Would you ever go to a restaurant alone?

27th June: There are some things I'd NEVER do on my own.

The thought of walking into a cinema to watch a film on my own sends me into a cold sweat. I'd rather go with an almost-stranger than with no one at all!

Maybe it's the thought of other people thinking I'd been stood up. Or maybe it's the fact I love to discuss films after I've seen them. Or maybe it's just that I see trips to the cinema as such a social thing, I'd never consider going on my own.

The same's true of restaurants. I would never choose to go out for a meal without anyone else. I'd feel self-conscious, worried other people felt sorry for me, the loner at the table for one in the corner. I would miss chatting about the meal with someone else. I'd feel lonely.

I thought this was a pretty common view. I mean, it's not every day that you see people dining out alone is it? If it was that common, there'd be more tables set up with just one chair and place setting.

But, apparently, it's more common to do stuff like that - eating out and going to the cinema - on your own nowadays. More and more people are doing it. Jez included.

He recently went for a picnic on his own, much to his friends' amusement. But when he read out some of the wind-up texts they sent him, lots of you got in touch. The solo diners and cinema-goers came out in droves.

But the one that most made me rethink my wimp-like strategy when it comes to going out on your own, is the text we had from Ant:

Morning Jez and Molly! I once went to Majorca on holiday on my own for a week. When I was there I met my wonderful partner Deb and if I hadn't gone on my own, our lovely son Kyle would not exist!

Alright Ant. I'm stumped. This could be the first time anyone's managed to change my mind about this!