Tales from the trenches

Valentine's dates don't always turn out as planned!

MY WORST Valentine’s Day was one year when my now-husband thought it would be really lovely of him to buy me a vacuum cleaner as a present. I had been complaining about our old, useless one, but a ring or chocolates would have been much more appreciated. I still married the brave man because he later took me to a fancy restaurant for dinner – after vacuuming the house of course!
– Anonymous

I HAVEN’T been on many Valentine’s Day dates, but I remember one year when I was in school, I must have been 8 or 9, this little boy asked me to be his Valentine. I was so excited I told all my friends in my class. It turns out he had asked all the others girls to be his Valentine, too. What a little Casanova! I was devastated at the time, but it’s funny now.
– Cassy Manders

ONE time I was on a blind date for Valentine’s Day. It was set up by my friend who assured me the guy was perfect for me. We got to the restaurant and I don’t think he spoke more than four words all night. It was so awkward. I drank a little too much wine and ended up breaking a glass. It was so awkward. I never saw him again. I don’t know what my friend was thinking.
– Angela Coward

IT WAS a long time ago, before I was married, but this guy asked me out on a date for Valentine’s Day. We were in the same class at school and he was always very shy but he was so cute. I had a crush on him for years throughout school.
We ran into each other one day in our early twenties and said we would catch up so we swapped numbers. He texted me to ask me out for Valentine’s Day. We went to a movie, and had all the usual awkward hand touching stuff, and then afterwards he asked me to his house for a drink.
I had had a crush on him for so long, so I was excited. I was really looking forward to spending time with him by ourselves and getting to know him.
But, we walked to his house and when he opened the door his mum, dad and sister were all sitting at the table. They had tea and coffee and cake laid out, like they were expecting us.
We sat down at the table and his mum proceeded to tell me how I was the first girl he had brought home and they were so excited he had met someone. She was asking me if I liked kids. I scoffed some cake, slurped some tea and never saw him again.
– Anonymous

MINE happened to a friend who I set up on a date. Poor thing. She turned up to meet with the guy I had set her up with. He spent the whole night on his phone texting his mates and didn’t even talk to her. He was such a bad date. My friend is married now. So it all worked out.
– Anonymous