To ask if you feel ‘integrated in your local community’?

[HelloKittyGirl]

Whatever the hell that even means.

I ask because we moved to a new area literally days before lockdown 1 began. Hence I’ve also used that as an excuse for not having got to know anyone locally, other than the immediate neighbours who are lovely but at very different life stages.

Now that things have returned to relative normal I’m wondering if I was just being stupid and kidding myself as I’m not even really sure how I’d meet people round here anyway! We’re on the edge of London and there its mostly commuters whose social networks are probably primarily based around work. It’s not The Archers or Postman Pat.

No.

We live in a lovely village, but neither of us grew up here or went to the local school. We don’t work in the village or have children in school. We are polite to our neighbours but they are not our friends. We mind our own business and are not really part of the community. We just live in here, and that suits us fine.

Yes I do, and I'm in London where according to MN everyone is rude and unfriendly and nobody talks to their neighbours

That isn't my experience at all. I live in a block of 6 flats and I'm in a WhatsApp group with 2 of my neighbours, we've been to the pub together a few times. I'm on speaking terms with several local shopkeepers and dog walkers (having a dog really helps) I volunteer at a local soup kitchen sometimes and I'm in a choir. Everyone I meet round here is friendly and chatty and I had several offers to walk my dog when I was isolating with Covid. I found the same in the previous area of London I lived in, very neighbourly and friendly.

However, I grew up in a small market town and despite spending the first 18 years of my life there and having school friends etc, I never felt like I fitted in.

Small market town- moved here 11 years ago and we have definitely integrated. It takes me a good while to get down the High street because there’s always someone to chat to!

I worked in a local school; had a dog; had a child with additional needs- I met lovely people through all of those things.

Not at all, and we've lived here 20 years. Not sure II would want to be though.

No, & I have lived in the same house in a city for nearly 33 years.... and that is how I like it. I think I would feel stifled in a village where everyone knows everyone else & expects you to "join in".... the horror! Anonymity is great!

Nope. Lived here for almost 20 years and not at all integrated. For me, this is by choice, I don't want to be.

My OH i would say probably is.

I think you get these little windows in life that enable you to integrate like being at the schools doors with other first time reception parents, etc but if you miss that window you are possibly out especially in places populated by commuters.

I found out that the people in my village were all busy at work during the day (like we did) and the ones that didn’t had nothing in common with us.