How viable is it to meet someone offline?

[Bjerkley]

Hi, 41 year old guy who would appreciate a female perspective. I've recently relocated to a new town. As yet, I have few friends and connections in the local area and colleagues are all partnered up, married or not my cup of tea. I would like to meet someone. However, I don't want to online date because with my last and only foray it almost destroyed my soul and I would rather drink my own urine than ever do it again.

So I thought I'd meet someone off-line but then immediately thought, 'How and where do you even do that these days?'. Everyone I asked under 45 had met their partner online. Every one. It then got me wondering whether anyone much meets their soulmate in 'meat space'. Is that the case with people here? And if you did meet offline, how and where?

I mean, he fact that there are lots of us here must mean that for millions of years humans were partnering up without Match or Tinder.

I want to know this too! I suspect a lot of people meet at work, I work from home so not much chance for me meeting anyone there. How did people meet eachother before online dating?

I met my DP a couple of years ago - offline. We are both early 30's. Through a hobby we both shared

It can be done. Have to say, I did try online dating and found it so superficial and grim. Was glad it happened more organically for me

I know people who’ve met at running clubs (quite a few in fact) . Any sports or other activities where there’s also social events could be good. Also gym but small independent ones rather than total fitness types.

I met my partner offline on a day out last year - I'm late 40s he's early 50s. He was a friend of a friend of a friend! We all went to the pub for a drink that afternoon and both hit it off. However I'd booked an earlier train so had to leave before everyone else and I didn't think he was interested anyway. Turned out he was. Also, I wasn't actually looking for a relationship but it smacked us both in the face and we haven't looked back since.

If I hadn't have met him, I still wouldn't have done OLD, it just doesn't appeal to me. He has done OLD in the past, with not much luck so we are both so happy with the way we have met. I know OLD works for many, but personally prefer the natural way of meeting people.

I suspect trying to engineer it doesn't help much other than being around other people in a very general getting on with life sort of way.

Of the 3 long term relationships I've had one I met at work (and for 18 months was convinced she fancies the chap I worked with), one was a friend of a customer, we met very briefly then bumped into each other about 3 months later (I couldn't remember her name) and the other was the midwife for a couple I was friends with.

^ sorry about the lack of female perspective

Met last one at work, met this one through a common interest. I don't think it is hard to meet people off line, but you do need to get out and put yourself in situations where you are meeting new people. If you are just going to the same places every week, then you won't meet them.

Through hobbies is the best way I find. I rather eat my own arm than do online dating.

I met my partner at a kids club. We now live together and have successfully blended our family. It can happen and I never fancied online dating did it for a day when a friend signed me up and I had some awful messages so I deactivated and never returned to it. Good luck op

I feel the same, I tried online dating and it was the most hellish experience.

I joined the gym back in December, after Christmas I signed up to a couple of the classes. I've met some new people, made new friends and I enjoy it. I also fancy my gym instructor something chronic, he just happens to be single and flirts with me so I'm hoping the attraction is mutual. I've now just got to have the courage to actually ask him out.

I am too scared to meet on line! So far I am 5 years into not meeting anyone. My hobbies are all female based (there maybe males out there but so far I have not met any!!!!), my employment although can be either is heavily female based. So I am stuck. I would dearly love to met someone but so far have been unlucky.