All the single ladies, all the single ladies...

It's clearly TV dating show season, as we've found you yet another opportunity for TV glory… 

This time it's a Channel 4 prime time show, looking for single women who could do with a boost in their appearance, confidence and dating know how. It promises to be a really fun show, bringing the very best out of women who for one reason or another have had a tough time in the dating world as of late. Think awesome makeovers, exciting date locations and plenty of glamour.  

If you're interested, get in touch prontissimo.

Blogs!

Admittedly I'm a bit late to the party, but I'm really getting into blogs at the moment so I thought I'd share a couple of my current faves with you. It's a pretty random selection and nothing to do with great dates in London!

Inspiring Interiors - My daily fix of amazing interiors from Sweden to Peru via England and New England! Kifus does an amazing job of regularly updating and it really does what it says on the tin… inspires! 

B's Beauty Blog - A friend of mine has just started blogging about beauty treatments. Considering she is obsessed with them it's going to be one to watch! 

Sally Serves It Up - You've probably seen me retweet some of Sally's delicious recipes already but if you haven't you should definitely take a look. Written in a down-to-earth way Sally gives great tips on healthy meals for busy working peeps. 

Wearing It Today - A brilliant (jealousy inducing) daily fashion blog from the super stylish editor of Red Magazine. It's inspiring but achievable at the same time and it always cheers up a day in the office when the newsletter pings up on my screen! 

Before the Big Day - I've got to mention it… anyone getting married then this blog is brilliant. Full of ideas from DIY to full blown glamour. It's such a great resource. 

I'd love to know what your favourite blogs are... come on, share and share alike!

Miss Mary xxxx

Calling all you singles...

Are you single? Would you like to do something about it? Fancy being on TV?

Yes, rather excitingly, we've just heard that there's going to be a brand new dating show on E4, and they'd like you to take part. They need single guys (aged 18 - 35) and single girls (over 18yrs) plus their Dads… sounds hysterical to me!

So, if you're keen to sort out your love life in front of the nation, here's your chance...

(Don't panic boys, I know that this flyer doesn't mention that they're looking for single guys, but we're assured they are!)

Walk Explorer

If you're a fan of the romantic stroll, whether meandering through open countryside or exploring secret parts of the city, we've found a rather wonderful app to help you in your quest. It's called Walk Explorer and it's crammed full of great little walks for you and your date!

It's very simple, but we think really rather brilliant. Just download the app to your iphone and there you have it, a pocket sized guide to all of the best walks around, handily organised in order of distance from your current location. Lots of the walks are free to download and even the ones that aren't are all under £2.50 - can't say fairer than that!

Of course we simply had to jump on the bandwagon on this one, so if you have a quick search for 'Romantic London', you may just find a GDG favourite...

      

   

Come and visit us at www.thegreatdateguide.com, for more inspired date ideas.

Date of the Month

Welcome to 'Date of the Month' in association with Lovestruck, London's leading online dating service. Yes, you guessed it, each month we will be recommending one of our favourite dates to the Lovestruck masses and if you sign up yourself (for free of course) you'll have a chance to win said date complete with a few special extras!

March's Date of the Month is dinner at the fabulous Wahaca, Soho, followed by a quick hop next door to the world famous Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. What an amazing combo! You get the hip, laid back, effortless charm of Mexican tapas, with smooth, sleek, seductive jazz for afters. Quite frankly it's inspired (if we do say so ourselves…).

Read more about this fantastic date here and sign up to Lovestruck quick smart for your chance to win!

xxx

The Perfect Saturday

So I suppose it's just about possible that you guys see this whole dating thing differently to us girls - am I right?! Well, if that's case, perhaps we should hear it from the boys for a change? Welcome then, to the remarkable world of  'The City Gent', in this, his debut GDG blog post… 

Planning a day date can be pretty daunting. There's a hell of a lot at stake. You’ve asked your date to give up their entire day, so if it doesn’t work out, whether it’s because you’ve run out of conversation by lunch time or she just isn’t quite as enthusiastic about the London Transport Museum as you are, that’s one of her two precious free days wasted. If you really mess up, it could be game-over as far as your relationship, current or pending, is concerned. But where there’s risk there’s also opportunity. A day date gives you free reign to go out exploring, try something different and just enjoy spending time getting to know each other – sober (to begin with, at least). So I decided to back myself and booked my date in for a day in the city. All I told her was to meet me at Bond Street at 10am and that I would have her home by midnight.

First things first. Caffeine. I had to set the tone for the day – the usual Neros regular latte with an extra shot simply wouldn’t do. Postcard Teas, just around the corner from Bond Street station, did just the trick. It’s a serenely calm shop, serving lovingly prepared teas from all around the world on one long communal table. Tim, the owner, will take you through just about every tea in the shop - they even do ‘Tea School’ if you fancy adding an educational twist to your day, but that’s probably best reserved for more tea-obsessed amongst you.

Now you may think that those who shop on New Bond Street have more money than sense. But that’s not to stop you wandering down it, helping yourself to the free champagne that some shops have on offer and feeling what it’s like to try on a £700 Ralph Lauren jumper, or £3000 Burberry fur-lined coat. It’s just a bit of fun of course, so a quick word of warning - if you can’t find the tag, don’t ask for the price...

Before the urge to make a close-your-eyes-and-pretend-you-have-the-money purchase took hold, we escaped to the Royal Academy on Piccadilly. I can’t pretend that I was particularly impressed by the Degas exhibition they had on at the time, but my God they did a great lunch in the restaurant. It was worth suffering through the exhibition to tuck into their butternut squash and sage soup, followed by a poached salmon, crème fraiche and tarragon tart. We had the place practically to ourselves, which was surprising given how good the food was and magnificent the surroundings were.

We headed towards Green Park to try and fend off the inevitable post-lunch food coma with a decent walk towards the next stop on the itinerary, the Harvey Nichols Foodmarket in Knightsbridge (yes more food – you’ll see why in a second). The great thing about this place is that you have to go up a secret elevator to get to it on the fifth floor (ok, not secret, but it’s not obvious how to find it). They’ve got an

impressive deli counter where I picked up a few bits and pieces to cook for supper later in the evening and some cool gift foods to browse through, or nibble on if you’ve somehow rediscovered your appetite by then, which I had. 

So, onwards back to mine for supper (there’s a theme here) where I cooked something pretty simple - some aubergine, pancetta (from Harvey Nics) and mozzarella stacks, with sweet potato gratin. Just before watching a film on the sofa became irresistibly tempting, I put on my jacket. ‘I’ve got one more surprise for you,’ I said. We walked through the back streets of Chelsea to The Surprise on Christchurch Street for pudding and an aperitif. It’s a fantastic, cosy little pub, serving a vast range of small plates, a bit like a British tapas.

We hopped on a Boris bike and I took her back to hers on the stroke of midnight, as promised. I left the next morning with a whole cake tin full of brownie points, and a smile on my face.

A 2012 ‘I Will’ Action List:

Attractions & distractions for a happy, healthy and productive 2012 

We’re only a month or so into the New Year but if you’re already struggling with a rather miserable list of ‘I will not’ type resolutions then help is at hand. The lovely ladies at ‘This is Your Kingdom’ have put together a marvellous compendium of favourite ‘sober’ things to see and do in London; the perfect distraction from sworn abstinence and all the inspiration you need to ‘eat, drink, walk, think, potter, ponder, snuggle, shop and sleep’ your way to a happy, healthy and productive year ahead!

SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE IS  YOUR "I WILL" LIST FOR 2012

  

Make & Create: A fun, relaxing and productive way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends. Best of all, you come away with something truly bespoke and personal to you, much better than a hangover we thinks.

From constructing wigwams in East Sheen to dressmaking in Clapham, shoe crafting in Hackney and bunting making in Balham there are plenty of fantastic independent craft venues across the capital at which to get those creative juices flowing.

Potter & Ponder: London is full of lovely, little high streets lined with unique independent shops. How about cupcakes and collectables in Crystal Palace, brunching and browsing in Muswell Hill, grocery shopping at the Royal Hill lovelies in Greenwich or unearthing trinkets on Northcote Road in Clapham? Dip into a new part of the city and do your bit to support independents and the passionate, creative locals who run them.

Explore & Discover: The city is dotted with gorgeous green spaces, beautiful buildings and hidden secrets and the best way to get out and discover these is on foot or (our preference) by bicycle! Find pelicans in St James’ Park and discover secret snack spots in Chelsea. Feel the wind in your hair as you cross Walthamstow Marshes and marvel at the views from the lawn at Kenwood House in Hampstead.

  

Snuggle & Sleep: Cosy nights at home in front of the fire are the best way to get through the winter months but it’s important to get out once in a while so snuggle up at this cosy cinema in Shoreditch instead, take in a play at this small stage with big performances in Notting Hill or catch the Sunday film night at this eclectic café in Waterloo.

Indulge & Enjoy: We’re all for partaking in some serious scoffing to counter-balance the lack of boozing and London has a whole host of fabulous foodie destinations not to be missed. Take vintage tea in Hammersmith, find fine fayre on Maltby Street, seek out the yummiest coffee in Chelsea and master the sweet things in life at this unique cookery school in Queens Park.

Weekending Away: One of the best things about the city is that it’s ever so easy to escape for a weekend away. Take the train to Brockenhurst in Hampshire for gastro dining and luxury rooms at The Pig, tootle off to Cambridge (bicycle in tow) for city living mixed with gorgeous countryside or take a trip to the great British sea-side for fish and chips and market mooching.

Embrace Rurban Living: You may be in one of the world’s largest cities, but London has plenty of ways to forget where you are tucked up its sleeve. Take a trip to one of the many ‘city farms’ in Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Vauxhall or explore the many waterways, open spaces and growing gardens on offer to each of us across the capital.

Try a New Hobby: From open air swimming, to outdoor trapeze or Bolshoi ballet for beginners, there are plenty of weird and wonderful ways to challenge your mind and body across the capital. We thoroughly embrace the ‘try everything once’ mentality, though usually reward ourselves afterwards with a nice piece of Victoria sponge.

Get a Caffeine High: Substitute alcohol with caffeine and spend afternoons cosied up in coffee shops catching up with friends. If like us you are a bit of a coffee snob (just the right strength, not too hot, milky or frothy) have a peek at these TiYK recommended spots in Hampstead, Hackney, Hither Green, Brixton, Deptford, Hammersmith and Battersea.

And after you've said "I will" to all of the above...? Catch your breath!