Out for Sunday lunch with my daughter at the weekend we noticed a lady being shown to a table, after ordering a glass of wine and her meal she sat reading her book until it arrived, eating it quite happily
Not sure I could do that, I think I would feel too self conscious,
maybe if I knew the staff
Could you, do you eat out alone ?
On the odd occasion that I have eaten alone in some establishment, it does feel strange and a bit uncomfortable.
Mrs Fox was assisting at the local Festival of Art last weekend. After passing the village cafeā on my way to have a wander round the festival, I decided to call in at the cafeā for a light lunch.
The cafeā was alive with conversation and the chinking of pots as I strutted through the door.
Some people were surprised to see an old bloke in a pair of shorts march up to the counter with one eye on a small vacant table at back of the premises.
I ignored the stares and approached the waiting assistant stood behind the counter.
āCould I have one of your finest jacket potatoes with Tuna pleaseā I askedā¦
She smiled and informed me in no uncertain terms that the usual cook was on holiday this week and only cake and tea were available.
It felt like a punch in the stomach, everyone held their breath and stared, it reminded me of the times when I was young and gingerly crept into the chemist for a pack of condomsā¦
āNo problemā I replied āI fancied something more substantialā She smiled and apologised as I backed out of the establishmentā¦
Its good Foxy, to see a geezer of a certain age, making a stand. 
No.Although I donāt like dining out at all. 
It has its pros and its cons 
Someone else does the cooking and washing up I suppose.
I travelled a lot on my job and often stayed in hotels where I ate by myself.
I donāt have a problem with it at all and have dined many times on my own, usually when itās been to do with work or when I used to compete in certain sports.
These days, that is all behind me and I canāt envisage when Iāll dine alone again being as Iām retired. But I wouldnāt bother me if I had to again.
Dining alone has less dilemmas, one does not have consider āGoing Dutchā 
I have done when travelling in the past. I was okay with it but much prefer company, depending on who it is of course!
Thatās what makes car ownership so necessary nowadays, you can use the āDrive Throughā
I know what you mean about feeling self conscious.
I think men tend to do this more than women, but i often nip into the pub for an informal bite to eat when in town shopping alone.
Itās very different to dining alone in the evening at a proper restaurant, which is more of a social ocassion.
If i travel up north to see my sister, i often stay at a hotel on the way, so eating alone canāt be avoided at breakfast time etc.
I do it all the time, doesnāt worry me at all.
Often I see people I know when eating locally, we have a chat but they know not to invite me to join them, I always refuse.
At one place I asked to be moved because the seated me by the kitchen entrance out of the way.
Iāve dined alone most of my life while out on a wild desolate windswept moorā¦
Sorry about the quality, photography had only just been invented back in 1981
Nothing wrong with snapshots Foxy, thereās a kind of honesty!
Yes Iām quite happy doing this in informal places, usually when Iām killing time somewhere. No one takes any notice of you theyāre all too wrapped up in their own problems.
Or busy fiddling with their phones.
Iām definitely a phone āfiddlerā but only when sitting at a table on my own - never when in company!
Going into a restaurant and getting a table for one can feel a bit awkward but after a few times it is surprising how you get used to it. And its certain the restaurant staff are used to single diners. I much prefer going out to a restaurant than dining on my own in a hotel restaurant - for some reason I am put off by many other solitary diners.
I remember doing a project up in Newcastle and Monday evening was always on my own (others in team came the next day). My routine was walk from the hotel up Earl Gray Street, turn off onto a side road and into a pub / restaurant (PTMY). Grab a beer, they had a great selection, drink half while reading one of the newspapers they provided. Take the rest of the pint into their restaurant, finish while ordering & waiting, read my book, order a glass of wine and scoff my dinner. Same every Monday - perfect.
