Blind date: ‘I feared she'd be a no-show after our awkward accidental encounter'
What were you hoping for? A dandy evening with a lovely lady.
First impressions? Cool, calm and collected. We met accidentally in the foyer of the Guardian offices before the date – I don't think either of us was quite prepared for that, but she carried it off.
What did you talk about? What didn't we talk about? The epic highs and lows of London life. Pepsi v Coke. Dating in your 20s. Competitive sports. The cult of rowing. Andrew Tate bro-men. Vegetarian self-importance …
Blind date is Saturday's dating column: every week, two strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It's been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.What questions will I be asked? We ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions cover everything you would like to know, tell us what's on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with? No, it's a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests, preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely to be.
Can I pick the photograph? No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear? Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer? Honestly but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person's answers?No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One?We'll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town?Only if it's in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to apply Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Most awkward moment? I overestimated my tolerance for spice, which rendered me nonverbal for a little while.
Good table manners? Issy wielded her knife, fork and spoon like a pro.
Best thing about Issy? She's so open and easy to talk to. And also talks for England, in the possible best way.
Would you introduce Issy to your friends? To the funky queer ones, yes.
Describe Issy in three words. Top notch yapper.
What do you think Issy made of you? Probably that I'm a massive nerd.
Did you go on somewhere? Nope. We walked to the station then went our separate ways – it was a school night.
And … did you kiss? Nope.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be? I would be more realistic about my spice tolerance.
Marks out of 10? 7.5
Would you meet again? I was getting platonic vibes. We might go climbing – as all good queers do – so we shall see.
What were you hoping for? Good food, good company and a good story to tell my friends.
First impressions? Funny, intelligent and potentially quite quirky – I could tell we were going to have great conversation.
What did you talk about? Being queer. Music. DJ names. Vegetarianism. Women's healthcare. Journalism … we bounced about a lot.
Most awkward moment? We accidentally met just before our date, and I was worried it would put Scarlett off … so it was a relief when she walked into the restaurant.
Good table manners? Scarlett topped up my water all night.
Best thing about Scarlett? How full of life and genuinely interesting she is. I also found it really cool that she wrote things down in a notebook instead of her phone – it felt different, in a good way, and made me think I should maybe try that too.
Would you introduce Scarlett to your friends? I think she'd get on well with them.
Describe Scarlett in three words. Energetic, confident, positive.
What do you think she made of you? She said she could see me as a great chef. Take from that what you will. I hope she thought I was fun too.
Did you go on somewhere? No, we just walked to the station.
And … did you kiss? No.
If you could change one thing about the date, what would it be? Honestly, nothing. I had a really good time.
Marks out of 10? 8.
Would you meet again? As friends. We swapped phone numbers and spoke about maybe going climbing.
Issy and Scarlett ate at The Begging Bowl, London SE15. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com
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