How to meet people and make friends (In the UK or anywhere really)

In light of the homesickness and loneliness that a lot of people seem to be experiencing at the moment, I thought it wouldn't hurt to bump this thread! There's some really useful information here! 

Agreed! Perhaps this thread should be stickied so people can easily find it in the future?

I am a huge Beatles fan and I am fortunate that my fiance found a job in Liverpool and I have made some great friends through my love of the Beatles. Going to Beatles events is how I made friends in the US as well. I am not one for being friends with someone just because you work with them or go to school with them. I find my best friends are made through a common love and appreciation of something.

If you are looking for a way to make friends go out and do the things that you did in the US. I went to the Cavern Club by myself many times before I found 2 really great ladies who are now my closest friends.

Some very good advice here! Working is always probably the best way to make friends (or even enemies!  ) but if you're retired or running a business remotely like I am you have to get resourceful.

And remember, making new friends seems to get harder the older you get. When I first came to the U.K. starting at 18 years old I made friends real easily. I hitch-hiked all over and made friends with people who gave me rides. They in turn gave me addresses and phone numbers of their friends in the places I was going.

But now I'm much older (I don't hitchhike any more!) and it takes a lot more effort. Older people are more settled in their ways and are not as open and adventurous as they once were. So I no longer get a name and address of someone with a place where I can "crash", say, in Leeds.

The way that my wife and I make contacts now is through recreation. We've always been into air sports starting with parachuting, then hang gliding, then paragliding. People in these activities tend to bond well and it's always been a great way to make friends wherever we go.

On a long holiday in Devon a few years ago we started taking gliding (sailplane) lessons and that also led into new contacts. Sadly, we weren't able to continue.

But you don't have to risk life and limb (and we've sure broken a few over the years) to meet people. Any recreational activity or hobby that you can share with others will work equally well.

So if you find yourself feeling lonely in your new home you should look into learning or doing something that you've always wanted to do. That could be scuba diving, rowing or even a reading club.

For those of you who are interested in clubs, classes, exercise classes, etc., I wanted to say that I am amazed at the number of community centres in York that I have found that offer these activities.

I don't know if this is just in York or it is how things are generally in the UK.

I have been here for 6 years and I am still discovering new community centre type places, some of them less than 15 minutes walk from my front door.

Some of these are places that  I walk by frequently and until recently had no idea that they were community centres.

Churches also sometimes host secular group activities.

Ask around or Google the particular activity you are interested in and your city/town.


 

I`m a Londoner and from my experience while meeting people in London used to be really difficult when you knew absolutely no one in town it`s now surprisingly easy due to the large amounts of online social networks that exist for this precise reason.  I have a website myself called `Celebrate London` which used to be a meetup and we exist to help people make new friends in London while discovering all the great things there are to do in the city. You`re very welcome to join us if you`d like to increase your social circle. http://celebratelondon.net [nofollow]  

I was thinking about this thread today because I just made a new friend while getting my hair cut! I started chatting to the woman sitting next to me and we found we have a lot in common. We exchanged phone numbers and emails and will definitely be meeting up for a drink. So you never know where you'll meet people!

This is a great post! Sometimes it takes time to make new friends overseas, but you really have to make an effort. In addition to the tips listed above, you can join a gym to meet people in classes. It is also helpful to join playgroups if you have children, which is a great way to meet other parents. If you belonged to a religious community in the US, join one in the UK to meet like-minded individuals. For more tips, check this out - newcomer link: http://intlmove.info/intlmove/making-new-friends-overseas/ [nonactive]

This is a great post! Sometimes it takes time to make new friends overseas, but you really have to make an effort.

By spamming forums?

Helpful post! Thanks for taking the time to help out us fellow expats I'll be trying some of these suggestions once I make the BIG move!

I know this is an old post but it is good information and I wanted to add something to it for people new to the forum and having trouble meeting people.

Another good place to meet people is at the library.  Many of the local libraries have book clubs or writing clubs etc.  Join them.  Even if you are not that interested in the books or writing it is a great way to meet people and start feeling like part of the community.  General the library groups are free and they are not high pressured in case you are new to whatever the group is doing.

I have also found searching through my district's website a list of other open community groups.  Look for community gatherings and see if you can join something that you are interested in.  Things I never would have done in the US I find myself doing in the UK and enjoying the people and the fun I am having.

SealieP

Another good place to meet people is at the library.  Many of the local libraries have book clubs or writing clubs etc.  Join them.  Even if you are not that interested in the books or writing it is a great way to meet people and start feeling like part of the community.  General the library groups are free and they are not high pressured in case you are new to whatever the group is doing.

Great idea, Sealpoint! Our local library also has occasional lectures and talks by authors - those are another good way of meeting people. In fact, I have a very good friend I met exactly like that! We were both on our own and just struck up a conversation.