‘Her small dog yapped at passers-by . . . it ’ was embarrassing
DAVID, 58
VITAL STATISTICS DIVORCED, single for eight years, with two daughters, 19 and 17.
CURRENT ROLE ESTATE and letting agent.
WOULD LIKE TO MEET
SOMEONE who likes the outdoors, people-watching, mini-breaks and having fun.
DATING PAST?
I WaS married briefly, but divorced in 1990. I was raF aircrew and spent a lot of time overseas, so it was difficult to maintain a relationship. Of course, I’ve had less excuse since leaving in 1995. My last serious relationship ended eight years ago. dating as a single father was tricky because my commitment has always been to my daughters. Most of the women I meet now are either in a couple, or divorcing and in the I-hatemen period.
PRE-DATE NERVES?
I MeeT new people through my work, so I wasn’t anxious.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS?
‘CrIkeY! What has she brought with her?’ helen arrived carrying her dog, luna, and then towelled her down as it had been raining outside. I recall thinking there were a lot of bags involved — one was for luna with a water bowl, food and small towel. as for my date, helen was wearing a black and brown dress with a pink coat. She’s petite with blonde-grey hair and has a nice, slim figure.
EASY TO TALK TO?
heleN spoke a lot about luna. Because we’d been seated by the front window, luna barked at passers-by with dogs. I am a dog lover but I’m not a fan of small ones; I prefer medium-sized dogs — a labrador would suit me fine.
as helen is a vegetarian I resisted the temptation to go for a steak or a burger and instead had monkfish. While the conversation didn’t struggle, for me there was just no connection.
EMBARRASSING MOMENTS?
luNa barking.
DID SPARKS FLY?
There was zero chemistry for me, sorry. I got the impression she is too busy for a love life — she works, she’s also a dog-minder and she has a father and teenage daughter to look after. We didn’t really have any similar interests, either.
SEE HER AGAIN?
NO. heleN’S lovely enough and there isn’t a bad bone in her body. I’m not saying she’s away with the fairies, but she’s definitely a lot more spiritual than me and likes her yoga retreats. I just think we have different life paths.
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE THOUGHT OF YOU?
IF I’M honest, I’m not too worried. hopefully she thought I was polite. after a 90-minute lunch, we walked to the station and caught different trains. We didn’t exchange numbers.
WOULD YOUR FAMILY LIKE HER?
IF I introduced helen as my girlfriend they’d be surprised, because we are very different people.