to think that they are just bloody rude?

[Asteria]

I live in a delightfully rural area, jammed to the rafters with really lovely married friends, but am a single parent and don't have any single friends living nearby. I have girly lunches, get DS's friends and their mothers over for after school teas and on occasion have supper parties. I would have more supper parties but it is getting embarrassing as I am NEVER invited back to anything but girly things. My mother (who also had a stint as a single parent) assures me that this is just because of people's insecurity about inviting attractive single girls into their happily married cliques - but I'm getting to a point when i just think that it is bloody rude! I have actually considered moving house because of it - but is this a nationwide phenomenon? Am I being unreasonable for finding this upsetting?

I always have made a point of still inviting single friends to things, even if it does mess up seating plans, friends are more important!

Have you held a dinner party and invited couples rather than just the woman?

Also, have you thought to ask your friend with lots of divorced male friends if she thinks any of the would be of interest to you and say she's welcome to sit you next to sexy single men at dinner any time... (But then I appreciate bluntness, your friend might not...) Of course, she might not be inviting you to dinner with them as she thinks they are all fuckwits and would think it would look like she was setting you up with someone so rubbish and that might ruin your friendship...

I always invite all of my friends, including the singles.

It usually balances out nicely anyway because I have a single male friend and my sister's husband doesn't like to come to parties so they match up. They even played as a couple when we played a silly game of mr and mrs! (and they won)

Sometimes I know one of my friend's partners can't come but I wouldn't not invite her because of it.

asteria sorry that is quite rude and perhaps you need different interests and a nicer group of friends, I can't imagine smug cosy couple only parties sounds dull

I hope you don't feel too bad it is their problem and they don't sound like friends I would like to keep

My surrogate mummy has just suggested that I do a drinks party in early December and make some off the cuff remarks about feeling dreadful that I have been so antisocial this year as an excuse for getting everyone together. Hopefully the hint will be taken. Fingers crossed - failing that I will have another drinks and put arsenick in the punch and do some creative landscape gardening!!!!