What made you want to do blind date?
Well it was mainly because my flatmate said if he did it, then I had to do it. He did it a couple of weeks back, so it was my turn!
What were your first impressions of Jack?
He was a really nice guy, he was really funny and chatty. I thought there would be some awkward silences but there wasn’t, luckily.
Where did you go?
We went to Fat Hippo, the burger place in Jesmond. It could have been really messy, but thankfully none of us made a tit of ourselves.
Was it not a little bit awkward, picking up a massive burger on a date?
Yeah, it was a bit intimidating, but we both managed to keep our cool.
So who got there first?
I got there first, he was slightly late. Not by a lot.
What did he say when he walked in, that he was sorry he was late?
No, no, he just said hi.
What did you talk about in general?
To begin with it was just like degree stuff, and then like our mutual love of Flares, talked about Powerhouse of course, drinking came up a lot.
Well that’s good at least you know you had some common….
Hobbies?
Yeah, we’ll go with hobbies. So did anything strange come up?
Erm, nothing really odd, he mentioned that he’d punched someone once in Powerhouse which I found weird.
Did he say why?
I don’t know, I don’t think they got on.
Do how long did you stay for, did you just have your meal then go?
We stayed for a bit afterwards, just chatting. But we both live near each other so we just walked home after that and said goodnight.
Did you hug goodbye?
No, we just said that we’d probably see each other in Flares soon.
Did you know vaguely who he was before?
Just of him, but I’d never properly met him.
Well, now you have! Would you say you’re attracted to him?
He was a really nice guy, but yeah, I don’t think either of us were… attracted in that way.
So there was no romantic vibes?
Not really. It was a nice, chilled meal, but not romantic.
Well at least you got a Fat Hippo out of it!
Yeah, it was definitely worth it.
Did you drink?
Yeah, we both had wine.
How classy. If you could go back to before the date, what would your one thing be that you wished you knew?
Well, I found out he was a keen karaoke lover, so perhaps we could’ve gone to Cosy Joes instead or something.
Would you take him home to your parents?
I think they’d like him, but probably not.
Why not?
I’m not attracted to him, but if I did take him home, he’d definitely be a good guy to take home.
So no future dates?
No, none planned.
If he was an animal, what animal would he be?
Probably a parrot because he chatted quite a lot.
Did he dominate the conversation?
It was kind of equal, but he definitely had a lot of funny stories to tell.
What would you rate the date?
Probably an 8, it was a really nice date overall.
What made you want to do blind date?
You made me do it. You just popped up on Facebook and said ‘I’ve arranged a date for you’, and I’d had a bottle of wine so I said yes. I’m game for anything after a bottle of wine though.
So you went to Fat Hippo, who chose it?
I did.
Why, isn’t it a bit messy for a date?
It is, but I don’t really mind getting messy. And also I fucking love Fat Hippo.
You were late, did you feel bad about that?
No, because its good to be fashionably late.
[The Courier office phone rings so we break the interview]
Who was that?
A woman rang from Beckett Productions. She said they’re filming a version of Blind Date in Newcastle, and they’re looking for guys between the ages of 24-34 to take part. How creepy.
What a coincidence, it’s a real shame you’re too young to take part. So… back to the interview. Sometimes people perceive it as rude if you’re late for a date, what would you say about that?
I’m not really bothered to be honest. I turned up, that’s all that matters.
Did you fancy him?
No comment… maybe.
What do you think his best physical feature was?
Probably his eyes, or his mouth.
What was great about his eyes?
They were very attentive. You know, they eyes are the window to the soul, and stuff.
They really are, what was his chat like then?
Yeah, yeah.
You don’t sound convinced?
Well I think I did most of the talking. I have a thing sometimes where I just can’t stop talking, but I did let him speak.
Was that because it was awkward?
No, it wasn’t awkward at all. I wasn’t even nervous.
Why was that?
It’s probably because I already knew who it was before because we have a mutual friend.
What were your preconceptions?
Well, I think I’ve met him before. I remember once he was at the bar in Flares, and I tapped him and said ‘you’re Calum’s housemate aren’t you?’, and then I just turned back, got my drink and walked off. Just randomly accosted him, pretty much.
So what did you talk about?
Erm… I can’t remember, and it was only last night. I had a bottle of wine before I went out.
Maybe that’s why you weren’t nervous?
Yeah, maybe. I don’t think I was drunk when we were there though I only had one large glass of wine. But when I got home I was just suddenly fucked, it just suddenly hit me and I don’t know why.
Why didn’t you do anything after?
I have no idea. We both said we wanted to go to Flares, but I guess I just didn’t have the initiative to ask him for a drink after.
If you could go back to before the date but know one thing you know now, what would it be?
Dunno, that I should’ve drank more.
Would you date him again?
Yeah probably, he laughed at the things I was saying.
Is that what you look for in a partner?
Yeah, imagine going out with someone who didn’t laugh. Live laugh love and all that.
If he was an animal what animal would he be?
I want to say a snow leopard. It just came to my mind.
Out of 10, rate your date?
I’d give it an 8.