‘Forty is a huge cut-off point for a lot of men,’ Ruthie explains.‘There was just one I met and we had a fantastic evening.I turned up a few minutes late for one date to find that the guy had already ordered and eaten dinner without me, and I booked myself on a climbing holiday with 14 fit men, only to discover halfway up the highest mountain in North Africa that they were all married.

He says that older women have the power to make a connection that turns into a dating opportunity.‘I always had boyfriends when I was younger and assumed I would again after James was born,’ she says. These chats were fun — and sometimes quite flirty — but if I ever suggested we meet, the men would often back off, saying they were not looking for a relationship.’A dozen or so dates followed over the years, none of them quite right.When she last registered with an online dating site she was 44 — and few men made contact. We have been divorced for 2 years and although it saddens me that my family has been broken apart, I am happy that my ex and I have have managed to be civil enough to make it okay for the kids.Here is what I have found: For single men the options are plentiful. It seems that the breakdown of available women fall into the following categories: 1.