Blind date

EverY week, we send a couple on a blind date and report back. This time, Charlotte dean, 29, had dinner at The Ivy in Harrogate with Neil Humpleby, 32.

Neil is a civil servant who lives in Billingham, County durham. Charlotte is an Hr consultant who lives in Leeds.

CHARLOTTE, 29, SAYS:

FRIENDS and family tell me I am extremely picky when it comes to relationships. Guilty as charged! But that’s because I want the next one to be my Happy ever after.

My Mister right does have a lot to live up to. I met my first love when I was 14 and we started dating at 17. I genuinely thought he was the man I would marry and have children with. But he passed away suddenly at 22. I was devastated and I perhaps jumped too quickly into my next relationship, which lasted two years. I needed to fill the gap, and that was a mistake.

So, for a while, I have focused on my career. Most of my friends are single, too. Still, I haven’t turned my back on the chance of finding love, and I want the next man I date seriously to be the one I settle down with.

I’ve never been on a blind date before, and I was really excited. The first person I told was my mum — and she was even more enthusiastic than I was. But when I first saw Neil he was a bit of a let-down, to be honest. He arrived wearing a basic shirt and trousers, but for a nice restaurant I opted for something a bit more dazzling.

To begin with I thought Neil was a nice guy but we had little in common. I am a person who decides quickly if the spark isn’t there and it won’t work out. But actually, as our lunch progressed we talked about lots of things. There wasn’t a moment’s silence.

Maybe I was a little too quick to judge him. But I realised that chatting away naturally doesn’t come easily to Neil. He puts himself down a fair bit — and he doesn’t need to.

I am a strong character and I want someone who is comfortable in his own skin. Yet I really felt for Neil when he said someone at his work had joked: ‘ don’t be surprised if she takes one look and walks out the door!’

My heart softened when he talked about how much he loves disney films. I quizzed him a bit and, yes, he knows his movies — although he didn’t guess my favourite! I love snuggling down and watching The Jungle Book.

It concerns me that Neil likes to move around a lot in his career. Money seems to be a driving force for him, whereas happiness is everything for me. I do want someone who is settled in his work — a guy who knows where he is going in life.

Neil also hasn’t had a long-term relationship before. I think he needs to go on some more dates — he told me he hasn’t been on many. He is sporty but doesn’t go out to bars or clubs.

Neil and I had a lovely meal and enjoyed a drink together in a bar afterwards. Before we left, he asked for my number. I’d be happy to see him again. I certainly won’t say no to spending a day in York with him, like he suggested. LIKED? Conversation. REGRETS? None.

COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. Verdict: 7/10

NEIL, 32, SAYS:

I APPROACHED the date with the attitude that it would be a lovely day out. If we met again, that would be a bonus.

But when I saw my date, my gut reaction was we weren’t attracted to one another. I’m good at reading body language and Charlotte’s wasn’t encouraging.

even so, once I introduced myself she was friendly and talkative. My initial physical impression of Charlotte was a good one. She’s just over 5ft tall but was wearing heels. She had a lovely top on. In fact, I could have kicked myself afterwards because I made a major dating faux pas — I should have complimented her on her outfit and I didn’t. I have never been on a blind date before so I didn’t have the patter to hand. I had crispy duck to start, while Charlotte had pâté. For my main course I opted for the lobster. It was possibly a bit over the top on a first date — but then Charlotte had steak tartare, on the grounds that it isn’t something she would normally eat and she fancied something a bit ‘out there’. despite my awkward meal, we chatted really naturally and never seemed to fall silent.

Curiously, we bonded over the strangest things. She supports Chelsea, while I am a Manchester United fan. I always get ribbed about whether I am a newbie supporter or not, and Charlotte was no different, asking me lots of questions about it.

We also bonded over our love of disney films. I assumed she’d be a fan of the ones with princesses in the starring role. I went through dozens of them trying to work out her favourite. In the end I had to give up — and it turned out she loves The Jungle Book.

I’ve relocated five times over the past decade for my career, so my love life has taken a back seat. I’ve never had a long- term relationship, and those dates I have been on have mostly not led to a second meeting.

Sometimes I feel I’m a magnet for women who expect me to fork out for the date, then inform me that going forward it’s a platonic relationship only. occasionally they even forget to mention they have a boyfriend! It has made me much more guarded.

Would I like to meet someone? My parents are keen on grandchildren and it has been mentioned once or twice. But more importantly, it’s horrible being alone at weekends. While I am sporty, and serious about playing tennis, it would be nice to have a girlfriend.

While Charlotte is a lovely lass, I enjoy watching rom-coms and they have influenced me in my opinion that when I meet The one I should know immediately — and there should be fireworks going off to confirm it. Still, we had a lovely dinner and went for a wander and a drink afterwards. It seemed a very natural thing to do. There was no awkwardness between us.

We exchanged numbers before we parted ways, and I’ve suggested a day trip to York. Charlotte seems keen. I know I would like to see her again.

LIKED? How easy it was to talk to Charlotte. REGRETS? Choosing lobster.

COFFEE OR CAB? Coffee. Verdict: 8/10

Money seems to be a driving force for Neil

I made a major faux pas straight away ...