Sunday 27 February 2011

Five Quirky Places to Grab a Snog With Your Date!

The Queen of Quirky, Miss Em Bell, has given us her favourite 5 weird and wonderful date suggestions for the best places to grab a cheeky snog with your date... Have a read and let us know what you think!

If you feel like being a bit old school romantic, and don't mind a wee road trip to get there, then the perfect (yet pricey!) choice is The Grange Park Opera. Based in Northington, Hampshire, it is truly spectacular and if you're a fan of the opera, it's an absolute must. Based in the gardens of the most stunning house in the world, you actually feel like you are in Pride and Prejudice and if you are going to spend money to listen to people sing, then I would definitely go here.

Now, so far so good, but if you are really wanting to get a snog, then prepare a scrummy picnic for the evening and book a picnic spot. You can then lay out your rug, drink your bottle of bubbly, nibble on cucumber sandwiches and enjoy the voices of angels. You have to book in advance but believe me it's worth it. Grab your birthday suit and a ticket and get your butt there.

What better way to feel up your date, than in a completely pitch black dining room. It's utterly perfect. Even if you have a bit of extra squidge from Christmas or a massive spot on your face, you can hide behind the cover of darkness, not to mention your hysterical chat… Based on Clerkenwell Green in East London, it really is one of the weirdest nights out and with your eyesight compromised you literally have no idea whether you are eating fish, meat or vegetables. I also lost my knife and fork in the first five minutes so I wasn't looking so peachy when I stepped into the light again.

The food isn't much to write home about and in the dark they could be serving you anything but go for the surprise menu and it's a great way to get drunk, flirt, and work out what the blooming heck is on your plate. It's great. They even run speed dating nights there so it obviously works for everyone, especially people wanting their date to see their inner goodness?!

One of my favourite spots in the WORLD is a place called Woolacombe and boy is it great. Well it kind of better be if it’s one of my favourite places in the world! Summer or winter, rain or shine. I truly love it. Now, overlooking the rocking town of Woolacombe is a wee camp site with its own personal ocean view, filled with wooden surf cabins. With these you get a radiator, mini plasma television and a beer fridge. Seriously what more could you want. In the winter, you can hang out on the cliffs, drink cider looking at the waves and eat a scrummy fry up in the local cafe. In the summer you can have a bbq on your deck while the sun goes down, surf the waves and dance your butt off at the Morisco Disco. And the best thing about all of this is that it only costs £20 a night. Screw the normal B & B rates; this is the coolest place you will ever stay with a five star view. So pack up your car with a lot of duvets, movies and food and get yourself down to Europa Park in Woolacombe. Bet you a fry up you will go back again…



If you want to eat sweeties all day and jump up and down... Well so do I. Sounds way more fun than sitting at a desk, which is why you should get your tooshie to one of the most scream, shout, stamp your foot and pull your hair like a child destinations around. The ninetyeight bar and lounge in Shoreditch is utterly cool. And to make you feel even cooler, it was a member’s bar until 13 weeks ago so get your butt there before everyone else finds out about it. You’ll feel like you’re walking around Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, there’s a guy wearing a bowling hat on the door and you can nibble on strawberry sherbet until you are bouncing off the walls. It’s like PG fun with alcohol. I love it. Totally brilliant. I feel all giggly and silly already…

Now this is random but completely brilliant, especially if you want to release the inner hippie in you. There's a dude called Matthew, who has been mushroom hunting for 15 years, and hand in hand with your date, he will show you round the forest and help you select the ultimate mushrooms for your supper. The courses start at 10am at Sadgrove farm for coffee. You then head off into the surrounding woods where Matthew shares his identifying and preserving techniques. I mean after this you could live without Tesco and your local corner shop, hand in hand with your neighbour and your vegetable patch. There is nothing cooler these days. You then forage for about three hours and head back to cook two dishes from the food you have gathered. How manly and prehistoric. I love it. So get back in touch with our ancestors and get yourself booked in for a course. It's £150 and I would definitely call you my boyfriend after this.


Thanks to Em Bell, the weirdest woman we know, for sharing her tips on quirky dates. You can read more about Em’s weird and wonderful life on her website….


http://www.embell.co.uk/

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Classic Mini Tour Around London!

Do you love London? Do you love the quirkiness of the iconic Mini Cooper?

If you've answered yes to both these questions then not only do you think like us (!) but you'll also love our latest featured date: Classic Mini Tour.

This is a great date for a special occasion (we're thinking birthday, anniversary etc.) but it's equally good for a spontaneous weekend date. The guys at smallcarBIGCITY are incredibly accommodating so ring them up, talk through your plans and then sort out a trip that works for you.


You'll be picked up from the location of your choice (home, a hotel, train station etc.) by a classic Mini Cooper complete with a charming driver! Feel free to ask for a bit of peace and quiet if you want but we'd recommend quizzing your driver on his London knowledge as you weave your way around town - some of the facts at their fingertips are amazing and will certainly give you and your date something to talk about afterwards!  We would also suggest giving your driver a bit of an itinerary. If the date is a present for your man what about London's famous sporting sites? If it's a gift for the lady in your life then how about famous romantic scenes from films?  Whatever your taste make sure you tell smallcarBIGCITY in advance as they will tailor the tour to your specific requirements.


Click here to read the full review of Miss Mary's Classic Mini Cooper date....

Thursday 17 February 2011

What is flirting?

Have a squiz below at an extract from a GDG guest blog commissioned by the lovely people at Flirtomatic… For the full article, click here!


WORDS OF WISDOM

What is flirting, why is it important and how often should we do it…?

Hello to all you lovely Flirts from The Great Date Guide! Our friends here at Flirtomatic have kindly given us this opportunity to share our thoughts on the great flirting debate, so here we are!
Well, in our humble opinion, flirting is both a crucial and brilliantly fun part of the dating game and life would be very dull without it. Yet how often have you, or someone you’ve known landed in deep water as a result of the seemingly innocent flirt? Have you ever been irritated by someone who flirts too much, or hurt by someone whose flirting did not mean what you hoped?

Monday 14 February 2011

Valentine's Day


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Wishing all our wonderful Great Daters a very happy Valentine's Day!

Whatever your plans are today, whether you're on your own, thinking of someone, or with someone, have a fantastic day…


… and remember our motto, dating is for life, not just for Valentine's Day!

GDG xxx

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Looking for a date? Introducing DatingTrail.co.uk

Have a read of this excellent guest blog from our friends at Dating Trail. They're a one-stop-shop for all your dating needs and we can't recommend them highly enough.


Well all know that The Great Date Guide is a wonderful site (flattery will get you everywhere) for those that have already met someone and have started the exciting process of dating. Let’s, however, spare a thought for those of us still looking to meet someone special to go on dates with… what about us?!

Organised dating in the UK has undergone something of a revolution over the last ten years or so. With the introduction of online dating, speed dating, lock and key parties and so on, there have never been more ways to find 'the one'. With an increasingly mobile population and the sense that it’s OK to be single for longer, the whole world of relationships as changed dramatically - people are happier to play the field and there’s no longer a social stigma attached to attending dating events. There’s a whole universe of possibilities when you decide to embark on finding someone, but where on earth do you start? Enter stage left, DatingTrail.co.uk.

DatingTrail.co.uk was founded by Andrew Summersgill and Richard Speigal, online serial entrepreneurs based in London. “The dating market in the UK is fragmented and there are so many companies offering services to help people meet. We launched DatingTrail.co.uk in order to build a hub for the UK dating market and give consumers an impartial place to find out about all their dating options in one place” says Speigal.

DatingTrail.co.uk covers all things dating and lists 99% of all the speed dating events and parties taking place in the UK. They also list and review the most popular online dating sites and provide search options that allow people to easily find the best company for them. Users can use a simple postcode search to find a list of local events, compare organisers based on reviews from past customers and make an educated choice.

DatingTrail.co.uk also publishes professional editorial reviews of online dating sites and awards ratings based upon a number of factors enabling users to make the right choice. No other site provides such a comprehensive overview of options for the UK’s single population.

Good dating advice can be hard to find. DatingTrail.co.uk has 10 writers that regularly contribute articles that can really help to kick-start your love life. You’ll find advice on everything from what to wear, right through to cognitive techniques that could improve your success when meeting your matches for the first time.

Being a hub for the dating industry means that DatingTrail.co.uk is always first to know when a new dating company launches and when the exciting new products are launched. Follow their twitter feed @dating_trail for regular updates.

If you’re looking for someone special we’d recommend you start your search at DatingTrail.co.uk – the number one guide to dating in the UK.

Well said Dating Trail. So come on, go and find yourself that special someone - because the sooner you get dating, the sooner you can try out all of the fantastic date ideas at The Great Date Guide!

Sunday 6 February 2011

Biscuiteers Competition!

If, like us, you're tired of the same old tacky Valentine's gifts then take a look at www.biscuiteers.com for some inspiring alternatives.  For those with a bit of money to spend we'd suggest the L.O.V.E. biscuit tin - the perfect way to say those three important words! A smaller tin, but with a bigger heart, is the Kiss It Better Mini Collection, £5 of which is donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital. What could be nicer than knowing you are making more than one person happy on Valentine's Day? Finally, if a smaller gesture is what you're after than the innovative range of biscuit cards would be perfect - it makes a tasty change to saying it with flowers!


COMPETITION: We are offering one lucky Great Date Guide fan the chance to win a fantasticPersonalised Hearts Biscuit Tin, and for the runner up a romantic Personalised Biscuit Card.


All you have to do to win is tell us, using 31 characters, what you want to say to your Valentine. It's that simple! You can enter the competition by posting your message in the comments section below, on Facebook, Twitter, or (for those who want a little more privacy!) by emailing us at info@thegreatdateguide.com
      

So go on, give it a go, and this year say it with biscuits!

Take a look at the website for more information on the competition and to see the full terms and conditions...