secret dates

A microlight flight is an experience to cherish

When we first met, back in 2002, Amy was petrified of heights. I first discovered this on a London Eye flight where Amy refused to leave the seating area in the middle. Slowly but surely, Amy’s confidence has improved. Dramatically, in fact. She still has jitters when it comes to heights, but has now ticked off many rollercoaster rides, countless trips on that previously feared London Eye, and no less than three hot air balloon rides. Better than all of that is the latest experience that we had – a microlight flight!

It has to be said that microlight flights are very weather dependent. Therefore, it can be extremely frustrating trying to get a flight. It was the fifth time we’d booked in for one, so we didn’t hold out too much hope. We have been trying to get a flight since April. Our voucher ran out in just a couple of weeks, so we had to do a weekday flight. Despite the frustration in planning this date idea, it was most definitely worth the effort and cost.

Will our microlight flight go ahead?

The pilot has a flightline which you can call from 7am on the morning of your flight. He will make a decision on the conditions for that day, or as happened to us on a previous occasion, postpone that decision until a later time. We took our flight with David Buck of Microlight Flying Lessons at Netherthorpe Airfield near to Worksop. We arrived a full hour before our flight time, but got to go straight out as we were the first passengers of the day.

Amy was adamant she wanted to go first, to get her nerves out of the way. Therefore, she got kitted up in her flight suit and headed straight outside to the small red aircraft that was to take us both on a thirty minute pleasure flight around the area. She was incredibly nervous, but you could barely tell. She is so brave nowadays, and has come such a long way since that London Eye experience! After a safety briefing, Amy had to get in the microlight first, sitting in the back, behind David, the pilot. We had to take it in turns since it is only a two-seater aircraft.

A date idea that you don’t experience at the same time

The fact that you don’t experience it at the same time makes it rather strange for a date idea, admittedly. However, we’d thoroughly recommend it as a joint experience for any couples. The adrenalin rush is amazing, and you will feel that for your partner too. I had to wait in a picnic area whilst Amy had her flight. I tried to film the best I could, as they started to taxi off across the field, but they soon went out of view. Annoyingly, as I heard and saw them taking off, the camera was playing games and turning off and on so I missed a bit.

About twenty minutes later, I saw them appear in the sky again. They reminded me of ET, flying through the air on his bike. So small in the huge expanse of sky. They circled the airfield before coming in to land. Amy came out with a smile on her face. Every time she does something that terrifies her at first, she ends up on a huge high afterwards. She realises this nowadays and pushes herself to do more incredible experiences. Maybe it is an attitude that you too could adapt to push yourself to be more amazing.

Up, up and away

There was no time at all to waste now before I got myself kitted up in a flight suit. We had to dress warmly, since it was freezing cold up in the air. I had two pairs of socks on, a t-shirt, jumper, jacket and coat, as well as the flight suit and gloves! David had forgotten to put his warmest coat on for Amy’s flight, so was grateful for the chance to put that on before mine. Soon enough, we were out at the microlight and I was being kitted out with my headset and helmet, and told to do no ‘ducking and diving’ as I slowly entered the microlight.

There are foot pedals which can steer the aircraft, so I had to avoid puting my feet down on them during takeoff and landing. David set the engine running, and in no time we were taxiing down the runway, which is basically a grassy field, with some bumpy bits. Taking off was very cool indeed and feels much lighter than a normal aeroplane feels. It was pretty terrifying realising just how open everything is. You are 3300 feet in the air, yet are just sitting in an open cockpit.

The earth looks so different from above

The views were incredible, comparable to a hot air balloon ride but going much faster and over more interesting terrain. This is because in a microlight you have much more control over where you fly. David is an extremely good pilot, and the headsets allow you to communicate very well. He constantly pointed out interesting facts about the places we could see below us, and told us about how the microlight works too. He told us how the air works to cause bumps where hills and things are, though our flights weren’t too bumpy at all.

Me and Amy both went the same way, so mainly saw the same things. These included Cresswell Model Village, Chesterfield, Bolsover Castle, solar panel fields, Hardwick Hall, and Creswell Crags. One thing I was lucky enough to see that Amy didn’t was the Red Arrows doing a training session. I couldn’t actually see the planes themselves, but could see the loop-de-loop smoke trails that they formed, looking like a giant rollercoaster in the sky. I could see one descending from the clouds above and creating a new smoke trail in front of us.

What happens if the engine cuts out?

Visibility was excellent on our flights. David described them as 9 out of 10 flights, with the only negative being how cold it was. Definitely wrap up warm if you take a flight! He told me that the benefit of flying high above the ground was that if the engine was to have a failure, he’d have plenty of time to find a safe field to land in, which was slightly reassuring. Although we weren’t allowed to take our cameras on the flight with us, David has an on-board camera that films the views you get for a long-lasting memory of your flight.

It was also great to see the runway of the airfield as we approached the end of our flight. From up here, you can see the markings on the ground, and see just how short it is! The landing was extremely smooth. What an experience! When I’d safely exited the microlight, David called Amy over and he took a few photos for us, before we got ourselves changed out of our flight suits and went on our way, still on a high.

Would you dare to experience a microlight flight? Have you already done one?

Have you explored all there is to do in your local park recently?

This secret date involved exploring Hanley Park. in our home city. Most of us are going to live near to a park. Have you explored yours recently? There is likely a huge amount of things that you can do in the park. You can go for a romantic stroll, play sports, check out artwork, get closer to nature, see wildlife, have a picnic, go jogging, fly a kite, do yoga, take your dog for a walk, play on the playground, throw a frisbee, or check out what special events are on. These are only a few of the multitude of date ideas you can find in your local park.

We went to Hanley Park, in Stoke-on-Trent, which opened in 1897, three times within a week. The first visit was timed to coincide with Circus Zyair appearing at the park. Circuses are regular visitors to Hanley Park, and are always great fun. There are always loads of great deals on tickets, so you should never have to pay full price. We’d originally planned to take a picnic to the park with us, but the unpredictable British weather resulted in it raining, so we decided against it.

Anyone for tennis?

A day later we were back. This time, we had rackets in hand, for a game of tennis. Hanley Park has great sports facilities, including three tennis courts, a cricket cage, basketball court, table tennis table, football pitches, and a crown green bowls pitch. There is also lots of open space in which to play anything. You’ll find anything from a game of rugby, to people throwing a frisbee, and picnicking around these areas. We had the three tennis courts to ourselves on our visit, though its not uncommon to have to wait for a court to become free.

A few days later still, we made our third and final visit for the week. This time, we wanted to properly explore the park. We coincided our visit with a restoration walk ran by the Friends of Hanley Park. Hanley Park is having £6 million spent on it at the moment, and the plans are very exciting indeed. It has suffered from a lack of investment over recent years, and the plan is to return it to its original splendour. It is thoroughly welcome, since, despite its positives, large parts of the park are in a rather dilapidated condition.

The canal runs right through the middle of Hanley Park

An unusual feature of Hanley Park is that the Caldon Canal cuts right through the middle of it. Indeed, the canal predates the park. We took a pleasant walk along the canals, which went right through the park, before entering at the far side. It is a lovely feature of Hanley Park that is currently not seen at its best. Luckily, the canal bridges are part of the restoration project.

There are maps on large boards by each entrance, which have a numbered route to follow, starting from the Top Lodge, by the main gate to the park. The gates have recently been refurbished, as the first stage of the restoration. The lodges are being done up too, and will be rented out. At the moment, they look a bit unwelcoming, with security screens and the like.

Walking past the former bowling green, we spotted a gazebo where the Friends of Hanley Park had set up. They had a display on the restoration process, and were keen to come and talk to us about it. Afterwards, we had a bit of a play on the playground. There are various spinny type rides that we could make ourselves feel dizzy on. We spotted the sensory play area, which has colourful plants and different types of paving, some appearing like fossils.

We couldn’t resist reliving our youth

The toddler play area was completely empty, so we took advantage and had a go on some mini see-saws and a roundabout. The main play area is quite impressive, with a zipline, and a huge spiders web climbing apparatus. We couldn’t resist climbing up, though it is ridiculously high! We also had a go on a spinny thing here too, though we couldn’t get on much as it was a lot busier around here. After a sit down on a bench to recover, we continued our tour of the park.

The centrepiece of the park is the area around the main pavilion and the bandstand. The park’s architect, Thomas Mawson, designed it to look like a country estate. The pavilion was like the country house, with cascading steps leading down to the beautiful gardens below. Currently, the pavilion is somewhat an eyesore, with missing tiles and security fences around it. However, this time next year it will be a real centrepiece, with a cafe/wedding venue inside.

It’ll be lovely to see a concert on the bandstand on a summer’s day

The bandstand will also be restored, with access to electricity enabling more events to take place there. A distinctive feature of the park is the terracotta tiles used on the walls and other features. This owes to the area’s pottery heritage, although ironically the tiles weren’t made locally. On each side of the landscape here is a semi-circular garden, which is rather romantic. Beyond its archway entrance are a couple of well-positioned benches. Already rather lovely, it will be amazing when all of its plants are fully grown.

A display of artwork inspired by the park s hung on the security fences around the pavilion, yet now sadly neglected. Over the bridge that connects the two parts of the park over the canal, there is currently a hoarding over it. This has been decorated graffiti style in order to brighten it up, yet still feels slightly unwelcoming, so it will be great to see the bridge finally restored. We didn’t cross the bridge here, but carried on around the path to some more sports courts.

If you’re into playing sports, Hanley Park is the place to be

Hanley Park has great sports facilities, including three tennis courts, a cricket cage, basketball court, table tennis table, football pitches, and a crown green bowls pitch. There is also lots of open space in which to play anything. You’ll find anything from a game of rugby, to people throwing a frisbee, and picnicking around these areas.

A large expanse of grass nearby seems to be a resting ground for a huge amount of geese. The park is well-known for its birds, and some rarely spotted birds can be found. We only really saw the water ones though, like mallards, coots, and moorhens.

The lake is another focal point of the park, and a very pleasant place to stroll around. There is some very eye-catching artwork on display, including huge metal lettering saying, ‘Do You feel it too?’. The island on the lake has a similar piece of artwork as well. The boathouse hasn’t been used in many years, so it will be great to see it restored as a cafe and centre for hiring boats to take out onto the lake. Water jets help to improve the water quality, and also provide a fresh feeling to the area.

The park is expertly landscaped to provide great views

There is also a poem on the steps leading down to the lake from the oval, once one of Europe’s largest crown green bowls spaces. Now, one line remains – ‘since knowing you I smile’. It works on its own to be honest! The steps provide a great view over the lake and beyond. It was all expertly designed by Mawson in order to provide a space in which all of the smog of industrial Stoke-on-Trent could be hidden from view.

When the park was built in 1897, the smoke would have been noticeable all around. Therefore, Mawson carefully designed it to hide these features, only framing what he thought to be attractive scenes, such as Stoke Minster in the distance. This also applied to the canal. Now, it is a positive thing to have the canal run through the park. Back then, however, the canals were dirty and industrial, so Mawson did what he could to hide them from view.

Hanley Park is a haven for wildlife

A pretty cascade is further around the path, with lilypads offering a nice feature. Outside the ladies’ toilets is a tree carving with various birds, a bit like the one at Rudyard Lake. The current bowls pavilion has a cute little metal gazebo, with some nice paving featuring two birds, at its side. The park has a secret garden, which is a haven for much wildlife. We did see a little bird here, though couldn’t work out what it was. A squirrel was leafing through a nearby bin, making for a great photo opportunity, particularly when all we could see was his tail!

The restoration walk started from the far gates of what is now known as Cauldon Park. It used to be part of Hanley Park, until a road was built that divided the two. The park’s Liaison Officer, Tom Pine, was leading the walk. He started by telling us about the restoration process, and took us into Cauldon Park. The gates here are some of the most ornamental in the park, and the crest that tops them has only just got back from a workshop in Wales where it was restored. Apparently, a couple more bits are yet to be added to make an ever grander entrance.

The dragons are back!

The main achievement of the restoration as of yet has been the Hammersley Fountain. It is a fantastic terracotta fountain that has been dry for many years. Indeed, older people remembered that there used to be dragons around it, and an appeal in the press led to the finding of photographs that has allowed the dragons to be recreated. The fountain is now in working order, and looks great. There is also a lodge building here too.

Walking alongside the edge of the park, we were told that the modern Stoke-on-Trent College buildings were on the site of a former conservatory that was home to a variety of birds. Unfortunately, now the space is gone, those can’t be restored. Back into Hanley Park itself, Tom pointed out the Veterans Club, which is a great example of a utilitarian building of its time, and said that the lake will have sloped edges, rather than the sharper edges we currently have.

Looking forward to the future and a restored Hanley Park

We also crossed over the canal bridge for the first time, and were told how the canals would be made more of a feature by the removal of a wall that was originally built to hide them, but is now more an eyesore itself. It was interesting to hear the extremely vivid memories of the park from two older ladies in the tour group. They could remember lost fountains, and taxidermies of a monkey holding an orange inside the pavilion. It was a fascinating tour, and exciting times ahead for Hanley Park.

Have you explored Hanley Park recently? 

A cute surprise to come home to

If there was ever any doubt that I have the cutest wife in the world, then here is the proof! Although the vast majority of our secret dates are planned by the two of us together, we do make a point to sometimes surprise each other. We use the term dates in the loosest terms really, since it is more moments or experiences that count. Every now and then, we find ourselves unable to fit in a secret date on a particular week. Therefore, one of us will often plan something special for the other that won’t take up an entire day or evening.

After a long day at work, and a forty five minute walk home, Amy seemed keen for me to come upstairs but was insistent that I don’t go up on my own. The reason was that she had planned the cutest secret date ever. As I have handed my notice in at work, and we are going travelling together, she did her own version of the ‘I Have Confidence’ secret date. I’d done this for her last year before she had an operation. It involved playing her the song from The Sound of Music, then recording my own message of support at the end.

This is how to show you have confidence in your partner

Amy went fifty times better than this. Straight upon entering the room, I was faced with a homemade sign on the wall that said ‘I Have Confidence in You’, with a balloon. On the computer was a Sound of Music screensaver, and there was a card waiting for me. The card was hilarious, with a Beatles’ Hey Jude joke, and a lovely message from Amy, filled with heart-shaped confetti. The piece de resistance, however, was the song. Amy didn’t just play the song on YouTube like I did.

She used Snapchat to create no less than twenty seven short videos of herself, in various guises, performing the song. In some, she had her own voice, and sang it beautifully. In others, she was all cute and sounding like a chipmunk! She also acted out parts like shouting ‘Wake Up’ at one point. It was the best thing ever. I honestly couldn’t believe how good it was. It really did fill me with confidence that we have made the right decision. We can now look forward to some truly amazing times! Here is the video.

Have you ever made a video like this for your partner? Tell us in the comments! 

Hot Air Balloon ride over Staffordshire with Virgin Balloons

We recently took our third hot air balloon flight, with Virgin Balloons. This time we took Scott’s Mum for her 65th birthday present, and Amy’s Dad. We had bought Amy’s Dad a hot air balloon ride for his 60th birthday nearly eight years ago now, with a different company. He still hasn’t been on it! Our flight was going from Uttoxeter Racecourse, instead of Stafford Amerton Railway. It had been changed due to the weather conditions.

Despite being on the early side, we noticed that the balloon had already arrived. A fair few people were already around it, in the middle of the racecourse. Our pilot was Graham Dorrell, and he had already got the balloon laid out by the time we arrived. After an introductory talk, Graham asked for a volunteer from each side, and an old bloke was keen to help. His task was to hold the balloon open enough at the bottom to get cold air blown in from two huge fans to inflate the balloon.

The weather can be a real pain

Once it is inflated enough, he can add hot air from gas canisters, which helps it to fly. However, as he was doing this crucial step the balloon was almost toppling over due to freak gusts of wind that weren’t forecast at all. Therefore, on safety grounds, Graham decided not to go ahead with it, and they began to deflate it. We then had an anxious wait whilst Graham made a phone call regarding the weather. Ironically, we could see another balloon in the sky in the distance.

We did get a head start by stretching the balloon out flat again, which was a bit like a tug of war. Around half an hour later, Graham called for us all to retake our positions for a second attempt. Amy decided to volunteer this time around to hold the balloon open whilst the cold air was blown in. This time, thanks to Amy’s expert help, it was all systems go!

Graham jumped in and fired it up, and called for us to all get in as quickly as possible. Beforehand, we’d arranged that we would go in the middle. We have been on the end the other two times and figured it would be the best view for Scott’s Mum and Amy’s Dad. We jumped in really quickly, then Amy’s Dad clumbered in, getting his boot stuck in the foothold. Scott’s Mum was last one in, and she completely went tumbling.

Uh-oh, hope the balloon doesn’t take off just yet!

She ended up hanging on the balloon sideways. Amy’s Dad was oblivious to her plight, and we were trying to reach across to grab hold of her. The chaser came to help her too, and the old bloke who was getting into the next compartment. We didn’t have time to dilly dally though, and had to get straight into the brace position. We could just about see above the side of the basket that we were still on the ground. Until we weren’t of course, and Graham told us that we could all stand up.

It is always mega cool to see just how small the people waving at us from the ground become, as we went higher and higher. There were nice views of the sun setting. However, this was more so on the opposite side of the balloon, so we only saw that between the other passenger’s heads. Graham told us that we were heading in the direction of Stafford. To be honest, the winds were a bit stronger than Graham had anticipated, and we were going 18mph. This meant that the landscape beneath us, mainly fields, was moving at a fairly rapid pace.

I think the farm animals thought we were an alien spacecraft

As a result, we spent most of the flight much lower to the ground than we had been on our previous flights. I was right next to the middle, so had the brunt of the heat from the gas burners. It wasn’t too bad at all though really. Like last time, the sight of our hot air balloon had an impact on the farm animals. They all made a run for it when the balloon flew over their field. Soon enough, and way before we had expected, Graham called for us to get into our landing positions.

Our intial landing was a bit bumpy, into a crop field in Hartley Green, near to Stafford. The crops were actually blowing right in our faces. Right as we were about to stop, the basket actually tipped over! Good job we were holding on to the handles! We found ourselves with our backs to the floor and looking up to the skies. It was a rather unusual position. However, it was better than those on the lower side who had their faces amongst the crops!

How could we forget to take hay fever tablets?

Soon enough, Graham got the balloon deflated, and we then had a long wait. Landing in a field was terrible for our hay fever, particularly as we had both forgotten to take our hay fever tablets. The sky was very dramatic, though it was starting to get dark. Graham was on the phone to the chaser, to try and direct him. He then had to get the retrospective permission of the farmer to enter his farm. This took absolutely ages. Graham had to walk all the way around the huge field to get to the farmhouse, to avoid ruining any more of the farmer’s crops.

Eventually, after literally half an hour, Graham returned, to say that we could start packing the balloon away. It first had to be rolled up, so that it was a long and thin line of fabric. Some of us went on one side, and the others on the opposite side. We then rolled it into each other, trying to get the air out as best we could as we did so. Graham was sitting on it as he made his way up the balloon, making sure it was as ready to pack away as possible.

The balloon is going in that tiny bag?

Some people tied the rolled balloon together, before it was ready to be put away. The bag really doesn’t look large enough for a huge hot air balloon. This involved some of us holding the bag open, whilst others lifted the balloon into it. Amy’s Dad did a good job of tying the bag together. It then had to be put onto the trailer. This really just involved rolling it on, and a mechanical arm did the rest.

The other issue was getting out of the field. It was a pretty long walk around this huge field. Once on the path, we waited for a while for a minibus to arrive, which took us back to Uttoxeter Racecourse. It was around two hours after landing, and nearly 11pm, by the time we were all at Uttoxeter Racecourse, for our post-flight champagne toast. It felt a bit weird having champagne in a pitch black field this late at night. Graham gave us our certificates to cap off a wonderful experience.

Have you been on a hot air balloon ride? Tell us your experiences in the comments…..

A picnic on Hampstead Heath is an iconic London experience

Having a picnic with your partner is always an idyllic way to while away an afternoon. We are lucky in England to have many amazing picnic spots. One of the most famous picnic spots of all, however, is Hampstead Heath in London. Hampstead Heath is a huge, ancient park on one of the highest points of London. The view from Parliament Hill is even protected by law! We went for a picnic on Hampstead Heath on a warm summer’s day.

Having a picnic on Hampstead Heath is one of the iconic things to do in London. There are plenty of places to stock up on picnic supplies in Hampstead, including a number of tantalising delicatessans. Our picnic was far more budget friendly, as we visited a small Tesco. We went a bit overboard to be honest.

Each of us picked a meal deal, with wraps as our main, popcorn and a fruit bag as our sides, and a banana milkshake for me, flavoured water for Amy as our drinks. Then, we got some cocktail sausages, southern fried chicken straws, peanuts and raisins, chocolate au pain, mini rolls and a packet of custard creams. Plenty!

Kenwood House is an ideal spot for a picnic

You can get a bus from Hampstead to Hampstead Heath. However, we enjoyed the half hour walk up to the northern side of Hampstead Heath. This brought us to Kenwood House, where we decided to have our picnic. Kenwood House is one of the top recommended picnic spots on Hampstead Heath, and allows you the chance to combine our picnic with a visit to the house, which offers free admission.

From the house, you’ll walk through a very romantic tunnel surrounded by foliage to the large expanse of lawn in front of the south side of the house, leading down towards a picturesque pond. There is masses of space, yet some of the romance for us was taken away by two large groups of very small school children on some kind of bizarre school trip. Anyway, we found a great spot with beautiful views of the house behind us, though we actually sat facing away from the house towards the pond, since there is a downward slope to the grass.

Hampstead Heath is huge, so don’t settle on a spot if it’s not perfect

We really enjoyed our picnic, and the romantic views. However, we never felt quite at ease with all of the energetic children running around. We decided to relocate somewhere quieter, walked over to the side, much further away from the house. However, strangely enough, it was nicer here, since we could actually see the house whilst we ate, unlike before. It was much more peaceful here, with just a couple of small adult groups dotted around. Hampstead Heath is so large that if your picnic is being compromised a bit, it is easy to move elsewhere.

We actually ate most of our picnic supplies, surprisingly even the whole packs of cocktail sausages and southern fried chicken straws. The only things we didn’t eat at all were the mini rolls and custard creams, saving them for later. We also didn’t finish the peanuts and raisins. After we had done enough picnicking in these idyllic grounds, we headed over to Kenwood House. We’ll write about the house very soon.

Have you ever had a picnic on Hampstead Heath? What is the best place you’ve ever had a picnic?

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr as a non-Muslim

We love cultural experiences, and believe that celebrating other people’s cultures is essential to creating a planet full of love. After our recent terrible experience in Manchester, where a lunatic killed 22 innocent people using Islam as his excuse, it was important to see that this was not at all representative of Muslim people as a whole. Therefore, we decided to go and celebrate Eid al-Fitr with 106,000 Muslims at Small Heath Park in Birmingham.

Eid al-Fitr is the Muslim festival that represents the breaking of the fast, marking the end of Ramadan. The celebration at Small Heath Park in Birmingham is the biggest event of its kind in Europe. Parking is an issue with the amount of people attending, and the importance of arriving in time for prayers. Many people had abandoned their cars in the middle of streets. It was chaos. We were literally the only white people walking to the park that we saw.

The deep chanting of people heading to prayer leads the way

We arrived at the park just after the 9.30am start time, and heard the deep rumbling of the Allahu Akbar chant of the people heading to prayer. There was a bit of police presence at the gates for the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Nothing like what had been reported in the press, due to security fears after recent events. The Muslims were all dressed in their best clothes, and in many different styles. Many wore the long white gowns. The gates were filled with balloon arches, and stewards had foam hands that said Eid on them.

As we approached the gates of the park, we felt slightly apprehensive. We were a bit worried about standing out too much, and offending the worshippers with our Western dress. In the end, our differences actually made people seem to want to welcome us more. At first, however, we were rather unsure as to what was going on. People had started taking their places on the huge tarpaulin prayer mats, and it was difficult to find our way.

Be prepared for segregation

Near the entrance, a steward had said that ‘brothers’ should go one way, and ‘sisters’ the other. There was no way we were separating. Therefore, we anxiously looked around to make sure that we saw people of both sexes in any areas that we went in. Eventually, we got to the cut-off point where the men and women were separated for prayer. There were no women ahead of this point. Therefore, we decided to head across to the side of the prayer area. Here, despite being in the women’s area, we saw a few other men. Some of them were wearing jeans like me.

Everyone was enjoying the spectacle and filming the scenes. We couldn’t see them in person, but there was a big screen showing the speeches from various Muslim leaders and community leaders. Many of the speeches were very inspiring and inclusive. Most of them were denouncing terrorism, welcoming non-Muslims, and talking about the importance of charity giving. A couple of people came up to thank us for coming along.

The prayers are an inspiring spectacle

Soon after, the Eid al-Fitr prayers started. The prayers were definitely an interesting thing to see. Thousands upon thousands of people knew exactly what the prayers required. They moved in unity to do things like bow and kneel on the floor. It looked well choreographed. Apparently, some Eid al-Fitr prayers are mandatory, whilst the ones that follow are not. This resulted in a huge exodus of people from the back of the prayer area. We walked all the way around to the front to get a different view of the remainder of the sermons.

The front was still busy, as that must be where the most devout Muslims were sitting. Just as the prayers finished, the rain began. It was the fine rain that gets you wet, as Peter Kay would say. Luckily, it didn’t stay like that for too long, and was warm enough to dry us off quite quickly.

We started by looking at the bazaar area. Stalls were selling Asian gifts, like traditional clothing, extravagant perfume bottles, and children’s lucky bags called Bismillah Bag. We were unaware that Bismillah meant ‘in the name of God’ in Arabic, and couldn’t help but think of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Not big on music

To be honest, the whole day had a lack of music that was the main thing I disliked about it. It felt rather soulless. The people were making up for it, of course, in very jovial spirits. Everywhere you looked, people were hugging their friends and family. Being so fond of music, however, it seemed rather strange not to have any. I can’t find any information to say that music is not allowed, and in fact the contrary. However, we even felt a bit uncomfortable singing along to ourselves, as we so often do, such was the noticeable lack of music.

This was also true of the funfair, which we visited after looking at the food stalls. That seemed even more weird. The food stalls were rammed straight away, despite being so early in the day. You can’t blame these people, however, after having fasted for the past month! Another noticeable thing was the abundance of huge boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which were everywhere. The funfair only charged £1 per ride, which was great value. Early on, however, the rides were swamped with people.

Time to have fun

We walked around, looking at the rather naff little amusements, before finally deciding to queue for the Twister, one of Amy’s favourites. We probably only had to wait for around ten minutes, and it was great fun. After our ride, a guy beckoned us over for a chat on Islamic TV. We just chatted about why we were there, and wished the viewers Eid Mubarak (happy festival) at the end.

We also tried the Roller Ghoster, which was probably the naffest ghost train we have ever been on. The guy running it was getting mega stressed. He was having to get people on and off the ride, physically stop the ride vehicles crashing into each other, and taking people’s money. At least it was only a pound each!

The children were creating chaos

We enjoyed watching some of the other activities, such as the football challenge. Here, you get a prize depending on how many balls you kick through holes. Most were little kids who couldn’t even kick the ball off the ground. The inflatable slide was even funnier to watch. The guy in charge here was powerless to stop the hordes of tiny kids sneaking past him and back up the slide for another go whilst he was trying to organise the chaos.

The huge prayer area looked strange being so empty now. People were starting the huge task of removing all of the tarpaulin. There were lots of activities going on around the park. However, we struggled to find any apart from the bazaar, fun fair, and inflatables area, though they hadn’t even inflated them yet. Eventually, we found a white tent with a tiny A4 sign that said ‘Animal Man’. It was so hard to spot that Amy couldn’t see it even when I pointed it out from right next to it!

Animals In Hands gave the chance to put a python round your neck

We walked into the tent and saw someone with a huge Albino Burmese Python around their neck! We had to have a go of that, and waited for a while to get the amazing chance to do so. It was so heavy that it required two handlers to hold it up as well as us. There was an Eagle Owl at the back of the tent, though we never saw it move from its perch.

Across the other side, we got the chance to feel no less than four corn snakes. The last one, the guy even put it around our necks. This one was a completely different experience to the python since these were tiny and thin in comparison. We also saw a bearded dragon. They had lots of other creatures including giant snails and tarantulas in cases behind them.

A great cultural experience

Hungry, we went back to the bazaar area to get some food. Amy had five large pieces of tandoori chicken with a portion of rice. I had got my eye on a kebab that I had seen earlier on. It was the largest one I had ever seen. The queue was huge, which seemed like a good sign. However, it was just a sign of ineptitude. There were a few guys working there, who didn’t seem to be doing much at all. The building crowd were getting rather restless with them. One guy waited so long he had to get his money back.

Overall, the Eid al-Fitr celebrations made for a great, unusual date. It isn’t at all romantic in the conventional sense, since lots of physical contact can be frowned upon. However, sharing new experiences are what brings couples closer together. You won’t forget the experience of celebrating Eid al-Fitr with the devout believers. You’ll surely come away with the belief that the world isn’t such a scary place after all.

Have you ever celebrated another religion’s festival? Christmas doesn’t count! 

A romantic walking tour of Little Venice

On a recent London trip, we decided we’d like to see more of the quintessential romantic areas of London. London Walks’ Little Venice tour fit the bill for a romantic walking tour perfectly. Little Venice is renowned as one of London’s most romantic settings. This date came the day after our camera broke, so we apologise for the photography in this post! Our guide’s name was Shaughan Seymour, and he is an actor. London Walks’ tours cost £10 each. The Little Venice tour begins at Warwick Avenue underground station. Beside it is a cabmen’s shelter, where London taxi drivers can go for a cup of tea and some lunch.

Little Venice is described as one of London’s loveliest and most romantic areas, making it perfect for a romantic walking tour. It wasn’t quite as romantic as we had hoped, though. This was because the tour focused far less on the canals than we had thought it would. Instead, we went on a tour of many extremely posh Victorian houses, with white stucco. Shaughan delighted in telling us who lived, or had lived, in them. It really is a who’s who of famous people, from Noel Gallagher and David Gilmour, to Joan Collins and Michael Flatley. Flatley is apparently rather obsessed with himself, having pictures of himself and his initials everywhere.

The canals are extremely romantic

We soon passed over a bridge where we got our first glimpses of the beautifully picturesque canal. It was timed well, as a barge passed underneath us as we looked through the railings. More celebrity houses came at every turn. Shaughan even treated us to some vintage karaoke outside Bill Kenwright’s home. We were told how Alexander Fleming had discovered penicillin around the Paddington area where we found ourselves. A nearby housing block is named in his honour.

Our next stop was in the churchyard of St Mary on Paddington Green. The graves here are set along the edge of the walls, as it was converted into a public park. A famous Victorian actress called Sarah Siddons is buried here. This led Shaughan to treat us to a bit of Victorian karaoke, with a ditty about a milkman. We also learned the story behind the phrase ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’. Walking over another pretty bridge, we finally arrived in Little Venice itself. The area’s name started as an in-joke, and was deployed by property companies to make the area more desirable to live in. It has indeed worked. The only real similarity with Venice is the canals. It is where the Regent’s Canal meets the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal.

The owners really make an effort with their boats

Along the canal itself, the walk was far more romantic than it was previously, and we were shown yet more celebrity houses. There was even a boat that was visited by Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. Richard Branson’s famous houseboat, where he lived as he started his business career, is normally docked here. It is a very expensive place to run one apparently. Many of the moored boats that we passed are very attractive, many with potted plants or pieces of astroturf to give a more rural atmosphere to it.

Shaughan pointed out the ramps that appeared every now and then, which were used by horses to get out if they fell in the canal. Horses were widely used in Victorian times. We were also told the meaning of the phrase ‘legging it’. It comes from when canal boat owners would have to push their way through tunnels with their legs if their horse couldn’t get through.

As we went under one bridge, a barge was passing under it too. A guy was sitting on the roof and nearly had his head chopped off as he hadn’t realised how low the bridge was. We passed a pub that is always host to a celebrity or two according to Shaughan, who often sounded like a gossip columnist. Moving away from the canals, a pretty little mews street was on our left. A mews is a set of former stables, which look rather atmospheric nowadays. He pointed out a hole in the ground that was used for storing coal.

£5,000 for a pineapple?

Another interesting thing that Shaughan pointed out was what the acorn looking things that are a common feature on gates, walls and general architecture are. Apparently, they are actually pineapples. Now just a humble fruit, they were once the ultimate display of wealth, such was their rarity. People often rented one just for a couple of days to show off. A sign of hospitality, as well as to show off, since a pineapple cost the equivalent of £5,000 in today’s money. He also pointed out a passion flower. They are so named due to symbolism related to the last days and crucifixion of Jesus.

We ended up at the Prince Alfred pub, with its compartmentalised rooms, and the building, now the Colonnade Hotel, where Alan Turing, who broke the Enigma code, was born. The tour ended here, rather abruptly we felt. It was slightly shorter than one and a half hours, as opposed to the promised two hours. However, it was a very informative tour, and London Walks are a very well respected company. They offer hundreds of different tours around London. What we would say, however, is that if you would like to do a romantic walking tour of London, try a self-guided tour of the canals. They really are beautiful! Seeing celebrity houses is nice and all, but for romance we’d recommend the canals.

Where would you recommend for a romantic walking tour? Have you ever been to Little Venice? 

City of London Christian Heritage Tour

When you think of Christian sites, you will probably think of Bethlehem, Jerusalem or the Vatican City. However, who knew that London has so much religious significance of its own? For this secret date, we went in search of the Christian sites and people associated with England’s capital city who had a huge impact on the development of Christianity. We did this through a guided tour with Ben Virgo, of the Christian Heritage London organisation.

The Christian Heritage Centre London is based at St Botolph-without-Aldersgate Church, and it is there that our tour began. In fact, we were convinced that we had missed the start of our tour after getting hopelessly lost due to some roadworks. Ben’s son Gil joined us to take photos and video, since it was such a lovely day. We didn’t have great luck with our own photographs today however, since within minutes of the start of the tour, our brand new Lumix TZ90 camera broke! An error came on saying ‘system error (zoom)’ and the camera would no longer work. Argh! It meant that we had to take photos for the rest of the day on Amy’s old phone camera. This image of the entire group is thanks to Gil, who kindly sent his shots to us after the tour.

The tour showed some amazing buildings, but was more about the people

Our tour wasn’t necessarily about the buildings, as amazing as they were. It was more about the people who were associated with those buildings, who made a huge impact on Christianity over the years. Nethertheless, the church of St. Botolph-without-Aldersgate is still very impressive indeed with an extremely valuable painted window the highlight. The organisation has an exhibition there too. Ben kindly gave us a free guidebook about it, since we didn’t have much time to see it today. In fact, what time we did have was taken up by our dysfunctional camera. We were also given a book about the 500th anniversary of the reformation, which is this year.

Outside the church is Postman’s Park. We recognised it straight away from a scene in the movie Closer, which we watched last year. The main attraction of course is the tiles on the wall that make up the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice. Each of them is dedicated to a person who has given their lives to save others. It started with Alice Ayres, who saved some children from a burning house. I’m sure it was Alice who gave the character in Closer her new name.

St Paul’s Cathedral is an iconic site

Our first stop on our tour around the City of London was the ruins of Christ Church Greyfriars, on Newgate Street. A religious site since the 1200’s, it was badly damaged by the Blitz. Nowadays its ruins are a picturesque public garden. We began to see a theme of the tour being to celebrate those people who had devoted their lives to help the poorest in our society, as Jesus did. Of course, St Paul’s Cathedral is perhaps the most iconic religious site in London. One notable event at the Cathedral was the trial of early Bible translator John Wycliffe. He was tried for heresy and his books burned.

In the churchyard, we saw a bronze statue of John Wesley, the co-founder of Methodism. Wesley was a short man, who spent two years preaching unsuccessfully in America. This was a result of preaching the law, rather than the spirit. His experience on Aldersgate Street (where our walk began) in 1738, where he claimed his heart strangely warmed, changed that forever. Around the corner is the site of St Paul’s Cross. Nowadays, we have a 20th century doric column topped by a golden statue of St Paul. However, the previous medieval cross was the site used for huge announcements, and most importantly the English Reformation. It was destroyed by Puritans in the English Civil War. Copies of William Tyndale’s New Testament were burned by the cross in the 16th century.

Did you know there was a Queen Philippa?

Our next stop was St Mary Le Bow Church on Cheapside. Ben pointed out the incongruous nature of having a street called Cheapside within the ultra-rich City of London. Considered second in importance only to St Paul’s Cathedral in the area, it was damaged during the Great Fire of London, and rebuilt by Wren. A Queen once fell from the balcony here whilst watching a jousting tournament. From here, we headed down some narrow, Venetian-style streets. We ended up at the Parish Church of St. Stephen Walbrook, another Wren church. Unfortunately the church was locked up so we couldn’t see much inside, though it was inside this church that the Samaritans charity began.

A highlight was the Parish Church of St Mary Woolnoth, since Ben had the keys enabling us to go inside. The main story that Ben told us was that of John Newton. Newton was a much-despised slave trader, who was left on an island and treated as a slave himself. After being rescued, he had a spiritual awakening, returning to England where he eventually became the rector in this very church. He met here with William Wilberforce to campaign for the abolition of slavery, and also wrote hymns including Amazing Grace. We were allowed a good amount of time to look around the church. It is very much so intact apart from missing its balcony.

Is the Queen going to make an appearance?

As we walked further across the City of London, Ben pointed out the site of Bedlam asylum, where John Newton’s niece was kept. We were stopped from crossing a road by the police, who were escorting some VIP’s. We wondered who it might be – Royals or politicians were the obvious candidates. However, it turned out to be a cavalcade of soldiers, probably on their way to the Trooping of the Colour. We then stopped at the Guildhall, which also has links to the Reformation as the site where many people, including a Queen, were tried for treason. Underneath the Guildhall is a Roman Ampitheatre, which is well worth visiting.

Another of the oldest parts of London’s history is the City Wall, which also goes back to Roman times. Whilst here, we were treated to a fantastic flypast by iconic RAF planes and the Red Arrows, for the Trooping of the Colour. We were in a fantastic position to watch it. They flew right above us, with some great reflections in the tall glass buildings around us. Our next stop was the Museum of London. Outside the Museum is something that we barely noticed on our last visit here. It is a large and striking plaque which contained the words of John Wesley, which relate to his conversion very close to this site.

Martyrs are remembered with plaques

The walk continued along the Barbican’s aptly named John Wesley Highwalk, to the ancient church of St Bartholomew-the-Great, founded originally as an Augustinian Priory. It is adjoined to the nearby hospital, and has been used in many great films. Continuing through some very historic, serene areas of London that you would never even know existed, we came to a plaque on the wall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital. It marks the spot where three men were burned at the stake for their religious beliefs in the 1500’s. One of them, John Rogers, was denied a meeting with his wife before his death, as they claimed that priests shouldn’t be married.

Another young woman, Anne Askew, was burned at the stake, after being tortured on a rack, for her Protestant beliefs. Unrelated to the tour, we also passed an area of the hospital that has become a strange shrine of sorts to Sherlock Holmes. This came after the character in the BBC drama Sherlock leaped to his apparent death here. Our next stop was the rather rudely named Cock Lane, a street with history dating back to medieval times. A small golden child statue on the wall signifies where the Great Fire of London reached. On Cock Lane, John Bunyan, who wrote the Pilgrim’s Progress, died, and he is buried nearby.

Elizabeth Fry was a model of selflessness

The final stop on our tour was the Old Bailey. Here, Elizabeth Fry, the ‘angel of prisons’, visited regularly, despite being urged not to. Her compassion for the prisoners, and tireless campaigning, resulted in them being given better conditions to live in. Fry was on the old £5 notes. Ben also pointed out the statue of justice on the roof of the Old Bailey. He believes it fitting that the only sculpture higher in the London skyline is the cross on the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a fascinating tour which taught us much about some extraordinary figures in church history that all did amazing acts of selflessness on these very streets we walked upon today.

The tours of the City of London come very highly recommended, at just £10 per person, for around three hours of expert guidance. Although a Christian heritage tour, people of all faiths and none would find the tours fascinating and inspiring. London has a strong connection with Christianity. Learning about the figures that shaped worship in the country is essential if you want to truly understand the city, and many of its traditions. Bear in mind, this tour was just of the small City of London area. You can find many other Christian sites across the city. They include numerous other Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey, important sites in the foundation of Methodism and Anglicanism, and the oldest complete copy of the New Testament in existence, at the British Library.

Did you know how closely London was entwined with Christianity? Are there any other important sites that we have missed off? 

Many thanks to Gil Virgo, for the kind use of his photograph as the featured image in this post. 

The cheesiest date idea ever?

This secret date involved having a cheese party! You could do this date in many different ways. Maybe you could have a themed cheese party involving dressing up as a block of cheese. Perhaps you could play cheese themed games and watch movies with a cheese theme in them. Another option is to invite some friends over to try a selection of different cheeses and wines. We decided to have a private cheese party, where we would try different types of cheeses with various accompaniments. These were things like jams and chutney, crackers and toasted baguette slices. We also decided to watch a TV show and a short on cheese, play a board game that was cheese themed and finish off with a cheese themed movie.

Of course, we needed lots of cheese, so headed off to Sainsbury’s for supplies. We headed over to the cheese counter, and after quite some deliberation, picked out five types of cheese for us to try. Our aim was to pick five different types – blue, mild, semifirm, superaged, and pungent, though we couldn’t find any pungent. Therefore, we bought a dessert cheese instead. We also bought some camembert, a packet of crackers, a couple of small baguettes, some grapes, salami slices, cheesecake and a pack of honey-roasted nuts. We then nipped over to Argos, to buy the board game Mouse Trap.

Presentation is key at a cheese party

When we got home we prepared for the cheese party straight away. We found a red and white check tablecloth to put on the table. We still like to make an effort in presentation even though it is just the two of us. The cheeses were put on to one large plate, and labelled with their names, with a separate knife for each one. Everything else had its own serving bowl or plate.

We had baked camembert as a starter. It was the first time Amy has tried to make it. We’ve had it in restaurants, and Amy’s mum has made it a few times. However, Amy was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to make. We shared one portion, dipping in slices of baguette and adding cranberry sauce. Delicious! We had two bottles of Rekorderlig Cider that we already had stored in the fridge. Cider is a common substitute for wine as a cheese pairing. After our starter, we watched a short film called ‘Cheese’. It is about a woman sent to buy cheese for a party, despite knowing nothing about cheese. She then ends up in a bit of a stand-off with the cheese shop owner, and ends up walking out with a ridiculously expensive amount of cheese.

Find out what to pair your cheeses with in advance

We then began the main part of our date, the cheese tastings. We found what accompaniments should go with each cheese online in advance, and had a few pairings for us to try. Firstly, we tried our blue cheese, which was Dolcelatte. We had this with a cracker and honey. The cheese was extremely soft, which meant that we could spread it across the cracker. It was also far, far sweeter than we expected it to be. We were very impressed indeed. Dolcelatte is a blue-veined Italian soft cheese, which is made in a similar way to Gorgonzola. In fact, it was made for the British market as a better smelling and less strong tasting version.

Next up, we had a mild cheese called Chevre Blanc. This is goat’s cheese. We had it on its own with a cracker. Again, it was pretty nice. The third one we tried was a semifirm cheese called Welsh Slate Cavern Aged Cheddar. This cheddar cheese is kept underground in a Welsh slate cavern for a number of months to give it a unique taste. We had it with a slice of baguette and some chutney. Our initial thought was that it was extremely hot, but it was probably the chutney. We went for a super-aged cheese next, which has been left for even longer. This was called Cru Reserve Gruyere, and had been aged for fourteen months. It is a hard yellow Swiss cheese that broke into pieces easily. We ate it on a cracker with some grapes.

Cheese, cheesy music, and TV shows about cheese!

Our final cheese was the dessert cheese, White Stilton and Apricot. This one was very tasty too, with a crumbly and creamy texture. Whilst we ate the cheeses, we listened to cheesy music, such as Agadoo and Cotton Eye Joe. After we had tried each cheese once, we watched a documentary called ‘Modern Marvels: Cheese’. This American TV show focused on the history of cheese production, and featured many cheese experts and cheese makers. The end of the programme focused on frankly vile looking American processed cheeses. While we watched this, we continued with the cheese tasting.

We ate each cheese a second time. For some of them, we even tried different combinations. We tried the Welsh Slate Cavern Aged Cheddar with a cracker and grapes, and the Cru Reserve Gruyere with a cracker and salami. Our next activity was to play the childhood board game Mouse Trap, which Amy had as a kid. It took ages to set up the board. There are loads of traps and things, and the rules were a bit hard to follow at the beginning. We ended up playing it on the floor as the board was so big! We started the game by both standing on one of the traps that had a sweeping motion. Whoever got swept the furthest went first!

Mouse Hunt is a great cheese party game

The aim of the game is to go around the board gaining two slices of cheese at a time by landing on mouse traps. Then, you set off one of the three mouse traps by putting a metal ball into the toilet at the top of the board and flushing it. If the trap you are on goes off, you lose one of your slices of cheese. You win the game when you got eight slices of cheese, which was enough to make a whole wheel of cheese. The first was quite a lengthy game, since we were trying to work out the rules as we went along. Our second game was far faster now we knew the rules. We won one game each, calling it a draw.

The next part of our cheese party was to watch a cheese themed movie. This was Mouse Hunt, which Amy had really fancied watching. While we watched it, we ate our dessert of cheesecake! It was topped with mandarin slices. Mouse Hunt is a pretty good movie, about a pair of very different brothers (one of whom is played by Lee Evans) who are left a string factory and an old house by their father. The house is controlled by a small mouse, who causes all sorts of havoc for them, which is hilarious. In the end, the mouse gives them a great new business idea for strings of cheese, wrapped in balls like string. The last thing we did was an online cheese quiz, and did surprisingly well. It had been a very long evening however we had a very enjoyable cheese party date.

Are you a fan of cheese? Does this date idea sound like your idea of fun?

A poetry reading at the festival inside a factory

We enjoyed a recent secret date attending a fantastic poetry reading, at the Emma Bridgewater Factory, in Stoke-on-Trent. The event was part of the Stoke-on-Trent Literary Festival, which is a terrific three day annual event. Our hour long entertainment was in the form of a poetry reading and discussion with two renowned poets, Liz Berry and Mark Huband. The events all take place in rooms around the factory. Last time we came, on its first ever day I think, they had a gazebo which collapsed during David Starkey’s talk.

There was a small gazebo where tickets were on sale, and information could be got about the festival’s events. We picked up a programme and some flyers, and they offered us a tea or coffee. Our cups of tea were given to us in Emma Bridgewater mugs, which is pretty cool. It wasn’t long before we headed inside, up an exterior staircase to the Eastwood Room, where our event was taking place. We were one of the very first in, so were told to take our pick of seats. The room was very well stylised for the event. It had Emma Bridgewater wallpaper on the wall behind the stage, and a gorgeous flower display on the front of the stage, picked from their own garden. Not good for the hay fever, mind!

Liz Berry is a Black Country poet

There were three chairs set up on the stage, for the poets and the host. We decided to sit on the front row so we had a better view. Emma Bridgewater herself came on stage to introduce the event, and the poets. John Prebble, from the Poetry Exchange, was the chair of the event. He first introduced Dudley-born poet Liz Berry, who read from her award-winning collection called Black Country. The poems from the book are a tribute to the area that Liz was brought up in, the people that she knew, and their unique voices that she felt could be lost without giving them this outlet.

Liz is a very engaging reader, because of her very personable manner. She was previously a primary school teacher, and this perhaps shows in her mannerisms. Her poems evoke a tenderness of such quality that it is easy to relate to the characters, despite not understanding some of the local dialect. She was even visibly moved herself upon reading some of her poems. Her poems had topics that varied widely, from morphing into a bird, her love of the local dialect, and an ode to an ordinary local bird who performed an extraordinary trick called the Birmingham Roller. After her engaging reading, she was quizzed on her poetry style by the chair.

Mark Huband related terrifying experiences through his poetry

Next, we had a reading from Mark Huband. Mark had stood for election the previous night as the Labour Party representative in his area, but wasn’t successful. He is a former journalist who has spent a lot of time in wartorn countries. He began with some readings from an older book called American Road, before finishing with a world premiere reading from his latest book. The poem that he read was a very emotionally-charged account of witnessing a man dragged away from his family during a war in Liberia.

The styles of the two poets were very different. Liz provided a warmer account of life, whilst Mark’s poetry was much grittier. Out of the two, Liz was certainly more enjoyable to listen to. However, Mark’s work was of the kind which has a great impact all of its own. Amy particularly related to a poem that Mark read which told how he missed an old friend that had died. John then discussed Mark’s work with him, before opening up the room to questions. Some of the questions related to Liz’s use of slang, and how the poets used punctuation in their work.

After the reading, we had a walk around the Emma Bridgewater shop, and for the first time, their factory garden. The garden really is a haven within the city centre, because many varieties of plants and flowers are all wonderfully presented. We also saw some baby chicks and a massive cockerel, who was wandering freely. Inside the factory shop, we saw the poets themselves and went over to have a chat with Liz Berry and John Prebble. They were both extremely friendly. It was a very enjoyable afternoon indeed.

Have you ever been to a poetry reading? We think they make an amazing date idea, do you agree?