Where to meet your date

Short and happy

Make the first meeting short.

Why not meet for a coffee or a drink to see how well you get on?

You don't really want to commit yourself to potentially a three-hour £30 per head dinner when you may have little in common. Plus, if you agree to meet for a drink and get on well, what's to stop you going on for a pizza afterwards?

Agree to meet somewhere pleasant and public, ideally half way between where you both live. Little Chef fans, now is the time to be a bit more adventurous.

Or, if your dating agency runs singles events, like those run by Singles Club and Dating Agency RSVP, maybe arrange to meet at one of those. That way, if you don’t hit it off, there’ll be others to chat to during the event.

Do's and Don'ts

There are some important do's and don't for that first meeting.

Most of them are safety-related but you also want to make life easy on yourself, too.

Do:

• Know how to recognise your date
• Arrange a venue you are both happy with. Gents, whilst you may not be concerned about personal safety, it won't be a good start if you ignore her's.
• Make the first meeting short - but don't book anything afterwards in case it goes well and you want to go for something to eat.
• Tell someone where you are going, who you are meeting and what time you expect to be back.
• Meet halfway; it's a good symbolic gesture to make at the beginning of a relationship.

Don't:

• Meet in a layby or anywhere that is not a well-frequented public place
• Go to your date's house
• Agreed to be picked up from somewhere by car
• Sneak off if you don't like the look of them; you'll always get found out.