The Tab Tries: Speed Dating

Going on 15 dates in the space of an hour – what’s not to love?

The Academy played host to a speed-dating fundraiser for 30 eligible singletons. We went along to discover which of the smooth-talking contenders were best at charming the opposite sex, and possibly kindle some genuine romance in the process.

First prize was fairly standard meal-for-two at a local restaurant.  But second prize was slightly more controversial: two tickets to see the much-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey film. Surely a first date watching a BDSM relationship would feel more like a punishment than a reward?

Calm before the storm

The Tab on their hot dates

Girl’s point of view

I spritzed myself up for the event, opting for a camo jacket to give off that “not bothered” vibe…. nobody likes a Desperate Debbie. But I didn’t give off the best impression, and I certainly didn’t win.

To numb the realness of the dating experience, I glugged maybe one too many triple vodkas, and proceeded to embarrass myself on every level possible.

Not a good look

I felt like a queen on my barstool, watching potential suitors (aka victims) come forward every three minutes so I could rank them out of 10. Triple vodkas made me forget they were ranking me also.

A word of advice for future speed-daters: don’t tell your date you spend your evenings watching Tracy Beaker on Netflix. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. And you will go home empty handed.

Boy’s point of view

I’d never really done anything like this before, so I was excited to try speed-dating but also had little idea of what to expect. I tried to dress smart without looking like I’d made too much effort, because nothing is more off-putting than a poser.

Romantic.

When I sat down at the first table, my partner was really friendly and I began to feel relaxed for the evening ahead. Surprisingly, the girls were shy and less chatty than I’d expected, but they seemed like lovely people and I managed to hold a conversation the whole time with pretty much everyone.

In hindsight, maybe I should have had a couple of endearing questions in mind – asking about courses and hometowns is mind-numbingly boring.

My favourite moments were when I was asked my favourite Pokemon (Squirtle, obviously) and when one girl requested I “sell-myself” to her, which made it briefly feel like Take Me Out crossed with The Apprentice.

Sadly, we didn’t do well enough to earn ourselves a prize, even though we rated each other a coveted 10/10. But, despite missing out on an awkward date to Mr Grey’s sex dungeon, we had a laugh and helped raise money for a great cause – Breast Cancer Care Wales and CoppaFeel!

Would we do it again? Pass the vodka, then we’ll talk.