West is the best when it comes to looking for love, according to data compiled by romance experts eharmony.
The dating app explored Bristolians’ attitudes towards dating – including cheesy chat lines, where’s best for a first date and what adults in the hip city are looking for in terms of relationships.
It comes after 500 people, from the cider house and the Wurzels, were asked about their love lives, to provide insight into romance in the area.
Together with Dr Julia Carter of the University of West England (UWE), who commented on the report’s key findings, and eharmony relationship expert Rachael Lloyd, the online dating app hopes to make singles in Bristol a thing of the past, matching them with like-minded people.
One in 12 people would go on a first date at Bristol Zoo (Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Bristolians are still traditional when it comes to meeting new flames, as 43% most often find dates at random get-togethers in clubs, pubs or even shops.
However, dating apps and websites account for 32% of new unions in the city – while more than a quarter (27%) are started by friends and family.
The study found that one in 12 would monkey at the zoo, and one in ten would swim to the Aquarium for some romance – which is also considered the best place in Bristol to go on a first date.
A fifth of those polled admit to liking the classic Bristol greeting “Alright me luvver?”, while 14% would blush when told “gert lush”.
It emerged that one in four (24%) would be willing to travel up to 20km (12 miles) to see someone they have just started dating.
However, 5% would be happy to give someone who lives more than 50km – or 31 miles away – a chance if they felt they had had a love match.
A few months later, things are going well – but who is the first to drop those three magic words, in Bristol?
The study found that men are more likely than women to drop the ‘L’ word first (25% vs. 16%) – and those who identify as non-binary are the most likely of all (40% ).
Maybe due to lockdowns speeding up relationships, adults are tempted to say “I love you” after just a few weeks of dating.
And Bristolians are also preparing for a summer of love – as almost a third (31%) say the last time they fell in love was in the summer.
Interestingly, the love factor was evenly split across the other three seasons, each rated at 15%.
But one in ten said supporting different football teams would be a deal breaker (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Of the 69% of respondents who are currently in a relationship, only three quarters actually think their current partner is “the one”.
But just over one in 20 (six percent) admit they don’t even really believe in the concept of “the one” anyway.
Four in ten met their new partner’s parents within a few months – although a tenth met them after just a few days.
The study found that 39% get along ‘fairly well’ with in-laws and 35% say their relationship is going ‘very well’ – but 6% admit they don’t get along.
Bristolians have also come across some pretty unusual scenarios in their dating history.
A quarter have encountered an “app addict” – someone who messages on dating apps for weeks but never really moves.
Another fifth was appalled to learn he had been chatting with a dating desperado – that is, someone who looks and acts like a relationship is the be-all and end-all.
And 18% have been ghosted by a “bash and dasher” – who sleeps with them and never texts them again.
Poor hygiene was seen as the biggest dating issue, with women being much pickier in this regard than men.
Dating data was collected by the eharmony app (Image: eharmony)
More than four in ten (42%) don’t like an aggressive date or someone being rude, while 35% can’t stand bad manners.
One in four say they don’t have a ‘type’ – although 23% say their favorite person is someone who loves music.
And 16% are likely to like someone who likes the outdoors a bit, while 11% appreciate it when their stepdad is athletic.
For one in ten, however, supporting different football teams would be enough to become a deciding factor.
There can be many fears when it comes to dating – from worrying about having nothing to say on a date, to worrying about never meeting “the right one”.
When asked what their biggest dating challenges are, lack of confidence emerged as the biggest hurdle for Bristolians.
It could be from bad past relationships, or just not going out enough to gain experience and confidence.
This was closely followed by one in three who didn’t feel attractive enough – but what’s classed as ‘attractive’ these days? This is exactly why everyone has a “type”.
The thing to remember is that desirability is fluid – what you might find attractive might be the complete opposite of what someone else does, but each of us has desirable characteristics and traits.
Dating apps account for a third of unions in Bristol (Image: eharmony)
The past two years have been turbulent for everyone, not to mention Bristol singles – as three in ten believe their views on dating have changed since the pandemic began.
More than a third (37 percent) want to settle down more now than they ever have – but on the contrary, 22 percent want more freedom than before.
And six in ten say they are now simply looking for someone honest, while more than half (52%) want someone nice and 41% need good manners.
Bristolians would also prefer someone who was funny (51%) to someone who is good in bed (25%) – and just 9% would happily opt for someone who was career-minded.
And 55% of respondents agree that when it comes to dating, opposites attract.
Dr Julia Carter said: ‘Love, commitment and stability remain very important for couple relationships, as our results demonstrate.
“The pandemic has further highlighted the risks inherent in contemporary society – so it’s no surprise that in its aftermath, single people in Bristol are increasingly aware of protecting themselves against risk and adversity by seeking lasting connections with others.”
Bristolians wanting a five-day trial with eharmony can do so until Thursday 23rd June.
And for tips on finding love in Bristol, head here.
THE TOP 20 MOST IMPORTANT DATING TRAITS FOR BRISTOLIANS:
Honest
Trustworthy Kind Funny Loving Respectful Considerate Understanding Easygoing Good Manners Compassionate Attractive Responsible Similar Interests Kind Family oriented Good in bed Independent Forgiving
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-06-22 13:51:21
