Blind date: I was sweating quite a lot for the first five minutes'

"What were you hoping for? A new experience, and the chance to meet someone the Guardian thinks I'd get along with. First impressions? She was very smiley and chatty! What did you talk about? Our jobs, what brought us to London, the differences between British and Australian humour (Isla is Australian), and our shared love of tiramisu. Most awkward moment? I was sweating quite a lot for the first five minutes."

"Good table manners? Table manners went out the window when we started cooking our own hotpot. Best thing about Isla? She was very easy to get along with. Q&AShow Blind date is Saturday's dating column: every week, two strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday."

One dater wanted a new experience and hoped to meet someone they would get along with. First impressions were that Isla was very smiley and chatty. Conversation covered jobs, reasons for moving to London, differences between British and Australian humour, and a shared love of tiramisu. The most awkward moment involved sweating for the first five minutes. Table manners lapsed while cooking their own hotpot. The best quality noted was that Isla was easy to get along with. Blind Date pairs two strangers weekly for dinner and drinks, includes photographs and edited answers, and appears in the Saturday magazine (UK) and online.

Read at www.theguardian.com