category, on the basis that younger candidates haven't had as much time to "l