With more single people in the UK than ever before, Valentine’s Day can seem like a day you’d rather avoid if you are without a beau. The origin of the day dates back to the Middle Ages and is officially a celebration of ‘romantic’ love, but how can single Belles really embrace and enjoy it, other than sending Hallmark-encouraged secret Valentine’s cards to George, who sits at the desk opposite? Well psychologist and Belle contributor Rachel MacLynn suggests that it  it’s time to give it a more modern twist and follow the traditions of many countries around the world that give it a more generic meaning. ‘In Finland, Valentine’s Day means ‘Friend’s Day’ and is based around remembering friends and similar traditions are found in Estonia and some Latin American countries,’ she says.  Read more... (498 words, 2 images, estimated 2:0 mins reading time)

They say that the way to your beau’s heart is through his stomach but if you want to make sure that he does not collapse on the sofa in a food induced coma after eating the meal you lovingly prepared, try these sexy super-foods to make sure he is ready to have a bit of amorous fun and make this valentines night one to remember!  Read more... (695 words, 5 images, estimated 2:47 mins reading time)

Sport and the Truth About Shopping

Picture the scene: it’s Saturday afternoon and you’ve hit the local high street with your boyfriend in search of some new clothes. As you gaze at the shoes, scarves and other paraphernalia you notice a man walking past in a football shirt and instinctively shudder as the haze of man-made fibres catch the light and damned near blind you. Thankfully, it’s not your bloke. No. He’s far too sophisticated and man-about-town to ever don such garb. Phew!  Read more... (758 words, 2 images, estimated 3:02 mins reading time)

It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. When body language speaks volumes

When we start dating someone, other than having a wonderful time, our minds are continuously forming initial impressions, and interpreting words and signals while we get to know each other. The actual words we use together with how we say them, tone, volume etc., contribute up to just 45% of our message and the rest is conveyed through body language, such as posture, gestures and mannerisms. We naturally interpret body language to gauge what the person is really feeling inside – critical when we fancy someone!  Read more... (951 words, 2 images, estimated 3:48 mins reading time)

There are so many fabulous single women in London – sassy, fun, successful and beautiful and while some are happy to be footloose and fancy free, many others would love to find their own Mr Big and settle down.  Read more... (1213 words, 5 images, estimated 4:51 mins reading time)

A  poll of 2,000 UK males by social networking site Badoo looked at the features men find most attractive in the opposite sex with surprising results – blondes were beaten by brunettes.

In fact a third (33.1%) of all those polled said they find brown hair more attractive than blonde (29.5%), black (28.6%) and red (8.8%), contradicting the adage that gentlemen prefer blondes.  Read more... (388 words, 2 images, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)

Bombarded by fertility facts and figures, women are increasingly obsessed with the tick tock of their biological clock, with the desire to find ‘Mr Happy Ever After’ feeling all-consuming. And movie’s like The Back-up Plan starring Jennifer Lopez and the delicious Alex O’Loughlin don’t help with the unrealistic expectations of love.  Read more... (595 words, 2 images, estimated 2:23 mins reading time)

Men huh – can’t live with them and can’t live without them but do we tar them all with the same brush letting mass generalisations dictate how we deal with the more rugged sex. We decided to let journalist and our Beau About Town Phil Boucher set us straight! So what are his qualifications to give us this advice? Well he’s the father of two daughters, been married for seven years, has busted knees from playing way too much football and has just agreed to become the drummer in a rock’n’roll band, despite the fact that he doesn’t own any sticks and has never played the drums – the perfect person then!  Read more... (1504 words, 4 images, estimated 6:01 mins reading time)

When it was announced that George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis had broken up after two years, a quiet cheer went up from women everywhere. Their silver fox was single again! Why is it that we get so excited when we hear our favourite heartthrob is single again?  Read more... (514 words, 2 images, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

Even the most cynical and ‘grown-up’ among us love a fairytale. Whether it’s Disney’s Tangled, Enchanted or Cinderella and her glass slipper, who hasn’t at some time dreamt of being whisked away on a white horse to a life of never-ending romance with an impossibly handsome prince or princess?  Read more... (753 words, 4 images, estimated 3:01 mins reading time)