Singles Events for Over 50s in the South West

By Mature Westcountry Singles

Singles events for over 50s in the South West run most regularly in Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Plymouth: speed dating, supper clubs and social nights. Outside the cities, people more often meet through walking and rambling groups, dance classes, U3A-style learning groups and volunteering. Organisers come and go, so search for what is on near you this month, and use a dating site to fill the gaps between events.

Is there speed dating for over 50s near me?

Usually, if you live near a city. Speed dating for older age groups tends to run in age brackets, such as 45 to 60 or 55 plus, in a function room or a quiet bar on a weekday evening. You get a few minutes with each person, tick the ones you would like to see again, and if they tick you too you are given a way to get in touch. It suits people who decide quickly in person and dislike long message threads. Events depend on numbers, and the men and women booked are not always balanced, so it is worth booking one that confirms numbers in advance.

Are singles nights and singles clubs still a thing?

They are, though they look different from the dances some of us remember. Today a singles night for the over-50s is more likely to be a supper club, a quiz, a wine tasting or a Sunday lunch for a table of strangers. Social clubs for single people also run monthly programmes of meals, theatre trips and days out. The advantage is that nobody is on a date, so the pressure is low. The drawback is that you may go several times before you meet someone you would like to see alone.

Where can over 60s make friends and meet new people?

Plenty of couples over 60 did not meet at anything labelled as a singles event. They met because they both turned up every week to the same thing. These are the groups that tend to work well:

• Walking and rambling groups, which suit the South West perfectly, from coast path sections to moorland circuits.
• U3A-style learning groups, where retired and semi-retired people share a subject, from local history to languages.
• Dance classes, ballroom, Latin, jive or folk, where partners rotate and nobody needs to bring one.
• Volunteering, at a heritage railway, a garden, a lifeboat station shop or a community café.
• Choirs, book groups and art classes, which give you a reason to talk every week.

Friendship groups for over-60s and over-70s are well worth joining for their own sake. Many people find that a fuller social life makes dating feel less like a test and more like one more thing to enjoy.

What about singles holidays for over 60s?

Singles holidays put a group of solo travellers together, often with a host, so you have company at dinner and on excursions without paying a single supplement. Many are walking, cultural or coach tours. They are less about romance than company, but friendships formed over a week away are some of the strongest. If you are considering one, check the typical age of the group, which varies a lot between trips.

How online dating fits with events

The two work best together. An event gives you a face, a voice and a feel for someone in a few minutes. A dating site gives you a far bigger choice of people of your age living near you, every evening rather than once a month, and you can read about someone before you decide to meet. Many members use the site to find people nearby, then meet for a walk or a coffee in exactly the kinds of places listed here. Our page on mature singles near me explains how to set your search to your own area, and the first date ideas guide suggests where to go once you have.

Whichever way you meet, the same common sense applies: a public place, daylight for the first meeting and a friend who knows where you are. The safety page has the rest, and more guides are on the articles page.