The things people ask before they ring

Courtesy and clear intent. The man makes the invitation, plans it and settles the first bill. People telephone instead of texting for a fortnight. Nobody strings anybody along, and nobody disappears without a word. Everyone here is looking for one lasting relationship and says so out loud. It is about how people are treated, not about anybody being told what their place is.

No, and that is worth being clear about. Our women are GPs, head teachers, solicitors and business owners with careers they are proud of. What they are tired of is being pursued half heartedly. Old fashioned here means a man who makes an effort and states his intentions, not a woman who gives up her life.

Professional men and women, most between forty five and sixty five. Divorced, widowed, or never married. Consultants, engineers, teachers, nurses, accountants, senior managers, business owners and tradespeople who run their own firms. All interviewed in person, all identity checked, all genuinely single.

No. There is no app, no browsing and no algorithm. A person who has met you both decides on an introduction and explains their reasons. You are described to each other in words, and no contact details change hands until you have both agreed.

Never. There is no public directory, no profile page and no photograph circulated. Members are described to one another privately. Discretion is a large part of why professional people come to an agency rather than an app.

We ask directly at interview, we check photographic identity and address, and we look into professional background. It is not infallible, and we say so honestly. What we can promise is that anyone found to be married, attached or misleading is off the register that day and is not refunded.

We do not promise a number, because an agency that promises twelve will simply produce twelve. Most twelve month members meet between four and eight people. One good introduction beats a diary full of poor ones, and our job is the first sort.

Yes, in detail, and you never have to justify it. Age, faith, whether they have children at home, whether they drink, whether they smoke, how far they live, whether they are still working. We will tell you honestly if what you are asking for does not exist on our register.

Everyone on our register at the moment is a man seeking a woman or a woman seeking a man, so that is what we can honestly do well today. You are very welcome to register your interest, and we will tell you plainly whether we can help rather than take a fee we cannot earn.

Only you can say. We would far rather have the conversation now and agree to wait six months than take your membership while you are still in the middle of it. Nobody here will push you.

Being on the vetted register is free, and free members do get introduced. A twelve month membership with your own matchmaker is £1,150, six months is £695, and there is no success fee if you marry. Detail is on the membership page.

Tell us and we stop. We make no further introductions to either of you, and we pause your membership so that none of your term is being spent while you are courting. If it does not last, we pick it back up where we left off.

Yes to both, whenever you like and without a conversation you have to endure. Ask and everything we hold about you is deleted, apart from what we are obliged to keep for accounts.