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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Dating thread 245

1000 replies

SamW98 · 14/02/2024 20:23

Continued from 244….

The Rules:

1.The first rule about the dating thread is don't talk about it with people you're dating.

  1. Develop a thick skin.
  2. Do not invest emotionally too soon.
  3. It's all BS until it actually happens.
  4. Trust your gut instinct.
  5. People vanishing, lying & being generally weird is not your fault.
  6. Know your worth.
  7. If it's not fun, stop.
  8. Loo update is mandatory.
10. No dating the thread. 11. Treat others as you'd like to be treated 12. Any relationship you have that could get ruined by having a conversation about your feelings, standards and/or expectations wasn't really stable enough to begin with 13. The things you choose to ignore/ tolerate now are the reasons you will break up in the future 14. OLD can get very time consuming. Keep doing other activities you enjoy.

Optional: Please give your irons (potential dates you are talking to) nicknames like Mr Scottish. Initials are allowed (Mr S) when you are an item

OP posts:
Thread gallery
18
NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 13:55

SamW98 Those are the sorts of messages I get all the timeGrin

occhiazzurri · 15/02/2024 13:56

@SamW98 it is all my looks that have attracted these dates so we shall see if any make it to date two.
I couldn't agree more re kids profiles on OLD. Luckily the men I am meeting haven’t posted any photos but it seems way too common. What also seems common is single men in late 40s, early 50s with toddlers. Yesterday I was really baffled by someone aged 51 who claimed that his 3-year old was the love of his life.
Since the woman has to message first on Bumble and I sent some fairly high brow questions as an opener, luckily no such messages so far!

SamW98 · 15/02/2024 14:03

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 13:55

SamW98 Those are the sorts of messages I get all the timeGrin

It’s that entertainment value of those messages I’m missing during my OLD break - luckily my friends who still trying are keeping us all up to date with the sleaze squad 🤣

I might dip my toe back in soon as looks like my house move is going ahead early April so new town, new start but probably same old fuckwits

OP posts:
VanillaSox · 15/02/2024 14:04

Happy see y’all here!
Have been doing some Extreme Day Trips after a Facebook group of people who do that has distracted me from other woes and lack of romance.
Spring flowers out in the garden now. Hoping for a better year than last. Difficult time because this time last year MrWozfunest and I were at our closest before his abrupt rupture in March.

VanillaSox · 15/02/2024 14:05

Briefly went on Silver Singles as a friend found good people and her now bf on there, but all seemed to be in places like Antwerp and Cornwall and I live in London…

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 14:13

2anddone That's quite a while between meets so I suppose it depends if it's always going to be like that? & if it is then are you ak with that?

I'm sure there have been people on here who have only met every couple of weeks & they've made it work.

Personally I would like a bit more contact than that (but I don't want to be in each others pockets either!)

2anddone · 15/02/2024 14:27

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 14:13

2anddone That's quite a while between meets so I suppose it depends if it's always going to be like that? & if it is then are you ak with that?

I'm sure there have been people on here who have only met every couple of weeks & they've made it work.

Personally I would like a bit more contact than that (but I don't want to be in each others pockets either!)

To be fair even though it has been a while between meets (10 days) there has been genuine reasons for not meeting up last weekend (I was away with my daughter for a dance comp) and this weekend (he has taken his son away for his 21st) I think eventually we will fall into a pattern of seeing each other weekly..we have talked about possibly having a couple of days away in August if we are still talking.
It's still very early days (not even kissed except peck on cheek) and we gave both been single so long we are also both used to our own space!
I would like to see him more and he has said the same to me, we talk for hours on the phone and at all different random times of the day...we now call each other without checking that we can talk first so I don't think he is hiding anything.

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 14:45

2anddone He does seem genuine from what you've said, I wasn't thinking that there was anything dodgy going on with the long time between meets I was just being nosy reallyGrin

2anddone · 15/02/2024 14:50

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 14:45

2anddone He does seem genuine from what you've said, I wasn't thinking that there was anything dodgy going on with the long time between meets I was just being nosy reallyGrin

I know you wasn't making out something dodgy was going on....I do have to convince myself sometimes!
Thanks to my xh I have major trust issues and struggle to let down barriers, he seems to understand that and I get random photos during the day of what he is up to and also screenshot messages that are sent on his family group chat and other group chats...he is being very open which is lovely but taking some getting used to!!
Thing is now I am at the point of wanting to take it further but we haven't even kissed properly yet so don't want to in case it makes things awkward!

cassiatwenty · 15/02/2024 15:28

SamW98 · 15/02/2024 13:52

My mate just sent a screenshot in our group chat of a message she’s just had on FB dating. Copied and pasted so this is the actual message

oi oi darlin ur a proppa sexy little sort ain’t ya bell me up babe let’s get it on lol

Ermmmmmm - what do you all reckon? Date or no date 🤣🤣

Edited

Date definitely 🤩 It's rare to meet an eloquent man these days!

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 15:57

2anddone Aah I hear you! Sounds like he's doing what he can to reassure you, which is nice. It's so difficult isn't it when you've been hurt in the past.

friendswiththemonstera · 15/02/2024 16:03

SamW98 · 15/02/2024 11:04

For me I don’t expect them to share all my interests but I do expect them to have a life of some sort. I don’t want to be with someone who has nothing outside a relationship.

My ex and I always had our own interests and friends away from each other. Even now he’s into football and watching bands - that’s the sort of thing I think is pretty normal and healthy to do separately. I don’t want to be a support system for a man who has nothing else going on.

This is where I keep going wrong and ending up with clingy and possessive men. It's so unhealthy to be someone's sole social outlet.

LeoTheLeopard · 15/02/2024 16:12

2anddone · 15/02/2024 14:50

I know you wasn't making out something dodgy was going on....I do have to convince myself sometimes!
Thanks to my xh I have major trust issues and struggle to let down barriers, he seems to understand that and I get random photos during the day of what he is up to and also screenshot messages that are sent on his family group chat and other group chats...he is being very open which is lovely but taking some getting used to!!
Thing is now I am at the point of wanting to take it further but we haven't even kissed properly yet so don't want to in case it makes things awkward!

god, I so understand this. Had my first date after 30 years with ex at start of last month. (18 months separated) With someone who so far is lovely. (The American)

The issue of the impact of ex- does rear its head, and luckily he has handled it is the right way for me. In my case it is massively over thinking to the point of being overwrought around issues where my ex would be coercive/abusive.
The way things panned out we had the chance to talk on the phone a lot between dates 5 and six (over nearly 3 weeks) and he has just let me talk/cry/overwring it all out. On Monday evening we spoke about Valentine’s Day expectations and the lunch we had yesterday was so relaxed and lovely. I have said to him “I’m sweeping out the eggshells I used to walk on”. Already having “normal” in a relationship is so refreshing, but it is so so hard to make the leaps of faith, and you never feel ready to take them.

Bowbobobo · 15/02/2024 16:25

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 10:27

SamW98 It's like there's no in-between! They either want to be out doing some wild, active hobby 23 hours a day, or they do 'Nothing'.

I was chatting to one last night. He said
'I get so bored in the evenings'
I said 'Oh I love an evening in by myself'
He says 'Really?'
I say 'Yes. I've got lots of things that I like doing, reading, puzzles, colouring, music, movies. What do you like doing?'.
He says 'Nothing really. Just TV. I've been single 3 years so it's a long time'
I said 'I've been single 7 years. What sort of things do you watch?'
He says 'Nothing really'.
I give him one last chance & say 'So what do you like doing when you go out then?'
And get this. 'Nothing really. I stay home apart from grocery shopping to be honest'

So I just say 'Ok well I hope you have some luck on here'
He says 'I doubt it. I can't find anybody that I have anything in common with'Grin

God that’s so depressing! I think there’s a lot of sad, sad men like this out there.

2anddone · 15/02/2024 16:53

NervesOfCotton · 15/02/2024 15:57

2anddone Aah I hear you! Sounds like he's doing what he can to reassure you, which is nice. It's so difficult isn't it when you've been hurt in the past.

It's really difficult he has lots of friends who are female (in the same way I do who are male) but that niggling doubt creeps in so easily!!

2anddone · 15/02/2024 16:56

@LeoTheLeopard sounds like you have found a good one.
Thing is we have both been honest and said neither of us really know what we are looking for...but the more we talk and the times we have seen each other there is definitely something there! I am just too scared to bring it up in case it scares him off...he has also been hurt in the past!

SamW98 · 15/02/2024 17:03

cassiatwenty · 15/02/2024 15:28

Date definitely 🤩 It's rare to meet an eloquent man these days!

And he’s only 52 bless him 🤣🤣

I wonder how much success he’s had with his impressive messaging technique

OP posts:
Chocolatefreak · 15/02/2024 18:51

2anddone · 15/02/2024 16:56

@LeoTheLeopard sounds like you have found a good one.
Thing is we have both been honest and said neither of us really know what we are looking for...but the more we talk and the times we have seen each other there is definitely something there! I am just too scared to bring it up in case it scares him off...he has also been hurt in the past!

Sounds like he is willing to invest time and go at your pace, which must be very reassuring. Also that you both feel that you're kind of exploring what you want, which is also good - no pressure to commit to either 'relationship' or 'something casual'.

RadiantRainbow · 15/02/2024 22:51

Found you all! I've been on my date today, let's call him Mr Biker. He does do race biking, mountain biking and running 😂but not obsessively like the men mentioned on these threads and running only on his lunchbreaks, and not the sort of person to expect me to join him - actually has a gang of friends +community projects connected with that so has a life of his own going on apart from work and his teenage kids.

My first impression was a sense of relief, because in pics he came across a bit "kind uncle" but in real life turned out to be really really boyish and so fun and easy going, we giggled like primary school children throughout!

Chatted (more me than him though) non stop, never felt like I could be anything but just myself.
He paid for our coffees both time, we took coffee to go first, went on a walk and had another before he was heading back and his parking was running out(I walked up because were meeting in my town).
So parking was paid for 3 hours and I guess the date took maybe 2hr 50 min?

So really couldn't fault him HOWEVER the fact still stands that he felt very "old friend/best mate", and also he said to me that he went down a size in the last four months and what I was thinking was "you shouldn't have".
I am size 10-12 depending on a shop, and he if he was a woman would be size 6 down from his torso!
Turned out he didn't lose the weight on purpose, I think he was just coming to terms with the fact that even though he was separated from his wife and living in the same house for a couple of years it was actually the end (she found a boyfriend and informed him it was over - the search for another partner wasn't a surprise, she informed him she was looking over a year previously, but once she did find one I think he found it difficult and was worried about the children etc)

And I am absolutely not shallow writing anyone off due to looks or specific parts of their looks but this sort of feels primal and something I cannot control? Like I don't know if I could have sex with a man who I feel I could squash/break (though he is obviously strong and fit with the cycling/running but he just looked borderline painfully thin in places)

So I don't know what to do, sorry I cannot tag because I don't remember who said what from the other thread, but people have mentioned that physical attraction can grow. He is genuinely super-lovely. I only had the opposite experience, that male friends who I found vaguely attractive with time became so much like relatives that any idea of having sex with them would feel incestuous.

RadiantRainbow · 15/02/2024 23:02

Also I am not really sure he fancies me. He definitely liked me and found me entertaining and continued chatting on whatsapp as soon as we both were home, and he mentioned really liking my voice a couple of times.

He came across as a completely guileless sort of person who couldn't strategise how to charm a woman even if his life depended on it, he was very direct.

Like with a different guy on a walk(met in RL) I could feel his physical interest was palpable (he wasn't handsy or anything but he was irradiating it 😂) but with this one I am not even sure and maybe I am worrying for nothing and he found me more like a friend too?

What I AM worrying about is wanting to keep him as a friend and feeling sorry about having to let him down in terms of more than that, but maybe he wouldn't even want to 😆

@Chocolatefreak I think you said you mentioned you managed to get a couple of friends from going on dates, can you tell me how it went?

Was it fairly clear that there was a mutual lack of romantic chemistry or you had to let them know there was no spark but you would like to continue to keep in touch as friends? And if they wanted more, how did they take it?
Mr Biker and I definitely had chemistry but not romantic chemistry, well not for me anyway at this stage

mintmagnum3 · 15/02/2024 23:08

Hi all! Found you again 😊

RadiantRainbow · 15/02/2024 23:12

So I stopped Bumbling for a bit while I was chatting to Mr Biker a lot and then just one other guy but it was so hard going by comparison and this morning he unmatched.

And next in queue comes up a guy probably by far the most good looking I’ve seen (apart from a couple of weird filtered bot types accounts), and I would definitely want to swipe right on him but these underlined words in his profile either bother me, make me cringe or set my teeth on edge. Anyone else or am I a heartless bitch?

I do realise that some men are just not good when it comes to selling themselves and go for cliches 🤔

Dating thread 245
occhiazzurri · 16/02/2024 00:14

As I suspected, I attract serial daters or players on Bumble as in real life. Had an amazing evening where time flew by in the four hours we chatted over cocktails only to get a massive understatement of “I had a lovely evening, maybe see you soon.” Now I have to get some sleep to look half decent for date number two tomorrow evening.

Chocolatefreak · 16/02/2024 06:51

@RadiantRainbow I'm not entirely sure if the friendship vibe is on both sides but I have one guy who I share similar outdoorsy interests with, who I dated several times - logistically it's too difficult to turn into a relationship (and I don't fancy him) but we get along well. And I have a friend who met someone on Tinder who is a great going-out dancing buddy now! So it is possible.

Interested to see how yours pans out because I don't want to encourage romantic feelings with my iron Mr Photographer but get on with him as a friend. I want to find someone I'm attracted to. My other iron Mr Bohemian is much sexier and more flirtatious but a) he's only separated and b) I'm only slightly attracted to him.

I totally get the ick with flimsy men too- I want them to be more substantial than me!

Also - and I can't quite believe I've become so fussy- I think both have hairless chests and I find smooth men a bit of a turn off. This is purely based on open shirts so don't know for sure but if so I have really become unnecessarily demanding.

Chocolatefreak · 16/02/2024 06:55

@occhiazzurri how disappointing! Maybe he was waiting for affirmation from you and didn't want to appear too keen? If not at least you have another date to look forward to. All the best with that!

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