Writing A Good Over 80 Dating Profile

Do you remember the lonely hearts column, where you paid by the word and squeezed a lifetime into a few lines? Or being introduced at a church social with half the parish watching? Thankfully, an online profile is far easier. You can write as much or as little as you like, in your own time, and change it whenever you wish.

Most of us freeze when asked to write about ourselves. The trick is to imagine you are chatting to a new neighbour over the garden fence, and simply tell a few stories.

Where did you grow up, and where has life taken you? What did you do for a living, and what keeps you busy now? Do you love a game of bridge, the cricket on the radio, a good crossword or a trip to the seaside? Children, grandchildren, perhaps even great grandchildren? A cat that runs the household? Little details like these give people something to write back about.

A couple of subjects are best kept for later. Long stories about a past marriage can make a reader wonder whether you are ready for a new friendship, so a line or two is plenty. Politics is another one, as a dating profile is no place to relive the last general election.

Stuck for words? Write about the things you would love to share with someone. A Sunday drive to the coast, a matinee at the theatre, a pub lunch by the fire or simply someone to share the evening news with. Using "we" and "us" now and then helps a reader picture themselves alongside you.

Above all, be honest, be cheerful and be yourself. The right person will like you just the way you are.