Social networking website gives newcomers a 'way in' to life in London

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life," the great essayist Samuel Johnson once said. "For there is in London all that life can afford."

That may still be true today. And yet, like many of the world's great population centers, it can also be a forbidding, baffling, lonely place for new arrivals.

But Rob Branston wants to change all that. With the help of a website, loads of enthusiasm, and a firm belief that Londoners are tired neither of their city nor of life, he has a plan that will get subdued people out of a rut and into new friendships, hobbies, pastimes, and social circles.

"I was amazed when I came to London that there was so much to do and so few people to do it with," says Mr. Branston, a 32-year-old marketing executive originally from Leeds in northern England. "You're really limited by your friends and colleagues, and there are so many things you would do if they had a different group of friends. You're missing out on so much."

Branston's idea is simple: an online social club in which users can link up with people for a wide range of activities, from a simple drink or movie after work to sporting and other recreational activities.

The MyExpandedCircle.com club he formally launched three weeks ago offers credible, safe alternatives for meeting new people in a city where new acquaintances can be hard to make. In the mold of successful US-based social networking websites like myspace.com, friendster.com, and facebook.com, MyExpandedCircle.com aims to be a popular place for those looking to branch out of their routine and meet like-minded people.

At a gathering of members last week, it was clear to see that the idea has broad appeal to old and young, men and women, expats and locals.

Take Stacey Ropiha. A 37-year-old New Zealander, she has lived in London for eight years. Friends have come and gone, many have married and settled down and had children, or moved out of town for other reasons.

"When I first came I found it easy to find a good group of friends through work," she says. "But it's not the kind of place where it's just easy to go out and meet people. And as you get older, social circles shrink. People get married, have children and move out."

Then there is Henry Morbish, a Brit whose American wife Melissa has recently returned with him to London.

"This has been a lifeline, particularly for her," says the 33-year-old communications consultant. "We've been here six months and she has found it hard to get her own network of friends. The most daunting thing about coming to a foreign city is how do you network your way in? London is an extraordinary city, one of the great cities of the world. But how do you find a way in?"

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