BalanceMayIssue2017 - 23

Work /life

THENG
I
DAT ERT
EXP

STE P P IN G OUT

Dateover

Stuck in a rendezvous rut? Fear not, Balance
aims to change your dating patterns for good...
THE DATE

Nana Wereko-Brobby
runs dating events
club Social Concierge
(socialconcierge.co.uk)
for people who prefer
to date offline.

8pm, Bon Vivant,
Bloomsbury

When I walked
through the door,
I wasn't really expecting anything
- it was a blind date, after all. But I
had such a great evening, and that
was down to the woman sitting next
to me on our romantic circular seat.
All I knew was that my date was called
Samantha and she was an actress.
Well, what a breath of fresh air.
I felt instantly at ease with her - the
conversation flowed all evening long.
Kind, considerate and what a cute
laugh. She is down to earth and not
materialistic - qualities that are rare
in London's women, in my experience.
There were many parallels between
us, such as a connection with India,
tough break-ups and an appreciation
of the positives that can come out of
adversity. I really enjoyed myself.

THE CONSULTATION
Thursday, 8pm, House of St Barnabas

Sam is open and incredibly
engaging to talk to. He is also
a man with eclectic passions
- whether it's electro music,
meditation, Jiu Jitsu or his work
- and is always keen to learn
something new. He isn't scared of
commitment, either, as 12 years
working for the same advertising
company can confirm.
Former relationships have been
long-term, however Sam's been
single for the past 10 months and
this has been deliberate - he has
been carefully considering the
type of person he would like to
meet. This new self-analysis
MEET
has him prioritising
SAM, 34
character traits, such
Sam is a creative, clever and charming
as spontaneity and
chap from Surrey, but he has jumped
open-mindedness,
from one long-term relationship to
rather than looks.
another, attracted by good-looking
Sam's dating
women who may not share his
pattern is growing
adventurous streak. He has struggled
from idolatry
to find the right balance between
to commonality
having a girlfriend who he is instantly
- he's now looking
attracted to and someone he can
genuinely see eye-to-eye with. He
for someone with
now realises that a common
similar interests.
outlook is important.
Although he's
maturing, Sam still loves a
party and spur-of-the-moment
adventure, so needs someone who
is more 'muck in' than 'make up'.

THE VERDICT
Sam says:
It felt like
Samantha had
many more
stories that I
would love to
hear over a glass
of red and some
cheese... hint
hint. She has
a very relaxed
manner and was
refreshing
in so many ways.
I really hope to
see her again.
9/10

Samantha says:
Honest, friendly,
fun, interesting
and interested
would be how
I'd describe an
ideal first date.
And Sam ticked
all those boxes,
which made
the evening a
huge pleasure.
We have already
arranged
another date to
go climbing.
9/10

PHOTOGRAPHY: WILL IRELAND

THE MATCH
Samantha, 33, grew up in Hertfordshire, but
travelled the world from a young age as her
father was a pilot. He grew up in India, so they
have connections there and she says this has
played a big part in shaping her.
Brimming with passions, from scuba
to psychology, Samantha has a
strong sense of adventure. She
went from drama school to
teaching to working in fashion,
and has lived in Canada, Central
America and Australia. For Sam,
who may not yet have met his
match in this respect, I hoped he
would recognise a similar soul.

Nana says... I liked Samantha
immediately - she's warm, funny
and interesting, but the real click
was her easygoing approach to the
date. 'What an adventure' she said,
asking very little in advance. She is
motivated by fun and I had no doubt
there would be some sort of affinity.

Do you want us to find you a date? If you'd relish the chance to take part in the
next Dateover, simply sign up at balance.media

May 2017 BALANCE

23
http://socialconcierge.co.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BalanceMayIssue2017
