Lovelorn landscaper seeks brunette (must love dogs)
If recent statistics are to be believed, there are 15 million single people in the UK. Of these, one in five will find their partner online. Roughly 17 per cent will meet them at work. And a fair few more will continue to wait for an elusive chance encounter.
One man, however, has decided to take a more proactive approach. On the first Monday of this year, Gerald Abrahams took to the streets of London with an enormous placard emblazoned with his wish: ‘Hot Brunette Wanted For 2014!’ it read, ‘Dates/ Romance. Must like dogs and landscapers.’
By virtue of my hair colour alone, my editor sent me off to track down this lovelorn landscaper for a date. I find his email address (the internet really is a marvel) and write to him but don’t hear back for a few days. I assume he’s not interested. On a quiet Sunday evening, however, a little message pops up on my computer. ‘Sorry I’ve been so slow in getting back to you. A crazy week and luckily I have caught up on a little bit of sleep now, so I feel a bit more human. I would be happy to meet you,’ says Gerald.
And so this is how I find myself sitting down to dinner with Gerald in a Chelsea restaurant, a charming little place called Bumpkin. My first impression is that he is rather tall. In fact, as he stands to greet me, the full loftiness of his 6ft 6in frame becomes apparent. This, coupled with his sparkly eyed smile and a firm handshake, lends him quite a presence.
We settle into our starters, exchange the usual niceties (‘How long did it take you to get here?’) before we get down to the real matter in hand. Why, I ask, does a man like him need a placard to find a girlfriend?
‘I got tired of internet dating,’ he explains with a smile, ‘and decided it was time to do something different.’ He admits that he had the placard idea ‘years ago’, but it has taken him this long to build himself up to it. ‘I was definitely nervous going out, but I just knew I had to do it. If I didn’t, I would have always regretted it.’
As a 39-year-old man, albeit a youthful-looking one, it was the realisation that he’s not getting any younger that finally forced him out of the door, sign in hand. ‘I couldn’t do it as a 40-year-old. That would have been too sad. It was now or never, and I thought I might as well start the year doing something positive.’
He hails from Chessington in Surrey and is a countryman at heart, but came into London simply because of the volume of people. Dating is, after all, a numbers game. He started the morning in Waterloo before being bustled out by unsentimental security guards, then battled the wind and rain to stand his ground in Golden Square in Soho. ‘Some people walked past and avoided eye contact,’ he recalls, ‘but others laughed and got it.’
His amorous exploit attracted worldwide attention, and the weeks that followed were a whirlwind of newspaper articles, interviews and television segments, including one for an Australian news channel. Gerald insists, however, that it was not a publicity stunt. ‘I have no desire to be a minor celebrity. I’m perfectly happy just working in my garden. The point of it really was to find a partner, and if that provides people with entertainment at the same time, then great.’
It’s proved to be an effective tactic. In addition to the plethora of journalist requests, he has received almost 400 emails from admirers and potential dates. ‘It’s almost like being a woman,’ he laughs. ‘I understand they get lots of messages on internet sites, whereas as a man, you’re usually the one doing the approaching. It’s quite nice to have it the other way round.’
He is coy about revealing whether any have really piqued his interest, but he does admit that he has a couple more dates lined up that week. ‘I have a feeling it’s going to become a fulltime job, but it’s a huge compliment.’
So, aside from being brunette, what other qualities does he look for in alady? ‘The usual I suppose… A good sense of humour, someone who is fine with children.’
Then there are the other more idiosyncratic requirements: ‘I’d quite like a woman who could change a car tyre. You know, someone who can look after herself a bit.’
The absolute deal breaker, as hinted at on his sign, is that the future Mrs Abrahams must love dogs. He has an eight-year-old German Shepherd cross whom he adores, and who accompanies him on all his landscaping jobs. ‘Sonny is a very handsome dog but also really quite special,’ he says, showing me photos.
Despite his outlandish method for getting dates, Gerald’s ideal evening would be significantly more low key. Good food and good conversation would fit the bill, although he does also enjoy a bit of Ceroc dancing. So, a man who likes children and animals, is fond of dancing, and can weed your garden, to boot? I have no doubt that his placard-bearing days will soon be a distant memory.
In fact, I am willing to bet on it. As we fi nish our after-dinner coffee, we make a wager: if he hasn’t found a signifi cant other by the end of the year, I’ll write his next sign. If he has, he’ll use his landscaping expertise to transform my little balcony garden into a city oasis.
I’m going to start choosing my potted plants now.
Gerald can be contacted at gerald2014@hotmail.co.uk
Bumpkin Chelsea: 020-3730 9344, www.bumpkinuk.com
One man, however, has decided to take a more proactive approach. On the first Monday of this year, Gerald Abrahams took to the streets of London with an enormous placard emblazoned with his wish: ‘Hot Brunette Wanted For 2014!’ it read, ‘Dates/ Romance. Must like dogs and landscapers.’
By virtue of my hair colour alone, my editor sent me off to track down this lovelorn landscaper for a date. I find his email address (the internet really is a marvel) and write to him but don’t hear back for a few days. I assume he’s not interested. On a quiet Sunday evening, however, a little message pops up on my computer. ‘Sorry I’ve been so slow in getting back to you. A crazy week and luckily I have caught up on a little bit of sleep now, so I feel a bit more human. I would be happy to meet you,’ says Gerald.
And so this is how I find myself sitting down to dinner with Gerald in a Chelsea restaurant, a charming little place called Bumpkin. My first impression is that he is rather tall. In fact, as he stands to greet me, the full loftiness of his 6ft 6in frame becomes apparent. This, coupled with his sparkly eyed smile and a firm handshake, lends him quite a presence.
We settle into our starters, exchange the usual niceties (‘How long did it take you to get here?’) before we get down to the real matter in hand. Why, I ask, does a man like him need a placard to find a girlfriend?
‘I got tired of internet dating,’ he explains with a smile, ‘and decided it was time to do something different.’ He admits that he had the placard idea ‘years ago’, but it has taken him this long to build himself up to it. ‘I was definitely nervous going out, but I just knew I had to do it. If I didn’t, I would have always regretted it.’
As a 39-year-old man, albeit a youthful-looking one, it was the realisation that he’s not getting any younger that finally forced him out of the door, sign in hand. ‘I couldn’t do it as a 40-year-old. That would have been too sad. It was now or never, and I thought I might as well start the year doing something positive.’
He hails from Chessington in Surrey and is a countryman at heart, but came into London simply because of the volume of people. Dating is, after all, a numbers game. He started the morning in Waterloo before being bustled out by unsentimental security guards, then battled the wind and rain to stand his ground in Golden Square in Soho. ‘Some people walked past and avoided eye contact,’ he recalls, ‘but others laughed and got it.’
His amorous exploit attracted worldwide attention, and the weeks that followed were a whirlwind of newspaper articles, interviews and television segments, including one for an Australian news channel. Gerald insists, however, that it was not a publicity stunt. ‘I have no desire to be a minor celebrity. I’m perfectly happy just working in my garden. The point of it really was to find a partner, and if that provides people with entertainment at the same time, then great.’
It’s proved to be an effective tactic. In addition to the plethora of journalist requests, he has received almost 400 emails from admirers and potential dates. ‘It’s almost like being a woman,’ he laughs. ‘I understand they get lots of messages on internet sites, whereas as a man, you’re usually the one doing the approaching. It’s quite nice to have it the other way round.’
He is coy about revealing whether any have really piqued his interest, but he does admit that he has a couple more dates lined up that week. ‘I have a feeling it’s going to become a fulltime job, but it’s a huge compliment.’
So, aside from being brunette, what other qualities does he look for in alady? ‘The usual I suppose… A good sense of humour, someone who is fine with children.’
Then there are the other more idiosyncratic requirements: ‘I’d quite like a woman who could change a car tyre. You know, someone who can look after herself a bit.’
The absolute deal breaker, as hinted at on his sign, is that the future Mrs Abrahams must love dogs. He has an eight-year-old German Shepherd cross whom he adores, and who accompanies him on all his landscaping jobs. ‘Sonny is a very handsome dog but also really quite special,’ he says, showing me photos.
Despite his outlandish method for getting dates, Gerald’s ideal evening would be significantly more low key. Good food and good conversation would fit the bill, although he does also enjoy a bit of Ceroc dancing. So, a man who likes children and animals, is fond of dancing, and can weed your garden, to boot? I have no doubt that his placard-bearing days will soon be a distant memory.
In fact, I am willing to bet on it. As we fi nish our after-dinner coffee, we make a wager: if he hasn’t found a signifi cant other by the end of the year, I’ll write his next sign. If he has, he’ll use his landscaping expertise to transform my little balcony garden into a city oasis.
I’m going to start choosing my potted plants now.
Gerald can be contacted at gerald2014@hotmail.co.uk
Bumpkin Chelsea: 020-3730 9344, www.bumpkinuk.com