Following huge success in London, speed dating has finally arrived in the North-East. Women's Editor Christen Pears goes in search of love.

YOUR eyes meet across the table, you strike up a conversation, discover you're soulmates and then, after three minutes, you move onto the next person. This is speed dating. We all want to meet someone special but as the working day encroaches more and more into our leisure hours, most of us simply don't have the time to date. Speed dating may be the answer. Already a huge success in the capital, it offers participants the opportunity to meet up to 40 dates in one evening, spending three minutes with each.

Aimed at busy, 30-something professionals, 40datesAnight works on the concept that it only takes a few minutes to know whether there's a spark between a couple. At the very least, it means you don't have to waste an entire evening with someone you find only slightly more attractive than Chubby Brown, but you may also make friends or even meet the love of your life.

"It doesn't take long to know whether you like someone," says Sarah Atkinson, who organised the North-East's first event at the trendy Bar 38 on Newcastle's Quayside. The medical rep and her husband Gary, an information systems consultant, decided to introduce speed dating to the region after seeing it advertised in a Sunday paper last October.

"It sounded so different, we knew we had to get involved. It's not like any other kind of dating and as well as giving you the chance to meet potential dates, it's a lot of fun."

The evening begins with a champagne reception, where participants are encouraged to mingle. My friend and I have arrived straight from work so we're more interested in the canapes than the men but we do strike up a conversation with a fellow female. In her 30s, she's looking for an intelligent man with a great body and a sense of humour. Not much to ask, you might think, and we scan the room to see if there are any likely candidates. As only three men have turned up so far, and none of them sets our pulses racing, her chances of success seem slim.

It's a long time before the real business begins, largely because most of the men are late. We spend time waiting for five who don't turn up but in the end, the organisers decide to cut their losses, and things get underway.

Armed with clipboards and compatibility cards, and looking rather nervous, everyone sits down opposite their first date. Mine is Stephen, a lawyer who likes opera and abseiling and has a nice line in orange shirts.

It is all a little strained at first, no-one knowing quite what to ask but it seems no time at all before a blast of music sounds, signalling that the three minutes are over.

The women remain in their seats and the men move round to the next table, everyone surreptitiously marking their compatibility card to indicate whether they want to see their date again. After a few dates, everyone's getting into the swing of things, laughing and joking.

Dr Nick Neave, a lecturer in evolutionary psychology at the University of Northumbria and an expert in mate selection and attractiveness, is observing the proceedings and says he is very impressed.

"Traditionally, people have used newspaper ads but you don't know what you're getting with them," he explains. "The whole idea of this is that you know within the first minute whether you want to spend time with someone. It acts as a filter and hopefully, by the end of the evening, there will be four or five people you will want to see again."

On the whole, the women seem more serious. Some of the men have come out of curiosity, others have been dragged along by their friends, and at the end of the day, there are only 21 of them, although there is a real mix of ages and professions, including policemen, engineers and a lawyer. Some of the women seem a bit disappointed but we all know men are bit slow when it comes to this sort of thing. The organisers certainly expect more to attend future events.

Deborah Sherborne, who brought speed dating to the UK, says: "It did take a few months for things to get going in London because speed dating is so new, but now it's incredibly popular.

"You get to meet so many different people in one night, rather than waste an evening on a blind date with someone you know you don't want to see again after the first five minutes. It's a wonderful compromise between the practical and the romantic."

Her partner first came across speed dating while he was in America and decided it was something that could work over here. He's been proved right.

"There used to be a stigma attached to dating agencies but in the last few years, it has become much more acceptable, especially after Internet dating took off," says Deborah. "We have such busy lives that when we do get some time off work, we spend it catching up on all those everyday things we don't have time to do.

"Blind dates are great if the people who fix you up know both of you really well but you could end up spending an evening with someone you just don't fancy. You know in the first 20 seconds whether you're physically attracted to someone and you spend the next two-and-a-half minutes finding out a bit more.

"But even if you don't meet anyone, it can be a great night out. Lots of people who have attended the London events have struck up same-sex friendships and widened their social circle."

By the end of the evening we're hoarse from talking so much, and feeling drained, but we've certainly had fun. I have a long list of ticks in the 'no' column but I know there are others who have hit it off. Three minutes may not seem a long time but it may be long enough to find love.

l There are more events planned for Newcastle and the first Teesside venue will be announced soon. For more information, call Sarah or Gary on 07791 356927 or visit the website at www.40datesanight.co.uk.