Scream If You Want to Date Faster

Speed-dating will take on a whole new meaning when it goes on at 88 miles per hour this weekend. Singletons are getting the chance to get up close and personal with potential squeezes as they loop around a rollercoaster.

A Welsh theme park has decided to hold the romantic event on rollercoasters, water rides and terrifying vertical drops to give hopefuls a shot at romance.

Oakwood, which is near Narberth in Pembrokeshire, has teamed up with Swansea-based Spark Dating to bring about what will be Wales’s first ever roller coaster speed-dating event.

Up to 50 hopefuls, aged between 20 and 40, will be able to take part in their hair-raising quest for love.

Co-founder of Spark Dating Jayne Davies said a bout of screaming on stomach-churning rides should help daters get their nerves out of the way.

She said, ‘Obviously people get quite nervous when they come to a speed-dating event, especially if it’s their first one, but holding it at a venue like Oakwood adds a really fun vibe to the event and it will be a good ice breaker to experience the rides together. ‘

The event is taking place tomorrow night as part of the park’s After Dark promotion, which sees rides staying open up to 10pm, along with live entertainment.

The speed-dating will kick off at 5.30pm with equal numbers of men and women each meeting each other for a three-minute mini-date before moving on to the next candidate.

At the end of each date everyone will mark a scorecard and make a note of those they would like to take with them on one of the park’s rides.

Attractions include Vertigo, (a 50-metre plummet, blending the horrors of bungee and parachute jumping), Hydro, (a 50-metre high- speed water ride), and Megafobia, (an 88mph roller coaster, voted the best of the last millennium).

There will then be the chance for some more mellow moments with live music, food and drink, as well as romance-inspiring fountain and firework displays.

Bethany Lloyd, a marketing officer from Narberth, will be taking part despite a lack of enthusiasm for roller coasters.

She said, ‘I’m terrified of them to be honest.

‘Personally I’m much more of a romantic dinner and candles girl, but there may be the chance of meeting a hunk on one, so I’m prepared to give it a go.

‘I’m sure it’ll give us plenty to talk about if we’re not screaming all the way around.

‘It’s my first go at speed-dating so hopefully I won’t be too green.’

Nick Reed, 26, who is also from Narberth, is ready to try speed- dating for the first time.

The store supervisor said, ‘I love roller coasters, so even if I don’t meet Mrs right, at least I’ll be having fun all evening.

‘I’ll probably be more nervous about the date itself than the rides.’

The omens are good for lovers as the park has already woven romantic magic this summer.

A wedding reception was held at the park three weeks ago.

Oakwood managing director Paddy McNamara said he wanted to add some spice to the already popular speed-dating phenomenon.

He said, ‘Holding this event at Oakwood certainly brings a whole new meaning to speed dating.’: A speedy 60-second guide to dating:Fifteen per cent of single people in Britain are looking for new ways to meet ‘the one’, and are using speed and internet dating. Researchers at Ohio University say it takes just three minutes for most people to decide whether they were going to fall in love, remain friends, or never speak with a person again. The average cost of a dinner date in Wales stands at pounds 200. Men spend almost 10 times as much buying drinks and meals for potential partners than women.

Women match the amount spent dating as a result of cash invested in pre-date preparation We in Wales are the keenest date-hunters in Britain, spending more than anyone else in the quest for a date.