I guess I anticipated I would feel like this at some point. Having ripped myself out of my existing social networks and plonked myself down in a strange town, it's all feeling a bit quiet and lonely. Visits from various offspring and nimrods have helped, and the housewarming party at the end of January should help some more. But the challenge remains, I have to get out and make a new network for myself here.

Finding a church should help, but I am treading carefully on this one. I belonged to the same little church in Salisbury for about 18 years, sticking with them through some difficult times out of a sense that loyalty and perseverance was important. Got a lot of good things out of that time, but it was also pretty isolated from what has been happening in the wider Christian world. I've only recently started reconnecting - went to my first Greenbelt (at age of 44 for goodness sakes!) last year, finished Workshop last year. So I'm dead certain I don't want to dive into another isolated little church that's not connected to the Christian mainstream.

So far I've tried:

St Thomas's, a large attractive Anglican church just around the corner. Great to see a woman officiating at communion. Largish congregation seemed to be composed of wealthy retired types (what did I expect round here?)

Farnham Baptist Church. Very much what I'm used to, only bigger, happier and clappier. Seem to be growing - they were baptising a middle-aged convert (a man!) when I visited. Not sure if more of the same is what I want?

Planning to visit:

Various "community" churches in Farnham like Jubilee, Vineyard etc.

St Saviours in Guildford which I think is a big HTB clone.

Alternative worship outfits in London, like Grace and Vaux and Holy Joes.