to ask how do you get to know your neighbours?

[pimsandlemonade]

We are planning a move to a small country village after living in London for over 10 years.
We are both not born in the UK and have only lived in London in this country where you generally don't know your neighbours, at least we don't.

As we now have 2 young DC and i will be SAHM for a bit, i would like to be friendly with the neighbours if possible and generally hoping to make some friends in the village.
So i'm wondering if there is an etiquette of introducing yourself to your neighbours in a small village? Or do you just wait until you run into them?
I'm guessing a home baked basket of muffins is a bit over the top and too Wisteria Lane?

Go to everything you see advertised on the village/parish noticeboard or in the shop window. You might roll your eyes at the thought of the open garden day/ cake sale/ jumble sale, but it shows you want to be part of the community - and you never know, you might enjoy it.

Def say good morning to everyone, and make conversation with people in the shop or wherever.

Never, ever, ever, say anything negative about someone. They may well be the person you are talking tos sil/cousin or whatever.

And use the local facilities. Again, you might prefer the cinema at the multiplex, but community/outreach cinema (of films released months ago) is a lot cheaper and fun.

SoleSource not quite sure of your point, but the real countryside is not all middle class - there is every class from Polish farm workers on minimum wage to the Lord of the Manor whose family arrived with the Conqueror.

I can't think of anything worse, TBH

DH would like to move to a village at some point, but I think I'm too much of an introvert, given some of these replies

My fear is: how do you then get rid of people?

God don't worry they will get to know you. I did the same and on moving in day I met most of them. Often come home to home grown produce on my door step. Although am putting in a high fence to let me sunbath

Villages vary a lot. You certainly don't have to become "a country person" in the type of village we live in. It isn't that rural and nor are the surrounding villages. They vary in size too.

I lived in London for 13 years before moving to a smallish village in rural Surrey. Within a week of moving in, I knew the names of more neighbours than I had done in London. Our NDN invited us to a party pretty soon and made a point of introducing us to lots of people. It is very friendly and much easier-going than London.

I'd echo what PPs have said about joining in with village life. Our village has a facebook page which helps you to identify the "characters" . You'll meet people at pre-school and school when your dc join.