THE SOCIABLE SINGLE
Fiona Nicolson, 43, from Edinburgh organises No Excuses, a networking group for single people in the city. Launched less than a year ago, it has over 50 members regularly meeting for drinks evenings, cinema trips, hillwalking, quiz nights and other activities.
‘ I aim to provide a i'eadymade social life for people who are
looking to meet people. whether they‘re new to Iidinburgh. their
friends are all coupled up or they've just split tip with someone. When they have a demanding job and occasionally glance at The List for example. see a certain e\hibition is on and think it‘d be great to see. quite HIIL'll time goes by and they haven’t had a chance to ptit it in their diary. They just want to turn up and not have to do the research or organisation themselves.
‘.\'o li\cuses evolved out of my close group of l'riends. We'd been talking about how we could widen our social circle. But any time we wanted to go out. someone would say. “Oh. I've had a really hard day. I'm too tired." So I said there should be no excuses. It was a joke. but the name stuck. At first it was just a hobby but when I realised how many people were interested I started organising it seriously. Initially it was one event a month. Now it‘s closer to I].
‘I try to meet tip with everyone before they come along for the first time and chat with them about why they're interested and it there's anything in particular they wish to do when they join. Il‘ someone wants to sample it on a trial basis. they can try our drinks nights. I‘ve started doing them once a week to give all those who've been in touch a chance to make it.
‘lt‘s a wide range of people and the demographic regularly changes. The average age is in the 3(ls but we‘ve got pockets of all ages. We've got several members lt‘otit abroad. They come here for a job. lind somewhere to live and want to get their social We established. I think it‘s a more authentic experience for them to socialise with locals and hear about lidinburgh‘s best places and things to do.
‘I would really like to emphasi/e that everyone in the group has social skills. because you need good social skills to come along and meet people you‘ve never met before and start talking to them.
'lt‘s very demand-led. It a member suggests something I will get everyone together. The book group for example. started quite small but has got bigger and bigger as time's gone on.
‘I think what dil'l'ereiitiates tis l'rom singles groups is that though we may be single. it doesn‘t automatically IoIIow that we‘re looking for a partner. But it it happens. it‘s only a bonus.‘
no-excuses.org. Annual membership costs £70, with a 10% refund for each new member introduced. A trial drinks evening is £8.50.
24 THE LIST I ‘n Fet‘ L‘t‘ia‘ti
‘ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME YOU KNUCKLED DOW
TO PEN NG YOUR MA UM OPU .'
36. Masturbate without feeling guilty Mind you. the feeling or self loathing is comparable
37. Speed date regularly as someone different every night Teri“, ‘v‘Jaite tonight. Tanisin Otltil‘.‘.’£ll°.t’ or Sir Walter Raleigh tornorr'o'.'.'. until you find the right personality ‘or you. Recommended speed dating events are \‘v’ednesdav evenings at the Rust Bar. Bath Street in Glasgow i'i’it.‘.t 31%;) (ififtoi and Thursdays at the Kasbar. Victoria Street in Edinburgh iotat ‘17? 7007). Recommended biographies include those of Princess Margaret. Rasputin and Macaulay Culkin.
38. Invent something Long hours in the lab. sure. but a cure for cancer WIII bring fame and fortune. and a cure for male baldness even more so. Apply to the patent office at wwwr)atent.gov.uk and to Scottish Enterprise for financral assistance at wwwscottish-cnterprisecom.
39. Indulge your inner geek Buy yourself the new Alfred Hitchcock Box Set. and note the precise time at which Hitchcock makes each of his onscreen cameos. Then create your own graph correlating this Wltil your personal star rating for each of the films. And write a weblog about it.
40. Run away to sea In a proper ship. not a rubber dinghy like Belle and Sebastian.
41. Run away to join the circus It's easier when you don't have to establish a double act.
42. Go platonic Why not phone a friend you've been intending to email? Or email someone youve fallen out With? Forward the message to 1:”; acquaintances and you might experience good luck all day. even it they think you're a superstitious twat,
43. Cultivate eccentric personal habits Earn a reputation as a ‘Iocat philos0pher'. ultimately harmless and ‘you know. that one with the hair who barks at trains'. In their book Eccentrics. Jamie James and Dr David Weeks maintain: ‘The cOridition of eccentrics is freedom. ln an era when human beings seem to be prisoners of their Culture and their genes. eccentrics are a refreshing reminder of
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45. Write your novel \ .
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46. Move back in with your mum I’ltttl‘, regular Sunday H sistt. itlttl term Vow dirty laiinitn, strewn .tttttll"l u'
bedroom.
47. Update your Friendster or Myspace profile Ronni-it and lir ;n«l oiiliiie ‘.‘.’ltll the three other Sagittariaiir’, in the world who entry, the lirairlr' iii prlodes. Adriiit that iii really tanr , newsreader llu'.v l dwaids and "MW iii that police procedural musical (for; Rock is the greatest tilll‘ir) e‘.".-t to
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48. Sleep better What roiiiil he better than a double bed tr, yourself
and snore free slumber/1‘
49. Change your name Nfillltl‘ilil‘.’f: deteriiiiiiacy suggests your birth name influences your destiny hence I‘dil'll‘yl‘. Monroe. who switched hers from the dunipy sounding Norrria lean I‘Eaker.
Vlad the lrnrialer, who happened it.
enjoy rmpalirig his erieiiiie',. arr/l .‘Seari putt Daddy P Uidrl', How'l, [Jon/Ir," Coombs. who reaches iiew I‘:'.":IT) of ridiculousness .‘.’liIl each stir,r;r:','.r'.ri: incarnatior‘.. Change ,iour riioiiiker and transform your life for only S‘ii-i tt‘roririh
Deed Poll at ukdpscr, uk
50. Enjoy supermarket meals for one Have yeti tried their: lately
I, ovrngly packaged .‘Jltil the finest ingredients and branded to reflect your hectic. on-the-go lifestyle. After one of these babies. the traditional farnrly irieal tastes like school dinner gruel. Fifi/hat"; more. it you absolutely must succzirrib to finding a new partner. you may find them in aisle 12 reaching for the sarrie
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51. Read a book from start to finish, uninterrupted And even better. there'll be no—orie to whirige about the coffee cups and dirty plates strewn around yOur armchair white yOu're doing it.