WHO’LL FIND LOVE ON OUR BLIND DATE

Each week, we send a couple out for dinner and ask them to report back on their blind date. We also throw in a little advice to help anyone else looking for love.

This week, we sent Linda Malcolm and Robert Walpole to The Grand hotel in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Linda, 68, is a retired teacher living in Brighton and has no children. She divorced in 1980 and has been single ever since. her hobbies include walking and going to the theatre.

Robert, 70, a widower, lives in hastings, East Sussex and has four grown- up children and plenty of grandchildren. The retired civil servant enjoys quizzes and walking, just like Linda. aLThouGh I still have a decent figure, I’m 6 ft tall — and I’m aware that many men are put off by my height.

I’ve no objections to a partner being shorter than me and I’ve towered over a couple of loves in my life. It doesn’t bother me at all.

at the moment, though, I’m a full-time carer for my 94-year-old mum who has alzheimer’s — which has restricted my dating life a little.

It also doesn’t help that I’m living in Brighton, where unless you are gay, it can be rather difficult to date!

That said, I like to keep fit and be sociable. I have run the London Marathon twice and go to yoga classes to stay trim.

What am I looking for in a man? I prefer someone with a slim physique — my pet hate is a beer belly and I’m not keen on tattoos. But I’m a sucker for a man with a great voice.

Though I haven’t dated much recently, I’m pretty confident socially and wasn’t nervous before our meeting.

having arrived a little early, I took myself off to the hotel bar and ordered a campari and soda. Then, at 1pm, I approached our table where Robert was waiting for me.

My first impressions were good. he reminded me of Jack Nicholson with a very nice smile, which was very endearing.

he made it clear early on that he did not wish to talk about the loss of his wife, so we kept our chat to safe areas.

We both come from the same generation and love our Sixties music and TV programmes, so there was no awkwardness at all in our conversation over the dinner table.

It was a very pleasant meal. I was mildly amused that Robert wouldn’t eat his vegetables. he said he wasn’t adventurous with food, whereas I am.

When he asked for medium- cooked lamb, I checked that he didn’t want it pink — I knew the Grand would cook it perfectly, so eventually he went on to order it well done.

The food was lovely, and the conversation flowed really well.

I don’t think there was any chemistry, though.

I’m not sure he was keen on me being so tall, and he wasn’t the sort of person I would have picked out in a line.

I’m adventurous with food and like someone who dresses and looks a bit more modern.

But it was a very pleasant experience, and I actually think we could be very good friends. We may well see each other again. Robert enjoys pub quizzes, as do my sister and I — so we could make up a team.

Because of my situation caring for my mum, I tend to go out with the same people and do the same things every week, so I am glad to have come across someone new, who might open up a new social avenue — even it doesn’t lead to romance. LIKED: his very nice smile, as well as the fact that he is easy to get on with. REGRETS: None. COFFEE OR CAB? cab. NoT only was this the first blind date that I have ever been on, it was also the first date I have been on in more than 50 years, so I was very nervous. My wife died two years ago, and it has been very hard being on my own. I miss having the company.

While I can’t replace my wife, I’m looking for that someone special with whom I can share the rest of my life.

I’ve tried dating sites, but have found that it’s hard to engage with most of the women who subscribe to them.

When Linda first walked in, I was very relieved. I had a lot of concerns about who might be my date — would they be too young, too large, not my type?

But from the start, we just chatted and I loved the fact that we had rather a lot in common and had similar views.

In this day and age, those things can be hard to find.

I’m not the best conversationalist, and women tend to talk! But I felt we both held our own, and the conversation was easy.

although I stood up when Linda arrived, it wasn’t until she mentioned her height — she is 6 ft and I’m 5 ft 10 in — that I even realised she was taller than me.

I honestly hadn’t noticed, and it wasn’t an issue for me at all.

There weren’t any awkward moments and the food was really good, too. I’m a very fussy eater and, over the years, a lot of people have tried to get me to eat my vegetables, but I’m not adventurous at all.

The food was lovely, though. I had tomato soup, and we both had roast lamb, which was delicious. I love my puddings, so I had chocolate mousse.

We swapped numbers and I gave her a kiss on the cheek at the train station as we parted company. I would definitely like to see Linda again, though I’m not sure there was a spark between us.

But I’m really happy to have met her. Who knows what the future might hold?

The first thing we talked about was how we even ended up on a blind date in the first place — it was so out of character for me to do something so adventurous like this.

It really took me out of my comfort zone, but I definitely enjoyed our date. LIKE: She was easy to talk to and listened well. REGRETS: None. COFFEE OR CAB? coffee.

He reminded me of Jack Nicholson with a lovely smile I’m not sure there was a spark — but I’d like to see her again