Derek on Esme

Did you have any pre-date expectations? What were you hoping for?

I was hoping for it to be someone nice and funny. But I did know my date! I was expecting it to be someone I didn’t know, so because it was somebody I knew it became even more of a blind date as I wasn’t expecting it! I was so stressed out that I didn’t know them, and then I did, which was a different angle to the typical blind date.

“It became a battle of De Niro and Pacino facts!”

So you met at the Pickerel. What were the vibes like?

It was so busy in the Pickerel, so we were in the smoking area. I had jacket-related issues which meant it was soaking wet, but I’d said that was what I was going to be wearing so I tried to style it out. I took it off and then I was freezing outside! But I think I played it off…

Did the date meet your expectations?

We really got on, which was good. It was definitely different because we knew each other, but it was still good, in an unexpected way.

What was your first impression?

“Oh my God it’s Esme!” I was expecting to have to ask “are you my date,” but instead it was like “NO WAY”. So definitely my first impression was shocked!

What did you talk about? Did you have much in common?

We talked about Atonement, which was nice. And we spoke about how much money we would need to be paid to go back and re-do puberty. We also spoke about how our parents met. I had a really boring story about how my parents met because they worked at the same job, but her story – they met bonding over a corpse – blew mine out of the water! Luckily I said mine first. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were a topic of conversation, specifically which one is which. We traded scoop on them, so it became a battle of De Niro and Pacino facts!

Were there any awkward moments?

Probably the jacket thing – I was shivering a little bit throughout the date. And all the heaters were taken! When one came up, I ran for it! And she kept turning them off, and I kept turning them on…

How would you describe Esme in three words?

Funny, warm, familiar.

Would you see Esme again?

I think seeing her again is unavoidable! I saw her one woman stand-up show and it felt like I was on a date with a celebrity, so I’ll probably see her again on the big screen!

What would you rate the date out of ten?

Eight – it was great, despite the jacket! And we had strange but good conversations. Basically it was the opposite of off-putting … it was on-putting!

Do you have any anecdotes from the date that you’d tell your friends?

Probably that I was so worried for the blind date which was not blind, or maybe the shivering. Or maybe that she kept turning the heater off like a power play.

If you could change anything about the evening, what would it be?

I’d make the Pickerel have hundreds more heaters.

Esme on Derek

Did you have any pre-date expectations? What were you hoping for?

I was obviously hoping for someone I hadn’t met yet… but it couldn’t be helped! It was exciting to think about meeting someone completely new though.

“He insisted on having a tab for one drink!”

So you met at the Pickerel. What were the vibes like?

Wednesday is a good day to be in there so it wasn’t super busy or noisy. It was equidistant for both of us too, which was handy.

What was your first impression?

Derek is very chatty which really great, and we managed to have a nice chat anyway!

What did you talk about? Did you have much in common?

I’ve never asked Derek much about his family so we spoke about that, like how our parents met. We also spoke about summer holidays.

Were there any awkward moments?

Not really… I think he was quite cold because he brought a wet jacket, whereas I was not that cold, so we kept turning the heater on and off!

How would you describe Derek in three words?

Clever, funny, and a good listener.

Would you see Derek again?

I will see him again coincidentally or as friends, but I think we were both happy to have it as a catch-up, as opposed to as a date.

What would you rate the date out of ten?

Eight.

Do you have any anecdotes from the date that you’d tell your friends?

It was funny that there was so much anticipation with my friends and I about who it would be, for it then to be someone I knew. And something else I thought was funny was that every time Derek got a drink, he’d say ‘put it on the tab’ - he insisted on having a tab for one drink at the Pickerel!

If you could change anything about the evening, what would it be?

While the Pickerel is nice, there are lots of people you know there. So going to another pub could have been nice.

Names have been changed for privacy reasons.