Years ago if someone said they had met their partner online, there was a bit of an awkward reaction. . . online dating had quite a stigma attached.

Now, that’s not the case as so many of us live such busy lives. Sure, we’ve all heard lots of people explain why they’re against online dating. But these days there are lots of advantages too.

If you’re not in a relationship as we head towards Valentine’s Day, we hope you’re not dwelling on this too much.

For many, this is a day when commercialisation seems to have taken over – as cards, flowers, chocolates and meal deals are flogged mercilessly.

You can prove anything with statistics can’t you?

That’s why we thought we’d conduct a quick and simple poll on whether love at first sight existed.

We surveyed 100 people on whether this thunderbolt of emotion or rush of attraction is a real thing.

Our Relationship Expert Dating Coach says “The best and strongest relationships take work, patience and persistence and so if we require that same ethos to dating and be fully present with each and every person we meet romantically we might be more inclined to give each person a second date where new and exciting things might show up in conversation and connection that didn’t perhaps do so on the first date”.

Sometimes, a bit like Bridget Jones singing along to Without You on her sofa in her pyjamas, belting out a Christmas song, especially one that laments a lost love can also help banish the Yuletide blues

Old Style Dating Founder Dennie Smith Shares loads of tips and advice to those looking for love, dating or just navigating being single over the festive period.

Did you know that from around about now through to March is known as cuffing season? That means this is an excellent time to dip your toe in dating waters.

This date is the perfect opportunity to make a great first — and hopefully lasting — impression, and finding the right clothes to wear can help you do just that.

We are all so different, and that’s what can make it interesting. What one person feels is an appropriate message for someone they like the look of, for another it may be well out of line.

But whoever you are and however used you are to dating online, there should be certain standards that have to be remembered. That means you should display good manners and be polite.

Dating when you have kids isn’t easy. If your relationship progresses then there are even more tricky questions to face. When to introduce your new love interest and what to say when you do.

But even your first meetings can be fraught with dilemmas about whether you’re doing the right thing.