So where did you go?
We went to The Botanist.
Why did you pick there?
Dunno, I wanted to make a good first impression.
Had you stalked her on Facebook before and if so what did you think of her then?
I didn’t really, I’d looked at her profile picture and stuff but I didn’t go any further than that.
How was your date?
Yeah, I enjoyed it, it was a good laugh.
When you greeted her, what did you do, did you meet her with a kiss or anything?
Went in for a hug. She was really friendly. I couldn’t find her either because she was wearing a blue coat and I’m colour blind, so that was quite awkward. Apparently she went up to a random guy, because I said I was wearing a big fluffy hood, so she went up to a randomer by mistake and asked him how he was [laughs].
What did you drink?
We got one of those massive watering cans. So we had two of them, and then we bought cocktails after as well.
What’s in the watering cans?
I dunno, I couldn’t tell you. It was nice though, it was fruity.
Did you pay or did she?
I paid for the first one then she paid for the second one. Then I asked if we wanted more drinks and I’d pay for them. She basically didn’t let me pay for the second one, she like forced her card over… I was like ‘wow…’
Did you understand her Northern Irish accent?
I did have to stop and slow her down at some bits because she speaks quickly as well, but she was nice, really friendly.
Did she do the ‘my name’s Maeve, it’s like Dave with a D’ line?
Well I asked her how to pronounce her name, so yeah, she did.
What were notable conversation topics?
We got on to politics, that was quite interesting, because we have quite different views, but it was funny challenging each other.
How did the date end?
Well, a guy came up and tapped us on the shoulder and told us they were closing. So we must’ve been there for ages. Then we just went on the metro back together, and then walked home from there. My house was first, so I gave her a peck on the cheek, and then she went on home.
Would you go on another date?
I think so, yeah, she’s a nice girl and I really enjoyed it.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one tip before your date, what would it be?
Don’t be so nervous. She said I was confident, but in my shoes I was absolutely shitting myself.
What do you think she would’ve said to her friends to describe you after the date?
Hopefully that I was a nice guy, I dunno.
Did you fancy her?
Yeah, a little bit, yeah. She dressed up for the night so that was nice.
Would you take her home to your parents?
Yeah, I think I would. My parents would absolutely love her, just because of her accent. She was quite a nice person as well, very talkative. I don’t think I had to ask many questions.
If she was an animal what animal would she be?
I wanna say dolphin, but it might be a bit offensive. They’re happy, they’re intelligent, they’re always quite chirpy and cheerful.
If you were going to keep seeing each other, who would be punching and who would be settling?
I think I’d be punching a little bit, I’ll be honest.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your date?
I’d say 8.5.
So how did you feel when he chose The Botanist?
I felt very good, I really like The Botanist, and I really like cocktails, so it was quite a good choice.
Did you think it was quite upmarket, how did you prepare yourself for a classy venue?
Well yeah it was. I wore boots instead of trainers for the first time in a long time. It was nice to go somewhere different.
What were your first impressions of him?
Oh, he was lovely. Though I was really nervous, I accidentally went up to the wrong person to begin with so I was a bit panicky.
What was the weirdest thing that happened on the date?
I think he thought I was pretty weird when I told him that my best friend had brought out her dead goldfish on a night out, and showed him pictures. He laughed, but I think he thought I was weird. Probably because she’s my best pal, he would’ve thought I took weird company or something.
What are any other notable conversation topics?
Politics came up at one point which I said I didn’t want it to. He brought it up. It was fine, it was actually quite funny. He also told me he’d never stay in a hostel which I was baffled at.
So what do you think he said to his friends about you after the date?
Well we’ve got some mutual friends, so I think it was probably similar vibes. Hopefully he said I was a lovely girl.
Did you Facebook stalk him much before the date?
I did a little bit, but then I realised he was friends with one of my really good friends, so I knew he couldn’t be too bad of a guy.
If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before the date, what would it be?
Leave myself more time to get ready, because I’d had a RAG committee meeting before, so I was a bit rushed. I was nearly late.
Were you late?
I was a bit late. But not embarrassingly late, like 5-10 minutes.
Would you take him home to your parents?
Errrrrrrm, yeah, I think I would, maybe yeah.
You sound apprehensive...?
I dunno, I think it’s because he was a Leister fan, and he wasn’t very impressed when I told him my brothers and all my family are Manchester United fans. But other than that yeah.
Ohhh, that could be problematic. What’s his best trait?
He was funny, he was quite witty.
What’s his worst trait?
That he wouldn’t stay in a hostel.
If he was an animal, what would he be?
A lion, because he’s got blonde, kind of gingery hair.
Do you like ginger hair?
My ex-boyfriend was ginger, like very ginger. I’m a fan of the ginge.
Anything else you want to say about the date?
Well, we stayed right til it closed, we got shimmied out at the very end, so we must’ve had loads of fun! I thought we had more time than we did so I had to down my last cocktail.
Were you quite drunk?
Yeah, I was quite tipsy by the end. I’m not sure if he was or not.
Rating out of 10?
8.