Two towns either side of the Tees, one dating dilemma. A round-by-round verdict on Middlesbrough vs Stockton for a first date — and who actually wins. Chloe, 27, from Middlesbrough, matched with a bloke called Danny on Wisp who lived eleven minutes away in Stockton-on-Tees. Should have been easy. It wasn’t. Danny wanted to meetContinue reading “Middlesbrough vs Stockton-on-Tees: Which Teesside Town Actually Wins for a First Date?”
Category Archives: Date Ideas
Autumn First Dates in Oxford: Seven Places That Work When It’s Too Cold to Walk
The riverside walk stops working in October. Seven Oxford first date spots that actually hold up in the cold, and the one you really should save until last. Nadia, 30, from Oxford, has had three first dates in the same pub on Walton Street this year. Same table by the window, same overpriced cider, sameContinue reading “Autumn First Dates in Oxford: Seven Places That Work When It’s Too Cold to Walk”
I Booked the Most Romantic Restaurant in Bath for a First Date. It Nearly Ruined It.
I booked the prettiest restaurant in Bath to impress a man I’d never met. What actually saved the whole night cost four quid and came in a paper bag. I’m Ellie, 33, and I live about twenty minutes outside Bath, which means I’ve spent most of my adult life telling visitors where to go andContinue reading “I Booked the Most Romantic Restaurant in Bath for a First Date. It Nearly Ruined It.”
The Best First Date in Swansea Doesn’t Start in a Bar
Everyone in Swansea books the same drinks date on Wind Street. Here’s why the bay walk to Mumbles beats it every time, and how to get the ending right. Rhian, 33, from Swansea, had done the same first date eleven times in a row. A bar on Wind Street. Two drinks, maybe three. Taxi homeContinue reading “The Best First Date in Swansea Doesn’t Start in a Bar”
She Picked Norwich Market Because She’d Run Out of Ideas. It Was the Best Date She’d Had in Two Years.
Hannah’s Norwich first date cost about a tenner and ran to five hours. She only picked the market because she was too tired to choose anywhere better. Hannah, 34, from Norwich, picked the market because she’d run out of ideas. Not out of interest. Out of ideas. She’d spent the Tuesday before with three tabsContinue reading “She Picked Norwich Market Because She’d Run Out of Ideas. It Was the Best Date She’d Had in Two Years.”
Everyone Says Sheffield’s a Night Out, Not a Date City. Everyone’s Wrong
Sheffield keeps getting written off as a night-out city. Here’s why it’s quietly one of the best first date cities in the UK — and exactly where to go. Priya, 29, from Sheffield, got a message last month that she’s still mildly annoyed about. She’d matched with a man on Wisp — funny, decent photos,Continue reading “Everyone Says Sheffield’s a Night Out, Not a Date City. Everyone’s Wrong”
Where to Take a First Date in Nottingham — Seven Spots a Local Actually Rates
A Nottingham local ranks seven first-date spots that actually earn you a second one — from the Lace Market to the canalside, and not one chain bar in sight. Priya, 31, from Sherwood, had been on four first dates in Nottingham that year. Three of them were in the same chain bar off the OldContinue reading “Where to Take a First Date in Nottingham — Seven Spots a Local Actually Rates”
Digbeth vs the Jewellery Quarter — Where Birmingham First Dates Actually Work
Digbeth or the Jewellery Quarter? Two sides of Birmingham, two very different first dates — and what Wisp’s numbers say about which one earns the second. Natasha, 31, from Kings Heath, had two first dates in the same week last month. Same format — drinks after work, one drink that becomes three if it’s goingContinue reading “Digbeth vs the Jewellery Quarter — Where Birmingham First Dates Actually Work”
First Date Spots in Brighton — A Local Tells You Exactly Where to Go
Brighton is brilliant for a first date if you know where to go. A local who has done dozens shares the spots that actually work, and the ones to skip. Naomi, 34, has lived in Brighton for nine years. She’s been on more first dates in this city than she’d care to admit — “somewhereContinue reading “First Date Spots in Brighton — A Local Tells You Exactly Where to Go”
A Liverpool First Date, Hour by Hour — What a Really Good One Looks Like
One Liverpool first date, tracked hour by hour — from the 5:45pm nerves to the last train home. Here’s the shape of a date that actually goes somewhere. Niamh, 30, has lived in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle for three years, and at 5:45 on a Thursday evening she’s standing in her hallway with her coat on,Continue reading “A Liverpool First Date, Hour by Hour — What a Really Good One Looks Like”