The courage mustered to approach her was well worth it as you leave with her number firmly stored in your phone. Before you get carried away envisaging months of sex, you need to overcome the first hurdle of that all important first date.

1) Call her in good time and suggest a place yourself

Theres nothing worse than when a man waits three days to call a girl and then expects her to take him somewhere. Work out fun things to do in advance! Wait a day or so, choose a time in the evening and call her with a meeting place already in mind. If you cannot think of a place, ask for advice from your friends, if you dont know that many people, set up a Facebook or Twitter account and ask for objective advice or think of the last great place you went to and surprise her.

2) Dress smart

This may seem obvious but youd be surprised how many men rock up on a first date in tracksuits or worse – stained clothes! Dark blue jeans and a crisp t-shirt are your safest bet. Just make sure that your clothes AND your shoes are clean. If you have no idea how men dress in the U.K try to visit several high street websites that sell mens clothes. They will give you an idea of whats in style right now at affordable prices. www.asos.com, www.riverisland.com and www.topman.com might be worth a look.

3) Go to where there is an atmosphere

Whilst you do not want to go somewhere where you have to scream over a speaker to be heard, you equally dont want to be in a place which resembles the British library. As its a first date, you can either do dinner or a lively bar with subtle, low music can work a treat as can a quirky coffee shop. You want to hear each others voices; not the guy dropping his fork all the way on the other side of the room. If you do choose to go out for dinner, www.toptable.com has some great deals and reviews.

4) Compliment her – but not overly so

On your first date, shes bound to have made an effort so its only polite to tell her she looks great. When you meet for the first time, subtly kiss her on her cheek and compliment her in that moment. You want to steer clear from objectifying and over used words such as hot, sexy, fit and nice. Beautiful, pretty and lovely are all okay. Also, be careful not to overload on the compliments as this may appear insincere.

5) Ask questions

This tip is the same for both genders as everyone loves talking about themselves. Fact. You want to express an interest in her so ask her questions about her hobbies, her family and friends and her career. Not only will this give you vaulable information about her, it will also portray you as a great listener.

6) Remember what she has said

Theres no point in asking questions if youre just going to forget everything shes said half way through the evening. Remember facts and ask her questions based on them. For example, if she told you she has a sister perhaps ask her later on in the evening what sort of a relationship she has with her sister or if they share any qualities. She will love the fact that you are interested in a part of her life that is just hers and will relish in talking about someone close to her.

7) Maintain eye contact

A girl knows when a man is staring at her chest (no matter how hard he tries to hide it) so keep your gaze at eye level. At the same time, you dont want to creep her out by staring in to her eyes for hours on end so keep it subtle. Research has shown that a man who looks all over a womans face when he is talking to her, shows that hes interested in her. Who are we to argue with science?!

8) Act interested

A first date is almost like an interview with cocktails so you need to show that youre interested not just with your words, but with your body language too. Nod your head as she is talking, smile and refer back to past comments.

9) Offer to pay

Perhaps a more controversial tip but although equality is rife and women strive for it, it is still a fact that a female likes to feel spoiled and pampered once in a while. This doesnt mean that you have to take out a second mortgage just to fund your dates but on the first date it is important to show that you can be generous and you feel she is worth it. Controversial…but true. Sorry guys.

10) Be happy and comfortable

Above all else, remember that nobody wants to sit opposite a miserable and unrelaxed person. You have come from a different way of life, a varied culture and you have much to offer in the way of interesting conversation. You may want to tell her about the differences you have noticed between your country and the U.K, or what you have seen and done in London so far. You have taken the plunge to leave your home and travel to a different way of life and that makes you instantly cool.

If you make sure you never leave your house without your smile, youll leave your date thinking about you well after the night is over…and you may even be able to sneak in a goodnight kiss at the end of the night…you can thank us later.