How do you meet someone the "conventional" way

[BilboBercow]

I'm sick of online dating. Find it unnatural and soul destroying.

I'm 40, a lone parent, do have some time to myself at the weekend which right now I do nothing with but in pre-covid times I would maybe get a night in the pub 1-2 times per month and no one really approaches anyone these days. I don't have a huge friendship circle and only have one friend who is single...

Basically I'm looking for positive stories about people meeting their partner in a non-online dating scenario.

Just because guys don’t approach you doesn’t mean you can’t approach them

I’d give it a go it works for me

That's absolutely true, not to say I never get chat and banter but it doesn't seem to lead to much.

I'm in the same boat, no friends or acquaintances seem to have any single male friends which is frustrating! And I'm no good at approaching men, I would trip over my own feet walking up to them!

Another 40 year old sole parent here too, haven't tried online dating.

I've had a few dates/interest from men through my work, although that can be tricky to manage if you need to work with them on an ongoing basis.

A few years ago I joined a meetup group for families going on outdoor trips - biking, walking, camping etc, and dated someone I met there for a while. And I met my current lovely partner at a similar group for families that is organized by a local tramping group.

I’m a member of a running club and quite a few people have met their partners there. Likewise when I played ladies rugby, some of the ladies found their other half either on the team or in the men’s teams when we socialised.

Meet up groups are a great way of meeting people. Walking groups? A hobby you have always fancied trying?

I can’t help with personal experience I met my now DP on tinder

Sports club. You can be a social player. Maybe mixed netball or touch rugby.

Also let your friends know you are looking. Someone might set you up

DH and I met when I was 37 or 38 at a running club. We had both been involved with helping with an event for the group and the organiser invited all the helpers to a dinner. Then I was travelling for work and didn’t see him for another 5 or 6 months. We met again at a social event, he gave me a hug and we have been together ever since.

Quite a few couples met through that running club.

As a single man, I would agree with the other posters.

Personally I’d never approach a single woman alone, or in public these days, the last single woman l liked at work turned out to to be gay and had jut separated from her wife.

As others say you should probably go down the hobbies, clubs, interests route, which is tricky for me as my hobby is almost entirely male - I can remember the last time I actually spoke to a single female

Pubs are part of the conventional way but also at work, hobbies, volunteer work, faith group meetings, weddings, friends' parties etc. Time is obviously limited as a single parent but those other options might be better than pubs in modern times.