Blind date: Laura and Andy

We sent Andy, 33, an IT engineer, to meet Laura, also 33, who works in sales.

Andy:

Have you ever been on a blind date before? 

Never been on one, or even considered it before to be honest!

What made you want to go on this blind date?

I’m new in town and open to new things and meeting people, so I thought I’d give it a go. Worst case scenario, I could climb out of the toilet window and make my escape.

What were your first thoughts when you saw your date?

Having never been on a blind date before, pleased and relieved in equal measure!

What did you talk about?

The conversation was pretty free-flowing; cinema, music, football, vegetarianism, Russian literature, horse rescue… All the important bases were covered.

What was the atmosphere like?

The combination of the company, the restaurant, and the friendly staff made for a relaxed and fun evening. I thought the venue was perfect, busy and vibrant, and the food was great. If this was Trip Advisor, I’d give it a solid six out of five.

Any moments when you wished you were somewhere else? 

I had a sudden moment of panic when I realized I’d left the tap on at home, but frankly I had drunk too much wine and was enjoying myself too much to even consider leaving.

What would you say is the best characteristic of your date? 

Laura was easy to talk to, intelligent and passionate about her beliefs. Apparently she can also rock a pair of wellies at the weekend – I’m yet to see evidence of this, but don’t doubt it.

What do you think your date made of you?

I think she enjoyed the date – whether that had anything to do with me, or just the joy she got people watching in the restaurant remains to be seen. I’d like to think it was the former!

Is there anything you would change about the evening?

No, not really. Apart from leaving the tap on.

Did you go somewhere else after your meal?

We didn’t, however we stayed at the venue until it closed.

Were there any sparks of potential…?

We had enough common ground to get on, and enough differences to keep things interesting, so yeah, I think so.

Will you meet again?

We’ve swapped a few messages since. I’m open to seeing how things pan out.

Laura:

Have you ever been on a blind date before?

Once I got set up by a friend. The guy just got very drunk, so I had my reservations going into this one.

What made you want to go on a blind date?

Several conversations with a friend, and I thought, “Why not? What’s the worst that can happen?”

What were your first thoughts when you saw your date?

Tall! He had a really friendly face.

What did you talk about?

Everything. Music, books, food, weddings we had attended, work, what we thought of Bristol since moving here, our old home towns… and we both talked about how we came to be on the date.

What was the atmosphere like?

The Grace has a great atmosphere and was really busy. The atmosphere between us was good – there were very few pauses in conversations, but generally I thought it was really easy going.

Any moments when you wished you were somewhere else?

What a horrible question! I didn’t have any moments like that.

What would you say is the best characteristic of your date?

He is a really positive and happy person.

What do you think your date made of you?

Probably that I’m a little bit scatty and talk an awful lot!

Is there anything you would change about the evening?

Perhaps we should have started the dinner earlier – the evening flew by.

Did you go somewhere else after your meal?

We did think about it, but it was closing time for a lot of places when we left.

Were there any sparks of potential…?

I don’t think there was much romantic potential but we did get along.

Will you meet again?

Who knows? If so, more likely as friends and someone to explore Bristol with.

Many thanks to The Grace, 197 Gloucester Road, BS7 8BG, 0117 924 4334, www.thegracebristol.uk

If you’d like to take part in one of our blind dates, please email [email protected]. You’ll have your food and drinks taken care of, leaving you to concentrate on the chemistry of love.