BLIND DATE

I thought he was too old for me – but he won me round with his charm I had two hours to convince her we should meet again

EVERY week, we send a couple out for dinner and ask them to report back on their blind date.

This week, Karin Simmons and Nigel Kirkby tell us about their evening at The Chambers in Portsmouth.

Karin, 53, is divorced and has two grown-up children. She works as a dental hygienist and lives near Portsmouth.

Nigel is 60 and a surveyor. He is divorced, has one daughter and two grandsons and lives in nearby Southsea.

Karin, 53, says:

I’VE always been inclined towards younger men, as I consider myself to be really active. I love music, enjoy going to gigs and festivals and keep fit by running several times a week. I’ve also taken up Zumba.

So, to be honest, I was apprehensive about the date, not only because it’s been more than three years since my last one, but because I knew my date was 60 — and that worried me.

Nigel was already there when I arrived. Can I admit that, initially, I was a little disappointed, as he didn’t seem my type?

That’s not to say he wasn’t well presented and very warm and welcoming. He immediately told me I was as lovely as he’d been told, which was a nice compliment.

However, I was determined to enjoy the evening, and it was easy straight away. Nigel is an open, confident and educated man, who is clearly active and energised, so we had a lot to talk about.

Sometimes, dates can feel like the Spanish Inquisition, but he showed a real interest in my life, and told me a bit about his, which made the conversation much easier.

I probably talked about past relationships more than I normally would, because he was asking, but history makes you what you are, so it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

My main course was lovely and, because the conversation was flowing, neither of us felt a rush to leave, so we had dessert.

As the evening progressed, my initial disappointment lifted. I had such a set boundary in my head about age, yet the more you get to know someone, you realise that it’s really not important.

Nigel came across as very young at heart and active, and not like my previous image of a 60-year-old.

Dating is so different nowadays, with so much of it done online, that I think it’s easy to set limits and be too prescriptive over what you want. That’s probably why I’m not very proactive. I prefer a more traditional approach.

When I was young, we just went out and met people. Now, it feels like much more of an effort.

I have been divorced for six years, and I’ve tried dating sites, but find myself on my own again after a relationship ended three years ago. My children would love me to meet someone new.

So, I was pleasantly surprised when Nigel came across as the kind of man I would get on with in terms of his attitude and values. He was brave, too, which I liked.

At the end, he told me he’d had a lovely time and would like to see me again. I had a taxi ordered for 10.30pm, so we said our goodbyes, but then the cab didn’t show, so we had another drink.

We were talking about what we were doing the next day, and he mentioned a bandstand on the seafront with live music, which he enjoys. I couldn’t go, but we agreed we would go next week.

We parted with a kiss on the cheek, and I texted later to say: ‘Thanks for a lovely evening.’

I’ll definitely go on a second date with Nigel and see how it goes from there. LIKED: His warm, chatty and friendly personality. REGRETS? None. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. VERDICT: 8/10

Nigel, 60, says:

I WANT to meet someone who shares my enthusiasm for life and is ambitious and active. Life is short, and you have to make the most of it. I’m not here to mess around.

So when Karin walked into the restaurant and I thought ‘Wow!’, I knew I had two-and-a-half hours to give the date my all.

I wasn’t about to sit back and not make an effort. I asked lots of questions to get to know her as much as possible.

Maybe Karin thought I overdid the questioning, but I was genuinely interested in her. She is smart, beautiful, career-minded and owns her own business. The icing on the cake is just how beautiful she is.

I did wonder if my age put her off. I hoped she’d see how young and active I am.

I knew early on that I wanted to see her again, and I was determined not to hoodwink her or pretend I was anything I wasn’t. This felt too important.

It just felt we were on the same wavelength, which meant a lot to me. You can meet a gorgeous woman but, if you don’t connect, it won’t work. Karin and I seemed to have a lot in common.

We both love living by the coast. You can’t beat waking up in the morning and looking out to sea. It’s so tranquil and therapeutic.

I’m really active and love dancing, squash and walking. I can also turn my hand to sailing and used to ski and scuba dive.

Since my last relationship broke up a year ago, my grandsons have been the love of my life. I’m very close to my family — my sister is constantly telling me to stop spending time with them and find love. But I’ve been a little let down by internet dating.

The internet makes dating easier in one respect, but it can also be demoralising. I think to succeed, you have to be photogenic, which I don’t think I am!

When I asked Karin if she’d like to meet up again, I was delighted she immediately offered to give me her number. That said, I still wasn’t sure, as I know women can say that to get away!

So, when she texted me later to say she had had a lovely time, I was really pleased.

All in all, it was a great evening. I had been to the restaurant before and had my favourite dishes. The only disappointment was when Karin told me her taxi was booked for 10.30pm, as I could have stayed much longer.

We’ve been in contact since. She’s persuaded me to go swimming in the sea, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I texted her to tell her how much she’d inspired me.

And I’m happy to report that Karin and I are going out for dinner next week. LIKED: She is the whole package. REGRETS? None. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. VERDICT: 9/10