Hitchin Hookups: Hitchin Women Want to Meet

A month-long festival means no shortage of excuses to meet

Hitchin dates from at least the seventh century and grew around a market place and the church of St Mary, on the western bank of the River Hiz. The valley marks the north-eastern end of the Chilterns, 35 miles north of London, and 35,220 people lived here at the 2021 census. At the southern edge of the centre stands the Priory, a monastery from 1317 that was partly rebuilt as a country house.

What helps if you want to meet someone is how much goes on. The annual Hitchin Festival packs more than 100 events into a month, from picnics, concerts and theatre to ghost walks, comedy, talks, summer fetes and fireworks. A yarn festival has joined it since 2014, music venues host regular gigs through the year, and a museum tells the story of the area from prehistoric times. Suggest an event instead of a drink and the first meeting does half the work for you.

Plenty of halfways: Stevenage, Luton and Harpenden

Hitchin sits close to the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire line, so a middle ground is easy to find.

1. Pick a town between you. Stevenage is 4.8 miles away, Shefford 6.5 and Luton 7.4, with Harpenden and Biggleswade both under ten.
2. Make it an outing. In festival month an event beats a table for two; the rest of the year, ask about a gig.
3. Sort your own lift home. Then ending the evening is your call, not a matter of timetables.

Meeting a stranger for the first time? Read our hookup safety tips before you go.