Where have all the good women gone?

WHY is it so difficult to find a partner (Femail)? I think it is because people have unrealistic expectations. Women appear to be drawn to bad boys because they like excitement. I wasn’t a saint in my 30s and the more indifferent I was to attention, the more I got. It’s also fashionable for women to have toyboys. No self-respecting male is going to pay these women any attention. Similarly, I think it’s disgusting for older men to seek younger partners. If I had a date with the most attractive woman in the world, I would walk away if she paid too much attention to her mobile phone. I would also think twice if the lady wanted to sleep with me on a first date.

SIMON HOULTON, Tiverton, Devon. I HAVE had relationships with various women over the past 40 years. I like a woman to be attractive and intelligent, to take pride in her appearance, to occasionally put her hand in her pocket and, above all, be feminine. I will not entertain someone who has a mobile phone strapped to her ear, tattoos, piercings or ripped jeans. There are some women out there who meet my requirements, but they are becoming increasingly rare.

M. COOPER, Morden, Surrey.

WHAT a sad indictment of our times that men and women view each other so critically. There are so many single lonely people out there, so why can’t they be kinder to each other? After I was widowed, I went on several dates. I always offered to pay and the men liked that, even though they didn’t always accept. Kindness tops my list of a man’s ideal attributes — and nice shoes. GLORIA ESTEL, address supplied.