Just deleted both dating apps I have been on for about 6 years (on and off)! I would love to hear some inspiring stories of how you met someone naturally!

[Lillycake]

I am 41 years old and have 3 dc's. Always used the excuse that it's difficult to meet someone naturally and dating apps were the answer. They're not!!
Looking for inspiration :)

I went on various dates with a series of awful men. One or 2 got to the second date stage, but usually one was enough to put me off. Then one of the mums at the DCs school invited me round for drinks on NYE. Her brother was also there and we got chatting, ended up spending most of the night talking, swapped numbers, went on a few dates.... 4 years later and we've been married for 2, moved to a beautiful house in the countryside last year and although there won't be anymore babies, we're getting a dog soon which is almost the same!

Myusernameismud - that is a happy ever after. Thanks for sharing.
Online dating has worked for some but I feel, personally, it's even more difficult these days.

I got pissed and went on tinder. Unashamed sent my instagram handle to a guy after exchanging a few messages. Deleted the app. He followed me on instagram. We are expecting a baby this summer. Worked for me.

When I was 30. Met through my one and only blind date, arranged by my work colleague / his best mate. Been together for 26 years, married 25, two DDs. Still bumbling along, loving, sharing the laughs, and putting up with each other's idiocies.

I’ve recently started a relationship with someone I was at school with in the 1980s/1990s.

I bumped into him in a pub five months ago, having not seen him since sixth form. Got chatting, admitted we had fancied each other at school, and that was that!

I met someone when he was delivering a takeaway to the flat next door.
My mum and I were doing a spot of diy in my flat and I had superglued her to my front door!
He heard us (me) laughing our heads off and decided to walk past and see who had been laughing the next day.

ConfCall that happened to a friend of mine and they ended up getting married. They are so in love, it’s marvellous!

I met DH at a party. I can’t tell the whole story as it’s quite outing but it was a bit of a sliding doors situation. We’ve been together 12 years, married for 9. I was 35 when we met. He was 30.

Lovely reading - thankyou!

Met DH at work. Vaguely knew him but he was on a different team. We ended up sat at lunch together one day and he was telling me about a hobby he did that was running a beginners course a few weeks later. My new years resolution was to get out more and try new things, so went along to see what it was about. I'm now a qualified instructor - fell in love with both the sport and DH!

I mentioned at work that a song on the radio reminded me of my first love. My colleague said I ought to look him up on that 'new Facebook thing'.

We've now been back together 11 years and have a DD.
I was 40 and he was 42.

just marking my place because I love threads like this and am also feeling a bit drained from all the dating apps and want some inspiration to find new people

I had a series of absolute horrors in my online dating period. It was humiliating, painful and really got me down. I deleted the apps and vowed to be single, which I was for a few years. Admittedly that became very boring and depressing but god I learned my boundaries! I also picked up my old hobby of online gaming and out of nowhere met a lovely, lovely guy. We started talking seven months ago and not a day has gone by without us texting, talking online for hours or spending time together in real life. We'd never have considered each other potential partners if we had met in real life first, as he's 21 and I'm 34, but we just instantly clicked and I feel I've met a best friend as well as a partner. Yes we have different life experiences and are at different points in our career but he's the most level headed, open, kindest person I've ever met and we both get a lot of pleasure out of making the other happy. Would not swap it for the world :)

Through my dogs. I breed labradors. Only had one litter from my big boy with a beautiful Labrador that my friend knows. We decided at the outset that we only going to give the pups to people we knew for a token sum (£500) or less for the right home rather than the £2000 a pup we could have done (dogs are winners etc) as both of us don’t agree with puppy farms or profit. Both our dogs are our babies and so many of our friends wanted a pup from them. We had lots of puppies. He was a friend of my friend and wanted a puppy. We get all the pups together regularly and most of us walk together each weekend. He was a puppy owner and now we have 4. Daddy, 2 sons (2 brothers from the same litter) and 1 grandson who is puppy of one of the sons. Complete with children it’s bonkers but it’s going well. Divorced and in my 40s I couldn’t have predicted this!

😊 uplifting to read here!
I felt the apps were having a massive impact on my self esteem and I feel I really need to find myself things to do, that I enjoy.
I enjoy meeting new people, just need some inspiration to learn how!

A workman! Not going to elaborate as early days and slightly complicated. But going very well

Get some work done on your house OP .

I met my partner of nearly four years now as he worked in my local tyre shop, and I somehow managed to get three punctures in the space of a month (I really did - honest). And he really the cleverest, funniest, most loyal, loving and caring man I've ever known. (There is a huge age gap, but I don't want to get into that again on here, and at the moment it doesn't matter).

I found online dating hopeless. All previous long term (and short term come to that) partners were met the natural way (mainly in salsa clubs).

I did online dating. Didnt get one date. So I gave up 5 years ago.

My Prince Charming is sure taking his fucking time.

For Tali

About 3-4 years ago I started going out more after divorce, easier as children were grown up. Met a friend of a friend at a theatre, started going out as friends as he enjoyed the company, then started going out properly after getting tipsy together.

Thankfully he had never gone on online dating as he is a total catch and would have been snapped up.

He still thinks it's hilarious I think he's a catch.

I met DH at a networking event. His company supplied to my company, we started chatting (him trying to sell to me) and I asked him if he wanted to go for a drink after the event. The rest is history! We have been married for 5 years and have a 2 year old DS

TaliZorahVasNormandy 👌🤣😂
TheZeppo 👌

Internet dating is so hit and miss. I met my husband online. If I had met him in a pub I wouldn't have given him a second glance. Wish I had met him in a pub. Not sure how anyone meets anyone new now without the internet, so it's nice to read people's happy post, maybe there is hope!
Good luck with your search!

Probably outing but nevermind! I decided to play rugby when I was about 23. my now DH had just moved to England and was helping 'coach' the ladies rugby team to learn English. We ended up hooking up at a Halloween party but I was seeing someone. Two years later we finally got together and now seven years later we're married and have a one year old.
I didn't expect to meet someone but firmly believe fate brought us together 😂

Try lowering your expectations a little?

Hmmm mm........