When you get past the first hurdle of meeting someone there is great fun to be had with another vintage soul. You can go for a vintage bike ride through a country park, cook a rationed three-course meal together or take a trip to the seaside on the train. Not to mention attend the many weekend events around the country including airshows, vintage fairs and retro festivals. We have the opportunity to get away from all the commercialisation that has seeped into Britain since the Second World War. Instead of putting on grey jogging bottoms and watching reality television, we can play boardgames over a cup of cocoa and instead of shopping in Sainsbury’s on a Saturday, we can work on our Dig for Victory garden together. And here is a point I feel is crucial to vintage dating in a modern world, although it may be for different reasons – both men and women in my experience, feel under pressure to ‘enjoy the single life’. It can be seen as desperate, unattractive and weird to say you want to be in a relationship. However I don’t feel there’s any shame in saying that you would like to be with someone, settle down and dare I say it – get married. If you’re young, thinking along those lines is a bit infra dig in the 21st century. Although many people enjoy being single, sharing your history-based hobbies with someone else is very enjoyable too.
But perhaps I’ve skipped a beat, is it really that easy to meet someone? Events on the scene are often attended by couples, leaving you wondering if you’re the only one left! Pubbing and clubbing doesn’t generally appeal to those in the vintage community and sadly, this often seems like the only option nowadays. The best advice is to go to dance classes (Lindy Hop is very popular), join a book reading group, work on the community allotment. You might not meet someone straight away, but a lot of good relationships are formed through introduction by a friend. So make as many like-minded friends as you can! You never know, that middle-aged gardener might have a single son or daughter. Or the vintage couple you see at re-enactment events are pretty likely to have a single companion (who probably didn’t want to come along on his or her own). Back in the good old days a new couple would frequently both bring along a friend, so take advantage and ask your vintage connections to set you up!
As much as I hate to say it, one of the very best ways of meeting someone in the modern world is through internet dating. But be warned, if you do dip into the oftentimes seedy world of online dating, you will have to get past the countless messages of “Hi babe, wanna chat?” or “U sEm lIk fun, iz history aL you’re intRStd in?” So ignore any ‘winks’ or ‘pokes’, block any messages under 50 characters and clearly state your interests. You’re much more likely to meet someone compatible if you put yourself right out there from the start. A lot of men say that they feel under pressure to approach women and perhaps resent the fact that they are expected to ‘do the asking’, so to speak. However in my experiences (online and offline), vintage men do genuinely enjoy asking a woman they admire on a date and in return, vintage women appreciate the gentlemanly approach. If you’re more of a forward thinking vintage enthusiast, you might disagree with this kind of gendered attitude (and I don’t expect every person who reads this to agree).
