It is never too late to find love. At least that is what a young farmer and his mates think as they try to find a companion for their 70-year-old friend.

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Last year on Valentine's Day, 31-year-old strawberry and tomato farmer Tony Sarks dragged his housemate along to a singles night in Port Macquarie.

"It was a fun evening, we didn't meet anyone but I did notice there was a bit of an older crowd there — a lot of people, middle aged and upwards looking for love," Mr Sarks said.

"I remember turning to Tom and I just said, 'Next year we are coming to this and we are bringing Geoff.'"

Geoff Agnew has kept himself fit as a personal trainer, but hasn't dated anyone for 20 years. ( ABC News: Carla Mascarenhas )

Geoff Agnew's marriage broke down more than 20 years ago and he has been single ever since. He works with Tony on his family's farm.

The 70-year-old Mr Agnew used to be a pecan farmer and personal trainer, and says he was hit for six when his marriage ended.

"I was devastated when my marriage broke down … it came out of the blue. I wasn't listening and looking for the warning signs," he said.

"When money goes, love flies out the window."

Since his marriage breakdown, the fitness fanatic has never dated and lived a solitary, frugal life, in a tin shed at Red Hill on the NSW Mid North Coast.

According to Mr Sarks, nobody deserves love more than his septuagenarian employee.

"He is a really, really decent, lovely guy, everybody loves him and he's so good for morale," he said.

"I can't help but feel he might be lonely, and I think that everybody deserves to be with someone — no-one more so than Geoff."

Mr Sarks and his housemate, 26-year-old engineer Tom Ahern, planned to use the Valentine's Day singles event in Port Macquarie to introduce Mr Agnew back into the fraught dating world, a prospect that 70-year-old found amusing.

Mr Ahern said they even had to come up with a strategy for the night.

"The plan of attack … we scope out the joint, see what talent is there, make a move on a few different crowds, get him talking to some nice, lovely ladies and then see what happens," he said.

The Valentine's Day singles event at Port Macquarie this year attracted an older, predominately female crowd. ( ABC News: Carla Mascarenhas )

So, how'd it go?

The crew arrived at Port Panthers club — but hit a snag when they realised this year's event was masquerade.

At least Mr Agnew would stand out.

As predicted, the main party goers were women, and this event seemed to be a no-go zone for anyone under 35 — so Mr Agnew was in luck.

The Port Macquarie Singles Club brought around 30 people to the event alone.

Bronwyn Fleming said the majority of her club's 358 members were older women and she lamented the "man drought" in regional Australia.

"We are all looking for just a decent relationship, a lovely guy," she said.

"We have all been hurt, men and women, we all have evil exes, there are reasons why exes are exes. We just want to have a bit of companionship.

"It is hard to get men to come out."

Geoff Agnew and friends at the Port Macquarie singles night at Port Panthers. ( ABC News: Carla Mascarenhas )

It turned out Mr Agnew did not need any help from the boys when mingling.

As a natural charmer — funny, warm and an engaging conversationalist — his time in solitary confinement in his tin shed enabled him to expand his thoughts on a variety of conversation topics.

There was no shortage of interest, but Mr Agnew was keeping his cards close to his chest.

Geoff Agnew enjoyed himself at the Port Macquarie Singles Night. ( ABC News: Carla Mascarenhas )

But would he defy the odds and find someone to love?

Research shows singles in regional areas can find it hard to recover from a relationship breakdown.

Ann Hollonds, director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, said men often did not get the support they needed due to a lack of family and mental health services, along with a misguided view of masculinity.

"Coming from a long tradition of masculine identity, there's the idea that you need to soldier on when you have personal problems," she said.

"And in rural areas, it seems from research that's been done, those sorts of cultural norms are still very strong and that can make it harder for men in rural areas when they face big challenges like relationship breakdown."

Wanting 'someone to talk to'

Mr Agnew said he was an "old-school romantic".

He was looking for "intelligence and beauty", and said he would be reluctant to date unless there was a significant connection.

The thing he said he missed most about being married was the companionship.

"And someone to talk to," he said.

"They always talk about the sex, of course, and when you're young there's plenty of that.

"But as you get older, you're more interested in the companionship — and finding someone who can tolerate you."



So Mr Agnew left the event popular, but still single.

The boys at the end of the night. ( ABC News: Carla Mascarenhas )

Mr Sarks was disappointed with the lack of solid leads.

"Given the number of single women in Geoff's age range, you would have thought he would have had a high chance of meeting someone, so it is disappointing, but I'm glad we got the ball rolling," he said.

But it appeared all was not lost as Mr Agnew was not immune to the idea of future set-ups by the boys.

"I'd like to fall in love again. Why not? It is a lovely feeling," he said.