Valentine’s Day Revolution

So it’s Valentine’s Day.

Large bunch of roses. Yawn.

Tacky card with slightly sick-making message. Yuk.

Dinner a deux. Zzzzz.

It's not that we hate the big red day, but, to be honest, we’re just a little bit fatigued by all that stuff  that has been festooning the shops since before Santa could make his way back up the chimney. 

There are so many fluffy bears, yucky cards and horrible ‘Valentine's offers’ around that it may make you feel more aligned with Al Capone’s version of Valentine's Day than the Romancing Chancers who once had ownership of 14^th Feb.

Valentine’s Day should be a great excuse for all you fabulous people to take a risk and go on a date (as if you need a reason), but you don’t need to show your interest by splashing the cash in Clintons or on Interflora.  Yes, singles can lead the revolution for being altogether less predicable and trust me, there’s nothing more appealing in a person than confidence and creativity.  

We all know a date is about who you are with not what you are doing but it's easy to be‘predictably dull’ and we know you're better than that! Why not prove this by trying something altogether a bit loopy/worthy/weird/potty!

So instead, why not go with something surprising and, as we’re living in lean times, frugal to mark the occasion?  Read on for some inspiration for wooing your Valentine for free (or for just a few pounds), whether you’re planning a first meet or are onto date four and want to turn things up a notch...
 

	Discover your Twilight side by donating blood together before chatting over the proffered (wait for it…FREE) tea and biscuits.  Seriously though, most of us will know somebody who has needed blood – you are saving lives and that’s a big thing to achieve on a date!
	Leave your date to chance.  Start at your date’s house, flip a coin – if it’s heads go right, tails left. Keep going till the first restaurant.  Let’s just hope luck’s your way and you don’t end up at McD’s or, possibly worse still, a £300 a head Michelin starred number!
	Forget the future - do your genealogy together.  You can find out loads about each other without it being like an episode of Mastermind and you never know, you might find that you’re on a date with someone descended from Mozart or Robin Hood (though hopefully not the Sheriff of Nottingham!).  You never know what shenanigans your ancestors got up to and if things progress to a family viewing you’ll at least have plenty to talk to their distant relatives about!
	Why not start the date earlier? Meet at your local farmers’ market and choose and buy food together, then go home and cook it and eat it together – if it’s rotten you can share the blame and if it's delicious you can claim all the glory!
	‘Come Date With Me’. Set up your own party at home for a group of single friends. Get everyone to critique the food, rate the conversation and score (on) the evening.
	Volunteer for something together. Help out at a soup kitchen, take a granny shopping; you never know you might even get a bit of handy advice from them!
	Get dirty (and a bit creative) by throwing a pottery masterpiece, after all it worked for Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. London peeps can try the Wheel House Pottery in Merton Abbey Mills or check local listings for a pottery project.  At least you’ll have a sugar bowl to give you mum for her birthday if the date doesn’t go according to plan!
	Worried you might seem a bit dull?!  Sit in at the House of Commons – there are professionals dullards in there and you’ll seem scintillating after that! At the very least, it should give you plenty to talk about over dinner afterwards.

Think you can do better? Email us with your top tips and we’ll tweet the best....

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