A Blind Date in Manchester Ends Without a Spark, But Friendship is the Real Prize
The Guardian has given its readers another chance to live out their dating fantasies with our latest 'blind date' experiment. This time, we paired up Henry and Sarah for a dinner date at Namii in Manchester.
Henry was looking forward to an easy-going evening with a lot of food and good company. As he arrived, Sarah greeted him with a smile and ordered a spicy margarita on arrival, setting the tone for a fun night ahead.
As they chatted over dinner, their conversation ranged from marathon running to weddings, babies, and even DJing. The topics were varied, but it seemed like Henry was more interested in getting to know Sarah's adventurous side than anything else.
However, there was one awkward moment when Henry accidentally dripped prawn cracker shards down his front – hopefully, Sarah didn't notice. On the other hand, she impressed him with her impeccable table manners and chopstick skills.
Sarah had been hoping for a chance to meet someone new at her best friend's wedding and get featured in The Guardian paper. She was warmly greeted by Henry and immediately felt comfortable around him.
As they talked, their conversation turned to travelling, Glastonbury festivals, and families – but also included some quirky topics like hero rats. Sarah confessed that she'd power walked to the restaurant due to a rush of adrenaline and ended up being incredibly sweaty when she arrived.
Despite the initial awkwardness when Sarah discovered Henry's job at an Australian abattoir, they both agreed that it wasn't a deal-breaker. In fact, their conversation flowed smoothly as they learned more about each other.
In terms of table manners, Sarah managed to teach Henry how to use chopsticks – albeit with some minor chicken wing eating disasters – but overall, the evening was filled with laughter and good company.
So, what did they think of each other? Both Henry and Sarah described each other in three words: for Henry, 'warm, intriguing, and relatable'; for Sarah, 'ambitious, outgoing, and fearless'.
As the evening drew to a close, neither of them managed to spark any romantic interest – but their friendship was palpable. They agreed that while it may not have been a perfect date, they had enjoyed each other's company.
Marking out of ten? Henry gave it an 8, while Sarah marked hers as 8 as well. Will they meet again? It seems unlikely – at least in the romantic sense – but who knows? After all, their shared love of running marathons could be the start of something new.
The Guardian has given its readers another chance to live out their dating fantasies with our latest 'blind date' experiment. This time, we paired up Henry and Sarah for a dinner date at Namii in Manchester.
Henry was looking forward to an easy-going evening with a lot of food and good company. As he arrived, Sarah greeted him with a smile and ordered a spicy margarita on arrival, setting the tone for a fun night ahead.
As they chatted over dinner, their conversation ranged from marathon running to weddings, babies, and even DJing. The topics were varied, but it seemed like Henry was more interested in getting to know Sarah's adventurous side than anything else.
However, there was one awkward moment when Henry accidentally dripped prawn cracker shards down his front – hopefully, Sarah didn't notice. On the other hand, she impressed him with her impeccable table manners and chopstick skills.
Sarah had been hoping for a chance to meet someone new at her best friend's wedding and get featured in The Guardian paper. She was warmly greeted by Henry and immediately felt comfortable around him.
As they talked, their conversation turned to travelling, Glastonbury festivals, and families – but also included some quirky topics like hero rats. Sarah confessed that she'd power walked to the restaurant due to a rush of adrenaline and ended up being incredibly sweaty when she arrived.
Despite the initial awkwardness when Sarah discovered Henry's job at an Australian abattoir, they both agreed that it wasn't a deal-breaker. In fact, their conversation flowed smoothly as they learned more about each other.
In terms of table manners, Sarah managed to teach Henry how to use chopsticks – albeit with some minor chicken wing eating disasters – but overall, the evening was filled with laughter and good company.
So, what did they think of each other? Both Henry and Sarah described each other in three words: for Henry, 'warm, intriguing, and relatable'; for Sarah, 'ambitious, outgoing, and fearless'.
As the evening drew to a close, neither of them managed to spark any romantic interest – but their friendship was palpable. They agreed that while it may not have been a perfect date, they had enjoyed each other's company.
Marking out of ten? Henry gave it an 8, while Sarah marked hers as 8 as well. Will they meet again? It seems unlikely – at least in the romantic sense – but who knows? After all, their shared love of running marathons could be the start of something new.
, but hey that's what makes life interesting right? Friendship is definitely the real prize here! They might not have had a spark, but they had some awesome conversations and shared laughs over dinner 
. Who knows maybe their marathon running adventures will be the start of something special 
.
that's so me every time i go out with friends 
i think its awesome they met thru a blind date and now have each other's numbers 
so i think what's cool about this blind date thing is how it shows that sometimes even though things don't go exactly as planned, you can still have a great time with someone 
. like, henry and sarah are totally different, but they just click and have so much in common. and yeah, maybe they won't be romantic partners or anything, but who cares? they've got each other's backs now 
. you're not always getting the whole picture just by looking at someone, and sometimes it's nice to find out that there's more to them than meets the eye. especially when it comes to something like henry's job... who knew he was into hero rats? 
. that's what matters - not whether or not there's a spark, but if you can just be yourself and have fun with someone new 
.
. So, Henry and Sarah, they're not exactly fireworks, but they've got that nice friendly vibe goin' on 
. I love how they connected over their shared love of running marathons – that's what it's all about, innit? 
. And Henry, teachin' Sarah how to use chopsticks – that's a top bloke move 
They should've just ordered dessert and called it a night 
and prawn cracker shards all over their front is just too much 
They laughed, learned about each other, and even exchanged numbers – what more could you ask for? 
They might not have found romance, but their connection is undeniable. Sometimes it's not about the sparks flying, but about the friendship that develops. I'm rooting for Henry and Sarah to stay in touch – their shared interests and laughter could lead to something amazing!