Looking for love | Date walkers looking for romance |
Comedian
Shappi Khorsandi goes looking for love on the Isle of Wight, a place she had not
visited since she was on a school trip in the '70s. Ms Khorsandi joins
a quirky modern mating ritual known as speed dating. Straight off the ferry
Shappi heads for the nearest supermarket worried that her flip flops wouldn't
cope with the serious mileage a speed date walk required. This lot looked
like serious walkers. The pub was swamped with people wearing badges with
a number on and excited nervous chatter. Everyone keen to get walking talking
and sussing out if their partner for life would be standing there before them
come the next blow of the whistle. A conga like trail of pairs left the
pub with Shappi joining in or match making depending on what was required.
"Every time the whistle blows people swap pausing first to tick or cross
the person they've just met." At the end of the date
matches means swapping phone numbers and that could mean a date. Organisers
made the point at the start that: "It is recommended
that walkers are on their best behaviour and do not use foul or sexually suggestive
language." Heeding this advice Shappi is instantly drawn
to islander Graham, who repeatedly states: "I'm not in
the least bit interested in pairing with anyone. I will be single for the rest
of my life." "I think he's playing hard to get", says Shappi. The
organisers were the same team behind the Isle of Wight walking festival.
They now admit that "six days prior to the event we only had two men signed
up, and as most of the ladies came from the mainland, it did seem a little unfair
bringing them over to the Island for nothing." However
they needn't have worried as on the day walkers came from all over and eight ladies
had to be turned away! Walkers came from Berkshire, Salisbury, London,
Harrow, Dorset, Somerset, Reading, Kent, Birmingham, Southampton and of course
the Isle of Wight. At the end of the day there were 12 matches during the
walk - after walking four miles on a freezing cold day, everyone went home with
a rosy glow in their cheeks. Fresh air, exercise and romance - obviously
a winning combination.
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