Tab tries: Speed Dating

With the promise of cocktails, conversation and charity… The Tab couldn’t refuse RAG’s invite to an evening of speed dating.

On the chosen Sunday evening, a group of brave young men and women assembled at the very swanky Norman Bar on Call Lane.

The love shack

While the RAG ladies were on hand to sell raffle tickets, everyone got to work mingling – awkwardly at first, and then much more animatedly thanks to some superb cocktails deals.

I stuck to what I knew best and got chatting to a girl who was equally intimidated by the group of lads in the corner. But, before long we were torn away from the comfort of gossiping and escorted to our seats.

The girls were lucky enough to remain seated throughout, whilst the boys had three minutes to launch a charm offensive before having to move on and rotate around the room.

We were all given sheets to fill in with people’s names and descriptions, and had the awkward task of ticking whether the date was a yes or no. As a harsh critic I thought it best not to complete this, especially due to my extremely limited capacity for remembering names.

The one thing I did learn was that, on the whole, good looking people have bad personalities and bad looking people have good personalities. (Of course, I viewed myself as the exception to this rule.)

Loving smiles to detract from a conversation very much lacking in substance

One conversation of interest I did have was with someone claiming to be a comedian.

I was initially dubious, but his excitement that “We get three whole minutes, usually I only need 30 seconds” earned him a giggle (though nothing more). He also claimed Leeds Uni girls were so attractive that if he bagged one he would put it on his CV.

Upon hearing this, I was glad that the interval had arrived as it meant being serenaded by the very talented Nina and Sam. I was reunited with my new bffe and cocktails and couldn’t have been happier.

It was at this stage of the night that things took a turn for the less civilised – the Leeds locals had arrived.

Some decided to join in with the speed dating, and others were a little too out of it to do much more than stumble around in drunken circles.

Post-interval, the bizarre experiences continued.

I had a lengthy discussion with a guy who was a self-proclaimed feminist. We pondered the objectification of female athletes and it all got a bit too deep.

Luckily, Damien the Diva was at hand to bring the fun back. There are no words to explain the insanity of this man, but the photos give an indication.

Overall, I had a lot of fun and a truly memorable night. I would urge anyone to try speed dating at least once, especially if it is for as great a cause as this was.

The night of flirtation and fundraising raised money for MEDAID, a small society which funds medical supplies in East Africa.

So, did I find love? A resounding no. But did I go home via McDonald’s and comfort eat till my heart’s content? Most definitely.

Thanks to Leeds RAG for organising such a great evening!