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Dear Dilys social groups near you
Are you new to the area or looking to make some new friends? If so there is a social group in the area that may be just right for you.
Groups have been established thanks to the Dear Dilys agony column which is published in editions of the Informer newspaper, and they've been going strong for 18 months.
Dilys said: "My readers particularly wanted something to do on a Sunday, when so many other people are out and about with their families. So the first group was arranged. Someone came up with the idea of meeting in a garden centre as they are friendly, approachable places for people on their own."
The first group took place in Addlestone; it took off quickly and firm friendships have been formed. People meet regularly every Sunday and arrange further activities like pub quiz nights, days out, theatre trips, weight-loss groups and even weekends and holidays away.
More groups followed so that there are now 5 regular meeting places and two more to follow at the end of the month.
All you need to do to join in is to turn up. At the new groups it will be important to identify yourself - so we suggest carrying either a copy of the newspaper, or maybe a printout of this web-page, but Syon Park and Merton garden centres are providing leaflets too, so you can pick up a leaflet on your way in and if you're first there, display it prominently on your table.
Regular meeting places: Sundays 1230
Squires Garden Centre café, Knaphill, Littlewick Road, Woking
Wyevale Garden Centre café, New Haw Road/Brighton Road, Addlestone
Notcutts Garden Centre café, Staines Road, Laleham for the Ashford/Stanwell area
Squires Orangery Cafe, Halliford Road, Upper Halliford, Shepperton
Sundays 230pm
Squires Garden Centre café, Burwood Road, Hersham for Walton/Weybridge
New Groups from 26th April
Wyevale Garden Centre Cafe, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex
Lower Morden Garden Centre Cafe, (previously known as Wyevale Garden Centre Merton), Lower Morden Lane, Surrey SM4 4SJ
Sundays 1230 26th April onwards
Turn up, carrying either a copy of the Informer or one of the garden centre leaflets to identify yourself. The idea is for people to meet up, make new friends and then they have the opportunity to arrange further social activities together.
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Apparently 4 people turned up to the new Social Group in Syon Park on Sunday. A small turnout, perhaps, but it could be the beginning of something bigger! Our other existing Social Groups seem to attract regular attendances of around 15 people....so the opportunity is there to meet new people and make new friends. Perhaps those of you who hesitated to be amongst the first last week, might now be encouraged to go along next Sunday? I hope so. The idea is, basically, for you to simply turn up, meet whoever else is there, and arrange other things to do as and when you feel like it. There's no main 'organiser' - it's up to you really. This has worked at the other Garden Centres. So Good Luck Syon Park!
Dilys
It seems the sunny Bank Holiday may have kept people away from our Social Groups last weekend. Apparently only one person turned up to Syon Park on Sunday......and there was, obviously, nobody else for her to meet up with! So - just a reminder - if you're keen to get out and meet new people, please turn up to the Syon Park Garden Centre cafe on Sundays at 1230. Drive in through the main gates of Syon Park to the garden centre at the end of the drive. The more the merrier...for the more people who make the effort, the more friends you're likely to make. Good Luck!
Dilys
I have attended all the social groups mentioned in Dilys Morgan's recent article, except the Merton group.( It is a long way to get there from where I live).
All the groups are very welcoming and quickly put you at ease. the meetings are all in cafes in garden centres, so there are no doors to walk through, and if you don't fancy it you walk out, and nobody notices.
The meeting time is 12-30 on Sunday afternoons, when a lot of people have time to socialise. Most people are ladies in there sixties, there are also men in the same age group. There is no problem for younger people meeting up, its open to all people, married, single, young or old, just go and make a friend.
There are no rules, no need to join, no fee's. What I suggest is each group gets a diary, and passes it round, people can write down what they would like to do, this can then be discussed by the group to see if anyone else is interested, the diary is also useful if people write in their name and contact details, so they don't miss out on he fun, they may not attend every weeek, this is a group where you can just drop in or out, with no commitments.
This group has been running four two years, but people must attend to keep it going, The group is set up for you, Its up to you to keep it going. I wish to thank the Informer local paper, for their support for this group.