Dating Over 70: Good Company Is Closer Than You Think

Dating for the over 70s is more common than most people imagine, and on Mature Westcountry Singles you will not be the oldest person in the room. Members aged 65 and over are the second largest group on the site, and in Dorset and around Torbay they are the largest. Nearly everyone lives in the South West, so a coffee together is a short drive, not an expedition.

Friendship first, and see where it leads

Many people in their seventies are not looking to remarry or move in with anyone. What they miss is simpler: someone to share a pot of tea and the newspaper with, a companion for a matinee, a hand to hold on the walk along the front. Others would be delighted to fall in love again. Both are perfectly good reasons to be here, and you can say which you are hoping for on your profile so nobody is left guessing.

If what you really want is a wider circle, an over 70s friendship group of your own, that counts too. Plenty of good relationships at this age begin as a friendship and stay that way, and some quietly become more. There is no need to decide on day one.

When the family has opinions

Grown-up children and grandchildren react in all sorts of ways when a parent starts dating. Some are thrilled and offer to help with the photo. Some worry, usually about scams or about you being hurt. A few feel it as disloyal to a mother or father who has died. It helps to tell them early, explain how you are going about it safely, and let them meet someone only when you are ready. Your happiness is not theirs to approve, but their worry usually comes from love, and a calm conversation settles most of it.

Your pace, your health, your rules

At seventy and beyond, people often have hospital appointments, a dodgy knee or a husband or wife's illness not far behind them. None of that is a reason to stay home, and none of it needs to be on your profile. When it does come up, honesty early on is kinder than surprises later. Arrange first meetings around the times you feel at your best, which for many people is late morning, and pick somewhere with a comfortable chair and easy parking. If you no longer drive, say so: plenty of people will happily meet halfway on a bus route.

Simple tips for getting started online

• The site works in the ordinary web browser on your computer, tablet or phone. There is nothing to install.
• If the writing looks small, hold down the Ctrl key and press the plus key (on a Mac, Command and plus) to make everything bigger. On a tablet, spread two fingers on the screen.
• A son, daughter or friend can sit with you while you set up your profile and take a good photo. That is perfectly fine, but the account is yours: choose your own password, keep it to yourself, and write the words about you in your own voice.
• Each day the site suggests matches based on the age range, distance and kind of relationship you choose, so you do not have to search through everyone.
• Take your time replying. Nobody worth meeting minds waiting until after lunch.

Stay safe and enjoy it

Sadly, scammers do target older people online, so a few firm habits are worth keeping. Never send money, gift cards or bank details to someone you have not met, however warm their messages. Be wary of anyone who cannot meet because they are working overseas, or who wants to move to WhatsApp straight away; the site warns you when someone tries to take the chat elsewhere. Look for the ID verification badge, and use the block and report buttons without a second thought. Our safety page has the full list of warning signs.

For the first meeting, choose a busy café or a hotel lounge in daylight, tell someone where you are going, and make your own way there. Our first date ideas include plenty of gentle options, from a seafront bench to a garden tearoom.

Where members over 70 live

Devon has the most older members, especially around Exeter, Torquay, Paignton and Barnstaple. Dorset is the one county where those over 65 are the biggest group of all, with Weymouth particularly strong and more women than men there. In Cornwall, most of Truro's members are 55 and over too. Our Torbay and Dorset pages cover two of the most popular areas, and mature singles near you explains how to set your search to the distance you are happy to travel.

If you are in your sixties, or would welcome someone a little younger, our page on dating over 60 is a good next read.