How to meet men in real life?

I like meeting new people and making friends. I'm not interested in a 'special someone', anymore though.

I've found that volunteering, walking groups, FE or community classes, going for coffee or to watch a film alone - have all turned up interesting people. I met my last loved one at a bus stop!

In saying that quite a number of men want older ladies .
Its hard to meet good reliable men as well as women ,but there are some out there just lonely as you.
Who knows were to find them...

Go to Ireland on holiday, when this is all over though of course.
I went with a friend who is divorced. I only went to keep her company as she had been ill. Honestly I could have got married several times if I hadn’t already been happily married.
Irish men are gorgeous and so friendly.

I met my partner by joining a rambling club and a table tennis club.

An old friend explained why she was single.......
The available were undesirable and the desirable were unavailable.....
I was lucky to find an available and desirable second husband through a paid for dating site. Keep trying and keep safe when you can meet with anyone when you are able to. Good luck.

My husband died and I am not actually looking for anyone but I can see how lock down alone would get you to thinking that.
I have met men and been asked out a fair few times and its always been normal and natural and out of the blue. These are the way I seem to get men talking to me.

Volunteer, like you I work full time but I do a few volunteering roles in areas that I care about. I help clean up at a local park and do a bit of gardening I am into the environment and nature there are a lot of like-minded older men in these roles.
Once a month I volunteer at my local unban farm there are no end of friendly people coming and going, visitors , people buying eggs and such they become friends.
I also do volunteer in other caring roles and again there are always older men in these roles.
I do it to ease my anxiety and my grieve but I have met a lot of friends men included. ( I work in education so I do get free time in half terms and stuff but most people can give an hour a week )

Get a dog when My husband was dying and I was out walking the dog I was amazed at the amount of people that stopped and chatted not just men but it is a way to make friends. Sadly the dog died but I work too many hours now but animals are always to open a conversation.

Google local community groups in your area.

Be friendly and smile I find men quite often just chat to me and I have been asked out a few times because I probably look friendly and approachable. Also I am not always looking at a mobile phone, ditch the mobile when you are out so you can interact more.

Join a keep fit class for older people loads of older men
join these now, espeically dancing classes and water arerobics .
Join a book club my friend met her lovely husband this way.

Personally, I would look for friendship first and see what grows from there. As I said I am not looking for love and I get asked out a lot more than my friends who are, so I think there is a clue in there somewhere dont look, let it find you.

Of course it goes without saying you can only do these most of these things when lock down is over. Keep safe.

ineedamum and anyone using dating sites, I suppose it's natural but the photographs people post are likely to be, "lies, all lies!" to quote Frau Farbissina (Austin Powers movie) so add bald head, beer gut and 25 years (and that's only the women!) ????

I met my present husband on "Plenty of Fish", after being widowed twice (I was 63). We met online in 2011 and married in 2014.
I think with all dating sites, there are going to be some people who misrepresent themselves, by using old photographs (both men and women) as well as those who are just looking for casual sex. After initial contact -we used Skype - so that you could see one another, and for those who have a tablet or laptop rather than a desktop or phone - it's possible to see at least a portion of the person's home. When restrictions are lifted, be mindful of your personal safety and don't meet someone you have not seen and spoken to in person. Make sure that someone else knows where you will be going and when you expect to return. Good Luck with your search!

Men always chat to me when I go swimming.

I met my special man on a free dating site after sorting out the undesirables..and there are a lot of them. I also joined meetup group a few years ago but it wasn't for me and not much chance of meeting man friends as there were many more women. I thought I'd never meet anyone else but i have we get on well and I'm so grateful. Never lose hope ..good luck

I was with Elite Singles - rubbish.
'Met' someone last week on Match, he looks gorgeous, is 8 years younger than me and totally genuine. Lives 450 miles away and we can't physically meet at the moment but we will when the restrictions are lifted.
Give it a go, you never know...

I don’t have any great words of wisdom. Am currently with my second husband who I met on a dating site but I often think that in different circumstances we wouldn’t still be together.
I met the love of my life at a singles club when I was in my forties and we had a few happy years together. I recently heard he died last year. So sad.
But I wanted to add a funny story about a dating site encounter. I met the guy after on line chat for a while and my immediate reaction was he hadn’t made much of an effort and looked a bit untidy. I hadn’t expected a suit and tie but a bit of effort wouldn’t have gone amiss. Anyway, during the evening (we were having coffees in a book store). he wanted to show me his divorce papers which he produced from his man bag. I assured him I didn’t need to see them. But he went on to make a big deal about an argument with his ex over teaspoons . We walked back to where my car was parked and I let him know that I didn’t think we should meet again as there just wasn’t an attraction for me. Ok so far, but then for days afterwards I got messages from him, often with jokes. I asked him nicely a few times to stop messaging me but he didn’t so I had to threaten him with legal action. He stopped thank goodness. I often wondered what really happened about the teaspoons!

Don't get a man, get a life!

There are a lot more than just 2 sites.........the right site (for you) needs to be sought before you look for a partner

Ineedamum - oh dear, try The Guardian - and when lockdown is over - try finding another job!

Beanie my thoughts exactly? I am in thd throws of divorce and at least work got me out of the house. Being furloughed means I'm stuck with him indoors and I see even more clearly why I need to get away. I have so far managed to keep myself busy doing stuff but thd house sale is delayed so for now I'm stuck and can't even view possible properties to spend my final years in without the miserable selfish twat?

The thing is, the more you want a relationship the more you can scare men away. It must be very difficult, especially at a time like this not to have someone special in your life but now is not the time to jump in and we are in an impossible situation for this to happen anyway. When this is all over than the man of your dreams will come along when your least expect it.

razzmatazz
I don't believe you are selfish in not wanting a man . I feel the same.Perish the thought of having to go through the 'training' process all over again.

Its it a case of 'if i had then. then i'd be ..........'? The stats are not very good for long term success of 2nd or more relationships, something like up to 80% failure rate,yes 20% work out.I know many who have tried to find love by all the usual routes and found it a hard slog.I have been single 14 years after divorce and thought 28 years of marriage was enough in one lifetime! In 2017 I looked into the eyes of someone and my breath was taken away! We are friends but whether I want to make it a relationship Im not so sure?I wasn't looking for it ,it just happened.We met at the sports club ,not exactly a dating club! Its hard to not think that maybe if someone is for then they wont go by you.

I’m with you Beanie654321, bongo is and razzmataz... I took the plunge and left an ‘indifferent’ at best husband of 32 years last summer and feel so relieved that I do not now have to put up with the constant arguments that would have only been made worse as he is unconcerned with the present restrictions of lockdown... I have learned that I am actually very happy in my own company, tho I miss actual contact my children and grandchildren!

I met my husband through work 26 years ago. That sort of thing is at best frowned on nowadays and at worse can get men taken to court over salacious behaviour, especially if the relationship doesnt last and you still have to work together. I was lucky - we both felt the same chemistry and he was my boss. We had to handle it very carefully and it didnt come out in the open for a while. Best thing ever happened to both of us. We are soulmates. Not so easy now having a relationship at work.

Annodomini sent you a pm

The OP didn't say she was going to do it now.

Molly ...you're never too old.

I want to meet a man - an electrician.

I am a bored widower not bad looking on the hunt for a single lady. Haven't tried any dating sites, fit and healthy, maybe a little to old at 75 .