My friend, who's an attractive guy; he's American and I think that's a boon in these British Isles, is good at approaches. He's got that natural American confidence and he's pretty smart. So what's the problem? When he gets stuck in a long conversation with a girl he ends up talking about something in his comfort zone, last time I went out with him I think it was about cheese...

I could see the girls were creatively dressed (I don't mean that as an insult) and so I commented on it and asked them if they were studying fashion. They laughed at me and said that "fashion design wasn't as good as the course they were on" (Elitists but... well whatever) they were doing something called "Atelier".

It doesn't particularly matter anyway. One thing I've found is that if you maximise what you can talk about with girls it makes escalating that much easier. I'm sort of a fact-sponge and I read a lot so for me it's a happy coincidence, but it makes even just the talking to girls a damn sight easier. So my tip is to get to know things women are interested in better; Art, fashion, cocktails, music, theatre (just from the top of my head). Simple advice, but it works.