PEOPLE
SEX & THE SINGLE MANCUNIAN MAN Ghosting, deceptive profile pics and ‘shall-we-go-Dutch?’ dilemmas... Didsbury’s Ian Parker reveals what it’s really like to go online dating in your 50s With Celebs Go Dating and First Dates back on our small screens and a reboot of the ultimate dissection of urban relationships Sex and the City (aka And Just Like That...) in full televisual flow, schedulers know all too well that ‘new year, new love’ sits at the top of many a resolution list. But what’s it really like here on the ground, searching for love in the big city? And what if you’re neither a Carrie, Miranda nor Charlotte but a Manchester-dwelling, 51-year-old guy? Ian started online dating around two years ago. He was not alone. At the start of the pandemic, dating app usage soared. Tinder recorded its highest number of swipes in a single day (three billion) back in March 2020 and Bumble’s video calls increased by 70%. Glossy Mag: Hi Ian! So, tell us a bit about yourself (don’t worry, we won’t swipe left!) Ian: I’m originally from Shropshire but moved to Manchester over 20 years ago. I currently live in West Didsbury with my two black Labradors, Bella and Bonnie, and my new tabby kitten, Beano. I mainly work from home in healthcare marketing. I love flexibility, the ability to pop out to walk the dogs or do a Pilates class. GM: A kitten! That must impress a lot of potential dates... Ian: (Laughs) I adopted him just before Christmas, because I was quite lonely. When 5pm arrives and it turns dark and they’ve had their walk, the dogs don’t want to know me! I got Beano for a bit of company.
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