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Original poster

How did people meet before dating apps?

123 replies

Aliciaukuk · 23/10/2022 17:08

Ok finally deleted Tinder and Bumble.. they are full of ugly, broken men..

the lowest of the low.

How can i meet a partner instead?

OP posts:
puddingandsun · 23/10/2022 20:41

Isn't there a dating website where a friend does the post - mysinglefriend or something similar. Sounds a bit more likely to meet someone nice through that.

Haven't heard of Bumble but wouldn't ever consider Tinder. May be try another online platform?

MrsMoastyToasty · 23/10/2022 20:41

I got set up with my best friend's boyfriend's best mate. We all went to a nightclub but friend and her boyfriend left early, leaving us to get a taxi home together.

DH and his friend were best man at each other's wedding (our marriage has lasted over 25 years. Best friend and her fella have subsequently divorced and both have remarried).

Devo1818 · 23/10/2022 20:44

Me and my friends....

Party of mutual friend
Worked in same office
Met at Uni x 2
Grew up in same small town, mutual friends at school
Nightclub
Work
Blind date set up by friend of one and cousin of the other

Cassillero · 23/10/2022 20:48

Pubs and nightclubs.

I tried online dating after my divorce, and although I met some nice people, none were really boyfriend material.

I met my current partner 3 years ago at the age of 47 at a pub karaoke. It's easier in real life as you don't waste time on working out if you're attracted to each other.

Before him, I also met people by going to see live bands at a club that mainly attracted people 40 plus.

SylvanianFrenemies · 23/10/2022 21:16

Clubbing.
Pubs/pub quizzes.
Library.
Talking in the street.

Much more fun than online sounds!

alphasox · 23/10/2022 21:18

I went to a friend’s house party and my now OH was also there as a friend of one of her housemates.
just be sociable and talk to people and don’t be afraid to ask someone if they want to share numbers and meet for a drink.

TheLoupGarou · 23/10/2022 21:19

Just.... in real life - at gigs, in pubs or clubs usually through friends or mutual acquaintances or through college/uni/work. In my 20's I didn't really 'date' in terms of doing it to find a partner and discarding the unsuitable ones. I wouldn't have gone out with someone unless I already knew/liked them..... (Remembers when this was all fields.. )

antipodeancanary · 23/10/2022 21:44

I'm 60, long married now, but before that, I never dated anyone I didn't know before. Thinking of all my boyfriends there has been in order, school friend, son of friend of parents, my brother's friend, uni friend x several, friends brother, hobby friend, church friend, and then DD who was a friend of a friend.

antipodeancanary · 23/10/2022 21:47

I wouldn't have gone out with someone unless I already knew/liked them.....

Exactly this! I wouldn't have wasted my time unless I already knew he was someone I liked.

Goldmember · 23/10/2022 21:50

Ditto everyone else, I met DH in the 90s on holiday whilst pissed

hellosunshineagainxxx · 23/10/2022 22:01

Met husband at a bar 12 years ago now

sweatervest · 23/10/2022 22:03

am in the only one who's singing young guns whilst reading this?
pubs and clubs etc etc reminds me of "if you're a pub man, or a club man" etc etc.

PeaceX · 23/10/2022 22:04

I know, it's so hard to believe that happened now! You came out of the pub and went for chips in abrakebabra, got chatting to some guys in the queue, swapped phones and rang each other. Ha it was like a bygone age.

YourUserNameMustBeAtLeast3Characters · 23/10/2022 22:15

My friends:

school
sport
sport (different one)
friend’s brother
work
work
work
work
random in a pub
friend of a friend in a club
work
work

(we did a lot of socialising out of work with colleagues, as you can tell).

Dinoteeth · 23/10/2022 22:35

My Grandparents were work and other two at a wedding
My parents met through sport, I have Auntie & Uncles who lived on the same street
Thinking of my friends and siblings they met partners through school, work, nightclubs, houseparties, sport and OLD.

Online Dating, treat it as a bunch of CVs, and you are looking for the right person for the job.
What are your / their interests - no point Dating a hillwalker if your idea of a walk is round the local shopping centre.
Look on the paid for sites seem to be more serious lookers on there.

ThatAussieGuy · 23/10/2022 22:40

Aliciaukuk · 23/10/2022 17:08

Ok finally deleted Tinder and Bumble.. they are full of ugly, broken men..

the lowest of the low.

How can i meet a partner instead?

I was on both and I agree. The women I became friends with showed me horrifying stuff.

People met at social events. Dances, churches, clubs. If you want to meet people, join a club dedicated to something that interests you

ThatAussieGuy · 23/10/2022 22:40

sweatervest · 23/10/2022 22:03

am in the only one who's singing young guns whilst reading this?
pubs and clubs etc etc reminds me of "if you're a pub man, or a club man" etc etc.

NOW I can hear it. Wham was my first live show :)

sweatervest · 23/10/2022 22:45

hello aussie guy. I am literally not a white cool cat with a trilby hat. nor am i a pub man or a club man but i am vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv impressed that you saw wham live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i have fond memories of gazing at the cover of the Fantastic album.

amspeechless · 23/10/2022 22:53

SpringIntoChaos · 23/10/2022 20:14

Oh god I bloody LOVED dating in the 80s!

Here's how it went down:

Came home from work/college/wherever!
Got showered and changed.
Met your mates at the local pub (this never changed in all my years of doing this...Friday/Saturday night, 7.00 everyone was in the pub!)
Had a drink whilst eyeing up the local talent...decided whether it was worth staying local or moving on to 'bigger and better' things 🤣
If moving on, this meant choosing between Club A or Club B (we didn't travel far 🤣)

Wherever we ended up, the 'mating ritual' was the same...buy a drink, do a slow (but meticulous!) sweep of the joint to spot your target.
Take up residence close to target.
Flirt shamelessly until target noticed and then avoid all eye contact!
Rinse and repeat until 1am, when The Slow Dance was played, at which point the target usually came over and asked for a dance.

1.15 (after slow dance) lights come up and everyone was herded outside...at this point you were either horrified that your conquest was hideous when the lights went up, or quietly smug and got a snog in the car park.

Numbers would be swapped (parents house phone, obviously 🤣) and you then played the 'will he/won't he' waiting game.

Such fun 🤩

Oh god …I could have written this word for word 😂Absolutely brilliant and so much fun ! The waiting game for the phone call was just sooo stressful though .

Dinoteeth · 23/10/2022 23:19

Oh God the phone numbers on beer mats (and changing a digit if you really didn't want to see them again). 😂

itmustbemyage · 23/10/2022 23:38

Mine were
met at school
met at college - 1 serious
pub - lots of these ( both while I was working in pubs but also just drinking in them) - 2 serious
friends of friends - 1 serious
on holiday
on overnight bus to London
at work
through hobby
nightclubs - lots of these - one ended up as DH

healthadvice123 · 24/10/2022 00:23

Met my DH in a pub and never knew him or any of my friends as he was quite new to the area

scoobydoo1971 · 24/10/2022 00:31

In my youth in pre-internet years, it was always through a nightclub or pub. Met ex-H in a club where he rescued me from the attentions of a sleazy drunk. The bar tender was very disappointed as he was already hoping I would stay for afterhours drinks. More recently, I met one boyfriend through a work meeting, another on a training course, one out walking the dog, and the latest one through a mutual hobby group. I read the OLD stories and that has put me off the world of apps for life.

healthadvice123 · 24/10/2022 00:32

Always mostly met people on nights out , normally a little pissed , exchanged numbers and the waited for a call , sometimes you got sometimes not and even worse sometimes your dad answered the call
Couple of holiday romances when on girls hols and lots of boys on lads holidays too
Never lasted although friends met this way and together 30 odd years later

bellsbuss · 24/10/2022 00:35

I feel sorry for my daughters that haven't and probably won't experience what I did in the 90s. I used to love doing my hair , makeup , choosing an outfit and wondering would tonight be the night that I meet Mr Right. Apart from DD1 first boyfriend from school the others she has met on Tinder as in her words you can't meet anyone otherwise. DD2 is now on Tinder trying to meet someone now too. I met DH in a pub and he asked if he could buy me a drink , living together within weeks and first child within the year. Twenty odd years later and 4 children he still makes my tummy flip

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