Dating can be tricky, and we all make mistakes. Whether you’ve met the girl of your dreams down the local pub or through an online dating service, avoiding these common blunders will help you become a better partner.

1. Getting physical too soon. It’s no secret that men are usually more motivated by physical attraction than women, but moving in for a kiss or a quick feel on the first date will make you seem pushy and shallow. Pull back and go at her pace, which will show you’re respectful and interested in more than a one-nighter.

2. Dominating the conversation. This is not a job interview where talking freely and frequently about yourself is the key to selling yourself. Ask thoughtful questions, listen carefully, and demonstrate to your date that you’re genuinely eager to know more about her.

3. Behaving rudely. Charming your date is wonderful, but if she sees you stiff the bartender out of a tip or speak harshly to your waiter, it could be a real turn-off. Treat your date and everyone else around you with politeness and regard.

4. Leering at other women. There is not a man on earth who is capable of eyeing a woman subtly, no matter what you think. Checking out other women while you’re on a date is beyond rude, it’s vulgar and crass, sending the message that you can’t be trusted to remain faithful or that you’re keeping your options open. Focus on the woman you’re with, not the one across the room.

I’m currently looking for a new bed and mattress to replace our master bed which we have had since we were married (just under 13 years). We have a wooden one at the moment and most of the bedroom furniture is also wood so I will get one that best matches the current furniture.

I have found a couple of wooden beds that I like so far, but don’t really know what sort of mattress to get. I think it’s one of those things that you have to try out in the shop, so will probably take a trip to my nearest bed shop and sit on a few to decide which one feels best.

I will probably end up buying the bed off the internet because at the end of the day its just a frame to hold the mattress and they are far cheaper than in the shop. Can’t wait to get a decent night’s sleep, the old bed is getting a bit worn out; just hope that I don’t like it too much or I may be getting into work late!

I was going through eBay the other day and its flooded with World cup merchandise, from bulk t shirts that clearly been done by t shirt printing company’s and are trying to make a quick quid on the back of the world cup.

I was looking for retro England shirts from around 1980 to 1985 and all i got was cheesy printed t shirts.

Hopefully England will win today but if they don’t I can’t see that they’ll come home with heads held high, I’d hardly say that they have played with pride or passion.
It can’t fully be played on them; they should change the formation from 4-4-2. We could try a 4-3-3 which would give us an extra striker up front and enable us to have the ball fed to a better selection of players, maybe playing hesky in the middle would be the best option.

Under new proposal outline learner drivers will be required to memorise directions, follow signs to get to a final destination and also have their instructor present during the exam. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) says the new section will promote ‘independent thinking’ and mimic a situation where a driver gets lost. Driving schools in Sunderland are now preparing new drivers ready for when the new proposals come however there is no definite indication on when that will be.

Research from the DSA suggests the changes will cause the pass rate to fall from 42 to 18 per cent which is less than one in five. However there has been some criticism from motoring groups with some saying it will make the test too difficult but others say it will prepare learner drivers for ‘real world’ driving.

The general manager of the Motor Schools Association, John Lepine, said: “If the pass rates drop by those figures it will be a massive extra cost to learner drivers who already have a lot to pay. That’s a crazy amount for test results to plummet by.”

Also Hugh Bladon of the Association of British Drivers said: “The whole driving system is absurd. These new measures are missing the point of stopping reckless drivers on the road. These confusing new tasks could just make it more costly and take more time for learner drivers to pass their test. Learners need to be taught the basics of driving first before they’re allowed on the road. You can’t stop them passing their test as denying people their license is denying them their freedom.”

The DSA say that “the new test will expose learners to real-life situations like getting lost and having to flag down passers-by to ask for directions as well as examiners will ask candidates to drive to a specific location by memorising his or her verbal instructions, or by following road signs. The learner will then drive for around 10 minutes without any help or prompting from the examiner. Candidates will also be asked to perform a five-point turn – or U-turn – in a road to mimic a driver going the wrong way and having to turn the car around.”

Many instructors and driving schools in Sunderland are aware of the impact this new test will have on pupils, after the DSA tested the new section on 100 learners they made five times more mistakes than the traditional test. However the learner drivers branded it ‘effortful, mentally demanding and frustrating’ and just 18 per cent passed, less than one in five.

I’m quite into my tech stuff and have been quite excited to see what Apple’s new iPhone 4 would feature. As pictures of the iPhone 4 had been leaked for over a month before it was official I already knew what it looked like, but looks aren’t everything especially in the Smartphone market.

I have been quite disappointed by the last couple of iPhone’s ( the 3G and 3GS) as they weren’t much of a step up from the original iPhone, but this newest device has a plethora of new features including a better screen that has a resolution of 640 x 960, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and front mounted camera for video calling.

The battery has also been overhauled to make it last longer and the camera can record High Definition video up to 720p at 30fps.

My mate has pre-ordered his already and I’m looking forward to getting a nosey at it; who knows my wife’s contract is up soon, so could always get an iPhone 4 and swap if with my HTC Desire if she would let me

I’m off to a stag party for a friend of mine next month and we’re off go-karting in the morning then out in Liverpool on the night. I’ve never been out in Liverpool on a night out and am looking forward to it.

I know it’s a bit of a cliché but we are going to get some t shirt printing done, but not like the standard ‘Stag Do’ ones because we have a secret weapon. One of our friends is a designer and has agreed to do a custom design for our t-shirts. We’re meeting up with him on Friday to watch the England game (hope they play better than Saturday) and he is going to show us his designs then.

Can’t wait to see the designs, I’ve seen some of the stuff he has done in the past and their quite impressive. When we decide which one I will post a picture of it so you can spot us out in Liverpool and maybe buy us a drink

Having been quite lax at booking a family holiday this summer it’s all hands on deck as me and my wife decide where we want to go. We both fancy somewhere hot as we are going on a skiing holiday later in the year, with the south of Spain or Canary Islands.

We normally do self catering holidays, but this year I quite like the idea of renting a holiday apartment or villa; this would give us the scope to do whatever we want during the day without being tied to certain meal times.

Wherever we end up I also want to rent a car as we like to explore our surroundings and visit different places on our travels. It’s also easier to rent a car when you have two children, as transfers from the airport to the apartment could take a couple of hours.

We will hopefully have somewhere booked by the end of the week and I will let you know what we choose.

Summers here and we will undoubtedly be spending more time in the garden (providing the weather permits), so I have been looking at a garden gazebo to provide a nice seating area and a bit of shade.

Whilst looking on the internet I have found numerous different types of gazebo, from steel framed canopy styles to wooden thatched types making choosing one a daunting prospect. Do I want one that I can take down in the winter or move to different areas of the garden or a static permanent one that will stay there all year round, this is the first thing I have to decide.

There are pros and cons to each type of gazebo with temporary gazebos usually being cheaper than permanent gazebos, but often do not look as good. I will have to have a talk with the wife and decide which one will be best, but I hope to have one soon so I can enjoy the summer in style.