WHY A CUP OF COFFEE COULD BE THE ANSWER

A recent scheme has rolled out across the country to encourage people to talk to strangers in cafés. We talk to the woman who set it up…

‘Talking to strangers brightens my day’

Social worker Alexandra Hoskyn, 34, lives with her son, Henry, three, and husband Ryan, 36, who works in housing, in Oldham. She says, “When my son was four months old, I was lonely. I’d go to mother and baby groups sometimes, but there were also whole days when I had no human interaction. I’d spend the day wandering around town. One wet and windy day, I walked into a café and sat down. I was fed up and I remember looking round and seeing an elderly lady who looked as down as I did, and a young guy with additional needs and his support worker.

“I thought at the time that if we got together and had a chat, it would brighten up all of our days. But instead, we all just sat there, too worried that if we went over, we’d be intruding. And that’s where the idea for Chatty Café started – if cafés had a table designated for chat, then people would know they weren’t intruding.

“I sat on the idea for a while, but in April 2017 I put it into motion. I canvassed cafés to join The Chatty Café scheme and to have a designated table for people who want to talk, with a ‘chatter and natter’ sign on it. We now have nearly 800 nationwide participating. Costa Coffee has rolled it out and Sainsbury’s is piloting it too, though they call it Talking Tables. It’s a great idea and helps a lot of people.” ● To find your nearest chatty café,