Antique dealer Deb Thea always thought she would marry – and while she waited for the right person, she created a happy, confident single life. Then, unexpectedly, love came alongDeb Thea didn’t want a conventional wedding. “I was 70. Walking down the …
My brother has two new children – and it’s making me sad
When you want to be a parent and can’t, this is a loss to be mourned, says Philippa PerryThe question I’m a 48-year-old woman in a loving relationship. I don’t have any children. I have two brothers – my younger one has four children with his partner. …
‘Sales funnels’ and high-value men: the rise of strategic dating
While courtship handbooks have always existed, for some women new technologies have both facilitated and necessitated a change in approachRebekah Campbell remembers the moment she knew things had to change. “I got to age 34 and woke up one Christmas mo…
Blind date: ‘He dealt with the fish falling off his taco very smoothly’
Esteban, 31, stores and shipping assistant, meets Sofia, 29, midwifeWhat were you hoping for?A fun night with somebody interesting in a great restaurant. Continue reading…
In a house move blunder, I’ve blown it with my wife. Can I scapegoat the delivery men? | Romesh Ranganathan
My wife was in the new house waiting for a delivery. I was in the old one working. What could possibly go wrong?My wife and I rarely have a proper argument, so it came as quite a shock to both of us when one did come along. I would describe it as less …
My partner cheated on me – then told me about the fantastic lover she’d found
This man was well endowed, highly sexed and lasted longer than me. Is our relationship doomed?I have been with my partner for three years, and a month ago she cheated on me. We discussed the matter and from that I discovered that this guy she cheated w…
I don’t like to boast – but even my blood is special | Zoe Williams
It’s taken me 27 years to become a blood donor. Was I really put off by a few questions about sex?At lockdown’s very apex of misery, when all the novelty had passed and the sun wasn’t shining, when nothing was open and you couldn’t even remember what i…
How we met: ‘She gave me strong signs that she wasn’t looking for romance’
Vinca, 37, and Lee, 40, were housemates in Manchester before they fell in love. They live in north Wales with their sonIn early 2008, Vinca was a self-confessed party girl, living the high life in Manchester. She worked for a recruitment firm during th…
It’s a glorious feeling when you and your singles bubble buddy just hang doing nothing | Melanie Tait
A chance to watch old videos and eat junk does wonders for the soul after the sadness and loneliness of weeks of lockdown – even with no hugsWhen the singles bubble was announced, I found myself awash with what people much cooler than me call “the feel…
Not all narcissists are grandiose – the ‘vulnerable’ type can be just as dangerous
The introverted narcissist is harder to spot and may be more sinisterWe pretty much know what narcissism is by now. The description “narcissist” is a buzzword, a darling of amateur analysts. Those needy, charismatic attention-grabbers stride across the…