I wanted a slim brunette... instead I met Caroline. Life has been kind to me but she just looks too old: Read what happened when a 'shallow' ex-Navy man met a chatty cat lady in our most brutal Blind Date yet
CAROLINE, 62
Single for six years, no children
Dating past?
My last relationship ended six years ago; we were together for seven years and are still friends. But my mates don’t see me as someone who needs a man – I’m the archetypal cat lady who is happy on her own. However, I have recently moved to a new town so I’d love a male companion to do things with.
Pre-date nerves?
No. Working in the music industry, I’m used to meeting people from all walks of life. It also helps that while I’ve lived in the UK since the 1980s, I’m originally from New Jersey in the US. We can talk to anyone!
First impressions?
Positive! Eric is a very good-looking guy – I’d never seen such a handsome man in his 60s. With his tan and long hair, he looked like he owned a yacht. I couldn’t believe he was single.
Caroline, 62, has been single for six years but says don’t see her as someone who needs a man
I was wearing an M&S patterned dress that I picked up eight years ago from a charity shop. I’d taken off the high heels I wore in the photoshoot and put on trainers, and we had a laugh over that. We had a little hug to say hello.
Easy to talk to?
I told Eric I liked his name because it reminded me of Eric Faulkner from the Bay City Rollers. We talked a lot about music - Eric is an old rocker, while I prefer pop music. I was surprised to discover he had been in the Royal Navy – you don’t expect sailors to be so erudite. He was good at asking me questions. So many men don’t do that.
Embarrassing moments?
I initially thought he was Scottish when he’s actually from Newcastle. He does sound a little bit like Girls Aloud singer Cheryl.
Did sparks fly?
I don’t believe Eric was flirting with me, but he did have good body language and angled himself towards me throughout the date.
See him again?
I’d like to see if this develops any further. Eric is a funny person who has led an interesting life, and he’s a handsome silver fox, too! The only red flag is I love banter, but he only chuckled once at my jokes.
Caroline wants someone who is ridiculously funny, loves to read and knows much more about IT than she does
When the waiter asked if we wanted dessert, I had to explain to Eric that – not to take this the wrong way – but I had to get home to feed my cats. He understood because it led on to a discussion about the pets he has owned.
What do you think he thought of you?
Hard to say. If pushed, that I was a relatively interesting woman.
Would your friends like him?
Yes, Eric is easy to talk to and he’s quite fun.
Dating past?
I’ve been divorced for 18 years. My last relationship lasted for three years. It’s hard to find dark-haired women in my age range. They tend to dye their hair blonde to hide the grey, but blonde hair doesn’t suit every woman.
Pre-date nerves?
No. I’ve always been very confident. When I worked full-time and ran a software company, it was inappropriate to ask employees out, so I became adept at online dating instead. I’ll happily talk to anyone.
Eric, 68, has been single for ten months and says it's hard to find dark-haired women in his age range
First impressions?
Caroline – and I hate to say this – looked older than her 62 years. Sorry, Caroline... I do realise I was very prescriptive in my request for a slim brunette and I shouldn’t have been.
Easy to talk to?
Yes, although Caroline is a bit timid for me. I picked up on her accent as being Scottish or American, which we chatted about. I told her I’d worked in IT during my career and she launched into describing a problem with the software on her computer. I tried to give her some advice – but I just sold it, I don’t fix it.
Caroline liked that I’d been in the Navy for 11 years and toured the world. I also lost my best friend two weeks ago and she was very sympathetic.
Embarrassing moments?
No, although my steak was well-done when I’d asked for medium.
Did sparks fly?
I didn’t find Caroline physically attractive. Look, I know I’m shallow, but I’m all about the visuals. I felt she was wearing a dress that was far too old for her. I’ve got a modern dress sense, decent hair and good teeth. Life has been kind to me! It didn’t help any potential romance when she mentioned her cats sleep on her bed. My mind went: ‘I don’t like that.’
Eric prefers tall, slim women with long dark hair who look after themselves
See her again?
We did exchange numbers but the likelihood of us seeing one another again is very low. We met at 1pm and at 2.45pm Caroline announced: ‘I’ve got to go home to feed my cats.’ Talk about a passion-killer!
What do you think she thought of you?
That I’m easy to talk to and well-travelled. I suspect she likes me. I know she wanted to meet someone with a similar sense of humour but I didn’t get any clue that I made her laugh.
Would your friends like her?
Caroline is shy, not a big drinker and ate a salad – she just wouldn’t fit into my world.
CAROLINE'S VERDICT: 8/10
Liked? Our lunch together.
Regrets? None. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon.
Coffee or cab? Coffee.
ERIC'S VERDICT: 6/10
Liked? She was nice company.
Regrets? Asking to be matched with a brunette.
Coffee or cab? Cab.
