Dating

Do people date anymore?
I mean, I know straight people do, but what about normal people (ha ha)?

I can't remember the last time I had a date. It was probably about 20 years ago. Now, all anyone ever wants to do is fuck and that just isn't my thing. I have been on a variety of gay "dating" sites for years and have tried to get to meet people just for drinks initially, people who I've been chatting with on line, and all I ever get is "when are we gonna fuck?"
I am a hopeless romantic, I think, who thought by now he would be settled in a long-term relationship and was hoping that he wouldn't have to be worried about that sex stuff any more. Now I feel that if I want to have a relationship I will have to have a lot of sex that I just don't want! Yes, I'll probably get off on the sex, but it really isn't what I am looking for, and, to be honest, I'm not particularly good at it (as opposed to kissing which I am fantastic at, btw).
I just want a nice guy to keep me company on those quiet nights at home, to go shopping with (retail AND grocery), to go to the cinema with, to the pub for a quiet couple of drinks, to go for a walk with, to visit family with. I just want a relationship. Is that unobtainable?

If I can't have that elusive relationship, then I just want a few good friends to spend time with. At the moment, in London, I have one good friend, Tim, and he isn't really up for doing much at the moment (mainly because of the hole in his head!!), and we never really get around to doing much other than going drinking anyway! I've known Tim for about 8 years now and the only time we have ever done something other than drinking is when we went to see Star Trek earlier this year (even then we went to the pub first). This is the reason why I am considering moving back down to Torquay. There I know I have a few friends I can hang out with.

I want a life, which is the main reason I want to change my job from shift work to the "normal" Monday to Friday stuff. If I am working weekDAYS, when most people I know are working too, I will also be off at the same time and so free to accept invitations and meet people at normal times. Over the last 7 years I have had to turn down quite a few invitations and some potential dates because of the shifts that I work. I have lost track of some acquaintances because of the odd hours that I work. I'm sick of it. I need to make a change and I need to get out there and start dating again. You never know, I may meet someone who actually gets me to enjoy the whole sex-thing again. You never know.