More than 9 million of us opt for internet dating and 30 per cent of new relationships start online. So can we now say it has lost its stigma? I asked my single friend Jo - who finds dates sometimes but not exclusively online – to talk about some of her latest experiences in the dating world.
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{image Frank Allais/Guardian}
“Would you like to hear some of my poetry?”
Yes… I had heard that right. Gosh, how much longer can this night last?
It was approaching the end of what would become my best date story ever and when re-telling the details to my sister later over Facebook chat, resulted in her spitting out wine all over her laptop in pure glee.
This was date number 2 with my doctor who I had met online – he wasn’t a doctor in the medical sense I had soon realised after meeting – he’d done a PhD in tyre combustion… He’d kept that bit quiet. Read more »
We’ve talked before on these pages about the buzz surrounding the opening of the new shopping centre Trinity Leeds. But there’s been a buzz all of its own around the mall’s clutch of new restaurants and bars.
The biggest buzz has been reserved for Angelica and Crafthouse, occupying the penthouse position on the sixth and fifth floors. The establishments are premium restaurant group D&D London‘s only British ventures outside London.
You get the feeling they’re trying to keep a sense of exclusivity and demand. We had to queue outside for around 20 minutes before the front of house staff received a message via their ear pieces that a table was ready, and we were guided into a lift to take us up the couple of floors.
But the greeting from the flamboyant, French maître d’ was warm and effervescent. It’s worth going for that alone! I’d love to know what he has for breakfast.
Glamorous and achingly hip, Angelica is a place to see and be seen. Yes, it was a more sunny day than those we have been used to lately but there was little need for the almost ubiquitous sunglasses worn by guests on the wrap-around terrace.
Speaking of the terrace, it gives great vistas across the city and the domed glass ceiling of Trinity Leeds itself in the foreground is spectacular.
It’s not a cheap dining experience: we had four desserts and champagne cocktails and our bill came to £68. But it’s definitely worth experiencing as a treat.
This outfit with cobalt blue accents was a fitting one for a day of cocktails in Leeds, when blue skies finally broke through the clouds and we could actually sit outside a canalside bar.
You know the outfit I posted last week about my new, colourful green shoes? I’m still not over my love for the colour. Are you feeling it yet?
It may have been the coldest start to spring for 50 years, but we are now officially in summer time.
There are so many things I look forward to about the warmer, brighter months. More than just the obvious.
Winter seems to come back round so quickly, I’m often left wishing I’d made more of the summer. So here’s my list of things I love, that I plan to return to and use as a motivator, either to stand back and take it in or get out and enjoy it.
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I’ve seen quite a few DIY cake stands around the internet with various items used as the base – glasses, vases, candlesticks, you name it!
For my version I went for cut glass and used a plate and dessert glass both picked up in charity shops for a few quid.
I decided to give my cake stand a modern twist by painting the edge neon pink. I love how the cut glass gives glints of bright pink from different angles.
If you didn’t manage to get down to the Amazing Graze street food festival in Leeds during the first weekend of April I’m afraid you missed a treat.
Street food seems to be having a moment in the city and it’s not hard to see why. These vendors are artisans, passionate about what they do and why they do it. They sell from mobile vans but put all notions of greasy burgers outside football grounds out of your mind now.
We are talking about chefs with a lot of experience, huge talent and great brands and their food is innovative, fresh and affordable. They deserve every success.
Amazing Graze was a weekend food, music and art festival held at Left Bank Leeds and organised by Indian street food seller Manjit’s Kitchen.
Left Bank is a renovated former church, now a spectacular, grand venue – very cold but so atmospheric, especially when lit up with fairy lights and the musicians started playing. They were all buskers and playing for free (except for money collected in their instrument cases).
You see that was the wonderful thing about this festival, it lasted two days and was completely free. I went with a couple of friends on the Friday evening and after getting a drink from the bar and our first round of food we took a seat and listened to the first of the buskers. It was a lovely way to round off the week after work. By about 7pm it started to get full with a wide range of people, young and old, and plenty of families.
If you’re a lover of vintage you definitely want to put this date in your diary and plan on getting yourself to Harrogate.
With stalls, pop-up tearooms, makeovers, live music and craft workshops it sounds like a retro girl’s dream.
But even better: it will raise money for the Samaritans.
To help get you in the mood for the vintage fair on Sunday 21st April, organiser Louise Terzza shared these photos showing vintage style at its best and with the grand Majestic Hotel -the venue for the fair – as the backdrop.
Colourful shoes can totally transform an outfit, don’t you think?
I’ve really been drawn to greens lately, especially the brighter shades. They’re fresh and cheery and great for spring.
So these shoes from Forever 21 were the perfect combo. OK, they’re not the comfiest things I’ve ever put on my feet but you can’t have everything for that price and I do love how they look.
I paired them with my go-with-everything camel skinnies from Topshop, bow-front bag from F&F at Tesco and a floaty floral blouse from Warehouse from a couple of seasons ago.
I was proud as punch a couple of weeks ago when one of my favourite blogs, Florence Finds, featured one of my DIY projects.
It was this destination print-style wall art that I made for my travel-loving brother and sister-in-law, when they finally moved into a house they owned and which they could settle in.
For the full step-by-step head on over to Florence Finds.
Go to http://www.company.co.uk/company-blog-awards-2013-with-new-look and click 'next page' until the 'best crafting blog' category
