Is there still a place for romance?

Lucy Worsley on Romance, copyright BBC

In her recent BBC documentary series "A Very British Romance", Lucy Worsley has treated us to details of romance in times past. But is there still a place for romance in the modern world of Tinder and the like?

Well, maybe. Here at dating agency RSVP, we still have plenty of romantics on our books, looking not just for love, but for the romance that goes with it.

In days gone by, men used to write poems in order to impress the ladies, using descriptive words such as 'blushing' or 'quivering' in order to make the women understand how they were feeling.

Here at RSVP, our members have moved with the times but managed to keep some of that traditional romance too. That ‘Good Morning’ text is far from just a good morning text – it’s thought of as the quickest way to let someone special know that, even across the miles, you are thinking of them. Similarly, a ‘Goodnight’ text is considered an intimate way of saying 'you're my last thought of the day'. 

Sometimes romance is getting an extra 'x' on a text message, making someone feel that little bit more special even when you're not at each others side.

I recall a phone call from a lovely gentleman - a Platinum RSVP member - who wanted to think out of the box; he didn’t want to make his third date the same as any other - a nice restaurant for a good meal, bunches of flowers or chocolates; he wanted to be the one who stood out from the rest, so with the help of one of our expert matchmakers, his next date, was a ‘Mystery tour’; they jumped in to his car with no plans except to drive for no more than one hour taking unknown roads until they spotted some place that took their fancy, chattering excitedly along the way, getting to know each other.

Another of our ladies called to tell us that, from the first call, she knew that the man we had matched her with was different, although the plan for the first date sounded normal enough - drinks; that turned in to a meal when neither wanted to part company so soon. The second date was a stroll around a stately home and gardens, where he surprised her with a home-made picnic - featuring Prosecco, champagne flutes and poached salmon - not a sausage roll in sight. 

Romance is action. Characterising people by their actions means we will never be fooled by their words. However, when feelings are mutual, the effort will be equalised; so, ladies, remembering to ask him how his day went goes a long way.

Dressing up to go out is an important aspect of romance for many RSVP members when they head out on RSVP singles events. Many will go to extra effort and get glammed up for our singles ball in Northamptonshire, this weekend.

So, in our view romance is still very much alive - it just takes a little effort - as it always did, in fact.