I have just experienced something wonderful that has reminded me, yet again, why I love the Tripbods network and wanted to share it. The most interesting part of this, however, is that it wasn’t that I experienced the Tripbod service as a visitor – no, I experienced it as a local. What I needed was specific advice about the place where I live… the place where I am a local!

To explain: it’s my turn to organise Valentine’s Day. We’re not into the naff scene of being one couple amongst hundreds in the same restaurant eating the same set menu, competing over how romantic you can be. No, would rather pull teeth thanks. But I am not against using the 14th Feb as an excuse to have a mid-week date night and be creative, either.

So last night I rang round the various places I had in mind and, to my increasing panic, everywhere was totally booked up, even the cool quirky little places that I thought no one would think of going to. Now I have only lived in this area of town for a few months but in that time I have explored pretty thoroughly and so when I had exhausted my ideas list and drew a blank I panicked.

Then a thought struck me. Remembering that there is a particularly talented Tripbod in the area I dropped her a quick message through tripbod.com with something along the lines of ‘help, just need place to eat/listen to live music/not feel naff, am bad gf leaving this so late, etc, but if you have any ideas….please help’.

A short while later a message popped up from Kathryn and she simply swooped in to save my day. Kathryn gave me multiple fantastic suggestions of places to eat, novel ideas for things to do, all within the local area and within our interest range. Personalised, personal, perfect.

Now that is the kind of service I’ll pay for. Thanks Kathryn.