Blind date He

EverY week, we send a couple on a blind date. this time, tony Bland, 61, had dinner at the impeccable Pig in sedgefield, Co Durham, with elaine Watson, 55.

elaine had been let down by two previous Blind Dates who cancelled at the last minute — but, after she allowed us to share her story in the paper back in February, tony wrote in to say that he’d like to meet her.

tony owns an investment company and lives in sedgefield. he is divorced with two sons. elaine, a business co-ordinator, lives in Middlesbrough. she is divorced with one son.

ELAINE, 55, SAYS:

Although i’d been stood up by two previous dates, i wasn’t nervous before meeting tony — i was pretty sure it had to be third time lucky!

as soon as i walked into the pub, he got up to greet me with a lovely, warm welcome and he had even ordered a bottle of wine, which was great.

he came across as a gentleman, and i could see he’d made an effort to dress up in a sharp suit. some men don’t bother, so it was nice to meet a man who appreciates how much we women put into getting ready for dates and does the same.

i must say, initially, i didn’t feel a spark, but tony is great company, so i was willing to keep an open mind. We talked about our families and our dating past. i liked that he asked me if i wanted the long or short version regarding his dating history (i opted for short!) because some men just go on and on about their exes.

there was lots of banter, we had a laugh and neither of us was in a rush to leave. tony has had a really interesting life — lots of travel and various jobs — and is warm, intelligent and friendly.

i liked how attentive he was, asking questions and listening to me, which was good because i can talk a lot! i’ve been on dates where i got the feeling they couldn’t care less about my life, so this was refreshing.

Didn’t look at his watch once and we never took out our phones, except to show photos of our kids — always a good test of a date. tony is such a gentleman and, these days, that can be rare.

We have similar interests in films and both admitted to over-indulging in chocolate and cake. When we couldn’t decide on dessert, he ordered three so we could try them all!

sadly, though, i really want to feel a strong chemistry with someone, and it wasn’t there.

i told him i would ring him the next day, which i did, as i wanted to be honest. i told him he was a wonderful man, but i just didn’t think there was a strong chemistry. he was very kind and said he’d had a wonderful date, but that he probably agreed.

i separated from my partner of nearly 18 years in april last year, after he was unfaithful, and i was previously married for ten years. My home life now is very happy: i have a grownup son, James, get on well with my ex-husband and have great friends.

i love being outdoors and running, and i’d like to meet a man to share that. i’m only 5ft 2in, but i like taller men. as i keep fit, they’d also have to take care of themselves — i think it’s more important the older you get.

it was such a lovely date and it’s great to meet people you wouldn’t necessarily have found on a dating website. i shall keep looking, but, thanks to tony, i feel reassured there are lovely men out there. LIKED? he’s great company. REGRETS? None. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. Verdict: 8/10

TONY, 61, SAYS:

When i saw elaine in the Mail and read that two dates had cancelled on her, i wrote in to say i would definitely show up. i felt for her and, of course, she is a very attractive lady.

On the day, i did feel a bit like i was going to prom! i wore a navy suit with a blue shirt, going for the ‘george Clooney on an off day’ look. i arrived early, to make sure i was there first. she got there ten minutes later, wearing a red top and a lovely smile. i must say, elaine is even more attractive in real life.

it didn’t feel awkward at all and we just started chatting. We covered family, friends and life, and had a few laughs.

i’ve been single for around three years. i’ve tried internet dating, but it’s not for me. i find it so hard to discern someone’s personality. all i want is to meet a woman who is just a wonderful person. how hard can that be?

i’ve only had about three dates in those three years, and i had a lot of empathy for elaine when i read about how she, too, finds it hard to meet someone nice and normal.

Chemistry and personality are the main things for me: that ‘X factor’ you just can’t put your finger on. i won’t settle for less.

i was married at 23 and divorced at 40, when i became a single parent to two young boys, so that was a busy time. i still see them nearly every day — when you have a credit card, it’s hard to get rid of them! i’ve since had two relationships, each around eight years long.

i’m lucky to be very fit and i go biking or play tennis every day — this is the time of life to really look after yourself. Being fit is also clearly important to elaine. i like to think i’m old-fashioned with manners. i want a woman to feel appreciated and safe in my company, so i was glad that she seemed relaxed. i have a slightly wicked sense of humour, am progressive in my thinking and can talk equally about quantum physics and shopping in aldi.

elaine is a very strong woman and has come through some serious stuff with grace: i liked that about her. i didn’t flirt, though, as i prefer to be more formal until you get a sense of how the other person feels.

at the end of the date, i walked elaine to her car and gave her a kiss on the cheek. i told her i’d like to see her again and to get in touch if she wanted to. But i didn’t sense any flirting from her — it’s one of those things that’s either there or it isn’t.

still, it was a really positive experience that helped me step out of my comfort zone.

and i’m delighted to have restored elaine’s faith in men! LIKED? the whole package — she’s a well-rounded person. REGRETS? None. COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. Verdict: 10/10

I liked that he’d dressed up as much as I had

My style is George Clooney on an off day