C is for...circus tricks

I'm not a huge lover of surprises (is that one of the first signs of old age??) so I must admit that for this date, I did a bit of snooping ahead of time. As I was listing the potential options, I crossed off anything that David had hinted at, knowing him to be king of the red herrings. I soon found that my list now consisted of just two options – climbing or circus.

Putting on a brave face...

Chatting to the girls from work, I highlight my slight distress that both options could well include being at considerable height.

"He wouldn't do that to you." They keep trying reassure me, "He knows what you're like." Instead of the usual counting down the minutes on a Friday afternoon, when 5.30pm arrives, I gingerly say my goodbyes and make my way to the glamorous destination of Battersea Park train station.

The ominous looking black envelope is handed to me and when I open up the paper inside to reveal that indeed, 'C is for circus tricks', my heart drops.

Trying (badly) to conceal disdain

The walk to the park itself is made in a steely silence whilst I send a message to the 'Work girls' group on my phone to say "I was right! It’s f***ing circus skills!". They seem more concerned that David might get a low score for the date rather than my welfare…

Gorilla Circus run both four-week courses and drop in sessions at Regents Park and Battersea Park over the summer. The Battersea site had only been set up a couple of days prior – a fact that I was glad not to have known when I first scaled the ladder.

The group is ten-strong and I'm comforted by the fact that another girl, Kerry, seems equally petrified, despite having surprised her friend Andy with the same class. The four of us huddle together away from the more gung ho members of the group. 

Impractical trapeze footwear

First up is a go on the practise bar. Even this looks to me - at 5ft nothing - to be pretty daunting. I had stopped smiling from the moment I had opened the envelope but even I couldn’t help but smirk as David swung from the practise bar and shows off his embarrassing butterfly tattoo that he usually tries to hide. Serves him right…

Having all had a go at practicing on the practise bar (with assistance from one of the other members of staff, Hermione), I am surprised to find that we are then going straight onto 'The Beast'.

Very graceful. For a man.

David is first up and I can feel my stomach lurch as I contemplate the climb up what the ladder. Jumping off of that thing is a whole other thing that I daren't even think about. David's first go is impressive and I am cursing him by the time I start up the ladder, muttering how annoyed I am that he has done this to me. 

Our instructor Paul, keeps telling me to smile and I am reminded that David has gone to a lot of effort to arrange this. Nevertheless, it was almost impossible for me to smile as I get to the top of the ladder and cling on like a child holding on to her mum's leg.

I take that back.

Ezra, one of the founders of Gorilla Circus, meets me at the top. "Are you the one doing Alphabet Dating?" he asks. "Your boyfriend was just saying that he wasn't sure if you were scared of heights." Well it's too late to wonder about that now! Here I am!

It's leaning off the platform that scares me the most, with Ezra holding my harness until I can grab the bar. My legs are shoulder width apart and the right one won't seem to stop shaking. It's a bit embarrassing really - "w*nky leg" we call it at home. Haha. I used to be fearless but I guess I've become more wary of new things and less willing to come out of my comfort zone. These dates, therefore, give David the perfect opportunity to make me do all of the things I would usually refuse. Apparently Ezra later tells David, "She is scared of heights by the way, mate". 

I'm a natural. Seriously. 

Hermione is calling the instructions - I hear her shout "Ready" and then I’m off! Watching the video back, I'm shocked that I was only up there for 15 seconds. It feels like a lifetime. Each time, I'm adamant that I'm not going again.

However after three 'gos', I am further horrified to be chosen along with one other member of the group to have a go at 'The Catch'. For those of you who have watched Sex and the City, you might recall an episode that focuses on this very move. It sees you jumping from your own trapeze and being caught – hands to hands – by someone else.

I've done the bloody catch!

After a first try, I make 'The Catch' and it is a ridiculously satisfying moment. David catched the moment on camera and I send it on to practically everyone I know, boasting of my extreme bravery and skill. 

Despite my foul mood at the start of the session, the session has been one to remember. I'm so pleased that I've stuck with it and that I've got the photographic evidence to accompany. Trapezeing may not become a regular hobby of mine but I would very much recommend it to anyone looking to do something new or exact revenge on a friend...

After the excitement of our circus tricks class, we decide to head to Clapham to find a much needed drink and end up in The Plough St John’s Hill. We have been there before and know that it's close to the station. Given that it's a 'C' date, it's only right that we tuck into a bucket of chicken wings, with champagne and a cold beer.

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we have a video for you too. Check us out!

With that, here come the scores:

Originality – 9/10  (although I had guessed, that is more of a reflection of the fact that I know David pretty well, rather than him lacking in originality)

Atmosphere – 8/10 (admittedly, I was very, very grumpy at the beginning but the rush of the actual trapezeing was unlike anything else)

Overall delivery – 7/10 (I may be picky but I did feel that David should have planned our drink stop. Just saying.)

Meaning an overall score of 24/30. David is a brave man to opt for this but fortunately, he pulled it off. 

And believe it or not, 'D' date is already very much on the radar…watch this space...

Alternative 'B' dates

By the way, other ideas for dates beginning with 'B', thanks to the girls at work, include:

• Bowling at the Biscuit Pin, Shoreditch House 
• Bellydancing, Bollywood or Ballroom 
• Brazilian cocktails at Guanabara 
• Breadmaking at Virtuous Bread 
• Best of British at the British Museum

Enjoy!
Rebecca x

B is for...brunch and Bauhaus

After almost a year’s wait, I was a little worried with what Rebecca had in mind for the letter ‘B’. Let’s not forget, I had her draw an old guy’s balls for our last date…

I admit I first heard about alphabet dating while listening to the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast. Yes, useful things can come from football. But no, sadly A is not for Aldershot, B for Barnet etc…

We were both feeling a little worse for wear on the morning of the long awaited date and woke up in a mild state of panic, scrabbling around to find something that would tell us the time. Once we’d realised we weren’t going to be too late, we calmed down. So I was lovingly presented with a little card that read “B is for…brunch and Bauhaus”.

Having worked in Clerkenwell for the last five years until recently, I always knew I’d never made the most of the area. I had my favourite spots, like Café Kick and Caravan on Exmouth Market, or the Jerusalem Tavern and The Dovetail, but after brunch at The Modern Pantry it became apparent that I’d made a few glaring omissions.

We arrived and waited patiently to be seated, only to be queue jumped by a man claiming he needed to get out of the sun. It was true, he was ginger and looked like he was burning by the second, but still. When we were eventually shown upstairs to our table, we entered a dining room of wooden floorboards painted white, grey walls and a huge gilt framed mirror. This place is pretty much our fantasy lottery home. If we win, we’ll keep the kitchen staff on.

Bloody Marys arrived swiftly, followed by a refreshing elderflower and Earl Grey iced tea for Rebecca and a black coffee for me. We were both struggling with the menu as we wanted everything. In the end, Rebecca opted for poached eggs on toast with haloumi, spinach and slow-roast vine ripened tomatoes while I decided on poached eggs with chorizo and plantain. Heaven. As was a cheeky glass of bubbly.

A short journey followed to take us to the Bauhaus exhibition at the Barbican. I’ve wanted to see this for quite a while and was impressed that Rebecca had made note. Germany in the 1920s and 30s, particularly Berlin, is in my top three time traveling destinations of choice. Happy to skip the 40s.

I love the way so much output from the Bauhaus movement resonates today, from fonts to furniture. The exhibition is a delight and much larger than we had anticipated - from the movement’s origins in Weimar, moving on to Dessau, and finally to its eventual closure in Berlin. One of my favourite objects in the entire collection of the British Museum is a little tea infuser, and it’s here on loan, alongside so many other everyday objects of beautiful simplicity. I’m also surprised to see a fun side as well, not just in the photographs of teachers and students, but also the puppets and children’s toys that were made.

  

Rebecca, as an events planner, loves the photos and invitations from the school’s infamous parties – they had thrown a elaborate themed events, including the ‘white party’, ‘metal party’ (guests entered through a long steel slide) and a ‘beard, nose and heart party’. She intends taking inspiration from the latter for an upcoming wedding…

We leave and I’m very happy with the letter B. I hadn’t really thought too much about what it was going to be and I’ve been suitably impressed. Bamboozled. I’d better get it together for C...

And the scores are in:

• Originality = 7/10 (I had said I wanted to go to the exhibition, but brunch was a lovely surprise...)
• Atmosphere = 8/10 (A very relaxing afternoon)
• Delivery = 7/10 (I liked the card reveal, plus the whole thing was a surprise)

A grand total of 22/30. I'm a point and a half down. Not that we're competitive...it's the thought that counts*.

David

* and winning

A is for...art class

"Meet me at Angel station at 6.15pm" instructed David's email. I showed the girls and there followed a flurry of excitement as we discussed what it could be. Having highlighted the fact that simply booking a restaurant beginning with the letter 'A' was not imaginative enough, I know I have put the pressure on him to surprise me.

When I get to the station, there are about 30 people waiting for friends to arrive. David spots me and presents me with a smart black envelope labeled “A is for…”. And inside the words “Art class”. How exciting (and unexpected)!!
David admits that he had had a fairly unproductive day at work, that primarily consisted of printing labels and sticking them on envelopes... I am doubtful that we'll make it to 'Z' but ever the optimist, David insists we'll stick at it.
We arrive at the Candid Gallery where we have a drink in the cute cafe. I'm already feeling a bit nervous, ridiculous as it sounds, fearing that the potential for total humiliation is high. Nevertheless we go down to the studio, where we discover a big group of both regulars and newcomers setting up their sketchbooks and taping paper to the easels. Again I'm impressed that David has done his research and knows that we can buy paper for 25 pence a sheet and charcoal at 25 pence a stick. Others around us have brought their own materials and I can feel a sense of dread in my stomach as I imagine just how awful I am going to be at this. We find a spot in the back corner.

The warm-up terrifies me - David has abandoned me for the loo, I have no idea where to start and can't bring myself to put charcoal to paper. I tentatively draw a line then immediately smudge it out. I fear that this is going to be a long night...

The model makes four or five short poses and during one of these, the tutor, recognising the look of pain on my face (and my frankly shocking first attempt), provides me and David with some advice on where to start and how to get the proportions right. Having never had a drawing class before, it's useful advice and I find the 15-minute poses easier to tackle.

At the break, our tutor tells us about an exhibition launch that's going on upstairs in the gallery space and hands us a free drinks voucher. I almost decline as I'd vowed to give up booze Monday to Friday ahead of my holiday (yes, another one of my half-arsed ideas) but reeling from my poor attempt at 'art', I'm soon downing a glass of red wine.

Two glugs in and I'm reminding David that a) I really don't like being told what to do, b) I don't like being bad at things and c) I haven't done art since I was 14, when I gave it up at the first opportunity. His response is that he knew it was a risk but thought that I'd be game to give it a go. I sometimes think he gives me a bit too much credit... However he is now looking a little forlorn so I reassure him that I'm enjoying the class and vow to myself that I will make more effort in the last section.
Back in the studio, Mike the model is in his final pose. I've forgotten all of the tips I've been given but happily get to work, thanks to that one glass of wine. The alcohol has had the opposite effect on David, who sighs and puffs loudly for the last half an hour.

I'm extremely chuffed when the tutor says "Super!" at my final attempt ("Sh*t" was word that had sprung to my mind) and although I doubt I'll be rushing back to the class, I feel a sense of satisfaction at having lasted until the end.

After two hours of concentration (and frustration), we're starving and head off to the Afghan Kitchen on Islington Green. The food was superb.


I'd been apprehensive about the class at first but already I'm enjoying dating David and learning more about him - you think you know someone and then you watch them draw a naked man...


And the scores are in:

• Originality = 8.5/10 (I didn't see that coming...)
• Atmosphere = 5/10 (frosty at first but I warmed up after a glass of wine!)
• Delivery = 7/10 (loved the black envelope - room for improvement when it comes to feeling like a proprer date)

Which means a grand total of 20.5/30 - not bad for the first date...
So the letter 'A' is complete and now the pressure is officially on!

Rebecca x



PS Here are some other letter 'A' suggestions that we've been sent

• Acrobatics at Crossfit London
• Apple martinis at the martini bar at Christopher's in Covent Garden
• African cuisine at Shaka Zulu in Camden
• All Stars Lanes - bowling in Bloomsbury or Holborn
• Afternoon tea (it's a Mad Hatters Tea Party!!) at The Sanderson

A is for anticipation...

Today was supposed to be the first of our alphabet dates - the letter 'A'.

I have pointed out to David that IKEA does not begin with 'A' and that my parents driving us there was not romantic. Although we are a chest of drawers and shoe cabinet better off, I must admit that I was expecting more from him.

Now, of course, he has even longer to plan so the expectations are a lot higher. I am preparing to be A-mazed...

Rebecca x