A National Friendship Database

I totally agree, I can't believe no one's spotted this opportunity. Often on dating sites people say they're just looking for new friends. MeetUp is the closest it gets.

I did recently see a guy running a few times on similar routes to me and a similar speed. I passed him once in the park and just went up to him and asked him if he wanted to run together. We swapped numbers and now have a weekly run together. We're becoming good friends and I really value chatting with him more than the running now and looking forward to post lockdown where we can hang out socially. It's emboldened me to do the same to others in future. Sport can help with this, playing badminton or doing courses was a good way to meet people and ask them to hang out in a non committal way.

Let's set it up! Know any technical types who could do that side of it while we publicise it? lol.

Well done with your running buddy. I met my recent best friend through Pilates. People who do Pilates and Yoga seem to be friendly types and the exercises look funny so laughing helps.

Maybe a combined National Friendship Database with some form of sport, to get people active? 'Want to make friends and keep fit? Join the NFD running/ yoga/ swimming/ whatever* group to do both.'

I've tried Meetup but I live in a small village and hardly ever get use of a car so it's a limited choice. And I've met some real weirdos through Meetup, it's put me off a bit. There is a group for women friends called Girlfriend Circles but 99% of the women on there are American so all their meetups are in America.

Maybe one day the NFD will happen...

The old version of me would be thinking this through, but I've learnt I can't fix everything.

Clubs, community groups, green party, activism and sport have been great for me for meeting people. It takes sticking your neck out, tenacity, and it's never ending as people drop off, move, get partners, etc, but I'm glad I've done it.

The old version of me would be thinking this through, but I've learnt I can't fix everything.

Clubs, community groups, green party, activism and sport have been great for me for meeting people. It takes sticking your neck out, tenacity, and it's never ending as people drop off, move, get partners, etc, but I'm glad I've done it.

It's nice to know that some people are happy where they live

Yeah, and am very happy living in Lancaster too!

I guess it can be lovely if you're a local and everyone knows and loves you but when you move somewhere new, have a baby and get stuck there with no friends, it's bloody lonely. I imagine you wouldn't be having a baby though, as a man, unless medical science has moved on somewhat.

I grew up somewhere like that, and if you're from there, and your parents are, and everyone else then it can be really lovely. It made me laugh when i went back 10-15 years ago and I got introduced to someone as "Mona's first." No name or anything. I'm the first, but not my mother's first child, but my granmother Mona's first grandchild!

Thanks. I just thought it was something wrong with me for so long, but eventually I realised that everyone else was born here, they've lived here all their lives and never had to make the slightest effort to get on with anyone they don't know or cope with any different situations. Our window cleaner worked in Australia for 6 months, what a great opportunity, I thought he'd move there permanently but he came rushing back saying he didn't get on with anyone there and he preferred the village he grew up in. Everyone here is interrelated, everyone is cousins/ step siblings/ ex partners to everyone else. It really is a backwater.

That's along time to go with few friends and feeling lonely, even with family. I'm glad you get the chance to move on.

Yes, I wasn't being totally serious, we'd need a proper technical department, a business plan and money wouldn't we...

Yes, I've done all those, tried everything in this little village, but it's NO ENTRY to people who weren't born here. I've been here 20 years now, I've only made 2 friends, so time to move on. 3 years to go, then we can up sticks to pastures new!