Here are my top ten dating ideas. Best used when the other person has had  a sheltered life and needs taking out of their comfort zone.

1. Goat herding
2. Whitewash a fence
3. Rat swinging
4. Swap clothes
5. Cardigan knitting
6. Pay and display weekend
7. Photograph park benches
8. Airport carousel observation
9. Air guitar convention
10. Kill time

Thats my top ten over 50 dating ideas

Is it just me on the over 50 dating scene who judges people to one degree or another in their interest in music or their music choice? Music is my passion and my tastes eclectic, however there is some music that says more about the person that listens to it than it says to me. Take for interest Diva’s such as whitney or maria carey? The sex pistols once asked the crowd “do you feel like you have been had?”. Anybody who enjoys the formulistic bollocks that these women churn out is an idiot or a Princess Di wannabee seeking glamour in somebody else’s guise. This moves me on neatly to anybody who likes R&B. Wrist slitting at worst and depressive at best as even the simplest song is ruined by the ridiculous warbling that these losersc hurn out for the tone death generation. Don’t get me onto rap music!

So what is fun for you? For me its horse racing, live music, travel, cinema, theatre, eating out, ten pin bowling, dancing (badly), murder mystery, youtube, walking the dog, itunes, work, making money, building websites, reading, politics, fresh air, sex, work, cooking, judge judy, fine wine, kids, quizzing and ahundred things more. All of which are great fun choose what your age and whether you are dating or not ( the sex is more fun in two’s). The moral is that you are never too old to have fun.

Keep away from talking about politics they say, paticularly on a first date. The reason being of course that politics causes arguments. I think this myth has been debunked over the last couple of days as pretty much every over 50 I know agrees that PR is nonsense, the labour party desperate, the liberals shabby and the conservatives deserving better. I know that none of this is to do with over 50 dating but it’s my website and so forgive me dear reader for my short rant. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Ok, here’s a recommend. Choose something you have never done before and just go for it. We did with a visit to the Holmfirth Folk festival to see a band called ‘Show Of Hands’ who neither of us had heard of despite them winning every possible award and filling the Albert Hall three times. Blood fantastic being locked in a old music hall with 2000 folkies, loads of beer and a very special woman. Show Of Hands are just amazing and I will now grow a beard and sing folk ballads all the time. Nice thing was that a lot of the audience were my age but could not jig like moi.

Weird how life works out on the over 50 dating scene. I have lovely kids of my own who I enjoyed watching while they grew up. As yet no grandkids and so the Disney movies will have to wait (or so I thought). My new partner who I met on this over 50 dating website had her kids earlier and so she has a 2 year and 4 year old grandchild who are both boys. Bonus!  She is beautiful, sexy and intelligent. In fact, more fun than a barrel full of monkeys and I now have the bonus of Disney movies and kicking a ball around again on top. Lucky me.

Food, guaranteed to be a winner. Keep it simple. No messy spaghetti

Food is part of a time honoured traditional dating activity that never fails to impress.  A good tip is to go somewhere you’ve been before, good food, good wine, good service, eating out can be a “delicious dating experience”.

Be relaxed, be yourself, always be prepared to talk and listen. Expectations can be high; don’t set yourself up for a fall it’s only one date! It’s important to remember what a date is for, getting to know the other person. If first date nerves do kick in, try not to rely too much on alcohol. Nerves can magnify the effects of alcohol; you may get drunk that bit quicker. Alcohol can make you a believer, of almost anything; suddenly you’re saying, doing and feeling things that you wouldn’t normally do, be feel or say.

Having a dessert, or sharing a dessert isn’t off limits though, eating is a sensual, pleasurable experience that’s meant to be savoured.

Good manners count, being rude to a waiter, talking too loudly, or eating with your mouth open will always fail to impress. It will put your date and other diners on edge, so stay polite.

Enjoy your date, the food, and the atmosphere; get to know  each other. Eating out is time well spent, eating “in” is for later!

So what is the over 50 dating bonus? It’s the fact that my beautiful partner (found on the internet) has a really interesting and nice family. Me? I had to grow my own family because of a deficit of sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles. Now my kids are amazing and it’s lovely that Linda really likes them too as I do her boys and sister’s who have made me feel very welcome. One son of Linda’s did the London Marathon today for the first time to raise money for a miscarriage charity. All this with a swollen ankle, damaged a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday I was playing ‘chocolate bingo’ with Linda’s seven year old neice at her school. So now, I have an extended family to look forward to being with as well as my own dear mum and children.   That’s the over 50 dating bonus I am talking about.

Try to be sincere; the key is to mean what you say. For instance, if you practise sincerity in front of the mirror are you being sincere? To be truly sincere you should focus on the person that you desire and believe what it is you’re saying.

Keep it reasonable and stay away from body parts below the neck and above the ankles. This applies to both sexes!

Women love to be complimented on their:

Hair:   Women spend lots of time and copious amounts of money on their hair, and they love their efforts to be noticed.

Eyes:   are another favourite, just noticing those baby blues, gorgeous greens or soulful browns will give you lots of kudos amongst the ladies.

Smile:   Women love to hear they have a gorgeous, warm, engaging or friendly smile. It makes the effort of smiling in the first place, worthwhile.

Teeth:  Not as popular as the first three, could cause an iffy moment if their not the recipients own!

Neck:  Long and slender, unless it’s as thick as your average rugby player, you could comment on skin instead unless she’s wearing a low cut top.

Hair:   If hair is thick, shiny, and wavy with a nice cut and an attractive colour it’s a pretty safe compliment. On the other hand try not to mention the receding hairline, bald spot or dandruff. It could be quite a sensitive topic for them…

Eyes: Blue green or black, all gods’ children love to hear that they have nice eyes. Avoid sexy until at least the third date!

Smile:  Charming, handsome, alluring, men love this kind of praise.

Socks and Ties, some men take a long time choosing both, stun….and impress with your observation skills. However lifting his trouser legs to check them out is perhaps a bit personal for a first date.

Of all of the things that you can do for that special someone, here are the five most common,
1) Doing things for each other – helping out, doing the washing, getting the shopping, cooking meals. (One for the girlies, chaps)

2) Positive words – saying sweet nothings and words of love.

3) Physical contact – cuddles, hand-holding, kisses, massages etc.

4) Spending quality time together – holidays, walks, sports, hobbies, common interests.

5) Gifts – Chocolates, flowers, surprise presents.

Did you think that great sex would be at the top of the list? Well great sex is a wonderful thing; if the sex is great then the relationship must be too? Many people mistake lust for love, libido in that case can be short lived, pardon the pun! So at the top of my list is doing things for each other, sharing the chores is an integral part of showing your partner that you really do care.

Positive words… Negative communication can damage confidence levels within a relationship; this then leads to doubt and mistrust. On the other hand, positive words often create a pleasant relaxed environment, conducive to love, a situation worth striving for.