Isaac on John

So, what inspired you to sign up?

A lack of love? (laughs) No, I don’t know – but it was fun!

You met at 10am at the Botanic Garden… not a typical first date!

Not really, but it was a good time!

“I held the umbrella for the both of us”

How was it when you guys met?

Good! We were quite talkative the whole time – and it was raining, so I held the umbrella for the both of us.

Very rom-com! Did he appreciate that?

Who knows? I thought it was a nice gesture, though.

And where’d it go from there?

Well, we sat in the café for most of it because it was raining!

I know, sorry! It didn’t go how you expected, then?

Not really – but it was okay!

And the date as a whole?

Well, it’s a blind date, so I didn’t go in expecting anything, but he’s definitely nice!

What did you get up to?

We saw some green houses, looked at some plants, walked around…

You’d both wanted the date to be in nature – did you have much else in common?

We both do humanities, and he’s a big reader, but I’m not sure there’s too much in common to be honest – I think we’re both neurodivergent?

Well, as long as the conversation flowed?

Yeah, I mean it wasn’t very flirty, but it was natural!

In general, how would you describe him?

Golden retriever, kind, and he’s got a spark about him when he talks about things he’s passionate about.

And what do you think he thought of you?

Zero idea, honestly! We do have a lot of differences.

Could you see you guys hanging out again?

I’d be up for seeing where things go – I’m actually going for dinner at his college tonight, so maybe we’ll see each other again later at the bar…

“I did joke that the second round was on me”

A possible encore, then!

Very possibly! He was actually the one who bought the coffees, so I did joke that the second round was on me.

So, you’ve left the door open?

Yeah, it was a joke, but I think I would love to know him better?

Did he encourage that?

He didn’t say no!

And what would you rate the experience on a scale from one to ten?

I’d say an eight – it was solid!

John on Isaac

How come you signed up?

Well, one of my friends actually went on one of the blind dates last term and thought it was fun, and I’d never been on a proper date before, so I thought “why not?”

What were your initial thoughts?

He seemed cool – really chatty and personable. It was a little awkward at first, but I feel like the conversation flowed quite naturally.

Did you have a lot to talk about?

I mean, we yapped for about 2 hours. We both talked about our special interests, like linguistics for him, and my diss topic and Doctor Who.

The back-and-forth was quite equal, then?

Yeah. He seemed interested in what I had to say, and I was the same.

Did you have any shared hobbies?

No! I mean, he does gospel choir – which I did not know existed – and he’s not a rower like me. Plus, he’s from the hill, so just miles away.

Any particularly nice moments?

He held his umbrella over my head, which was really sweet!

Did that help build a vibe? What’s the verdict, chemistry-wise?

I’m not sure. I don’t generally form an immediate opinion, but I thought we got on and he was nice!

So, you’re undecided?

Yeah, it’s not personal! Just how I am.

What did you make of him?

I found him very bubbly, very friendly – just a really sweet guy.

“He texted afterwards asking if I wanted to meet up, so we did”

And what do you think he thought of you?

I don’t know what impression I made. I think he liked me – he texted afterwards asking if I wanted to meet up, so we did! He met some of my friends.

Ooh, twice in one day?

I was in my college bar anyway so…

How’d that go, then?

Alright, I think – we were sat next to each other, and he chatted quite a lot to my friends, but I had to leave quite early because I was really tired.

How’d you guys leave things?

I think fairly open-ended?

Any plans to reach out?

I’m not really set in my opinions at the moment, so we’ll see…

Well, how would you rate the date from one to ten?

A solid seven – it was fun!

Sign up for your blind date here!

Names have been changed for privacy reasons.