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Celine Dion might not have liked it, but being all by yourself in London is actually pretty sweet. Whether you're a single pringle, need some time off from the other half or simply have time to kill, we've cherry-picked the city's best solo jaunts.
1. Forage with the finest
Join a foraging group to source the not-so-forbidden fruit and plants London has to offer. A favourite is Forage Wild Food's Cocktails and Bitters Walk in Mile End, where experts show you how to make your own concoctions from ingredients you find along the way. Warning: this may make you want to give up your urban existence and live entirely off the land.
2. Make cool, older friends
Ever wondered who your neighbours are? North London Cares organises meet-ups between young professionals and their older neighbours in Islington and Camden. Try out one of their cooking clubs or pottery painting classes, where you can hang out and learn from those who need a bit of laughter in their life. Or try their Love Your Neighbour scheme, which matches you with a neighbour for fortnightly visits.
3. Skip the queue at Cha Cha Moon
Peckish? Staff at Cha Cha Moon will put you at the front of the queue if you’re dining alone and you'll be seated at one of their bar tables facing into the restaurant. Best spot in the house, we say.
4. Join a book club
Okay, so going clubbing alone is not to everyone's taste. Book clubbing alone, however, is definitely the way forward. The Charing Cross branch of Foyles holds a monthly book club for its staff and customers, often with unpublished novels. This month's choice is 'The Girls' by Emma Cline and next month's is Miranda July's debut novel 'The First Bad Man'. You'd better get reading...
5. Go to the cinema
No-one cares you're by yourself in a dark cinema – and neither should you. Slip into one of 40 armchairs or sofas at Studio 5 of Stepney Green's Genesis Cinema – the cinematic equivalent of wrapping yourself in a giant duvet. And the Paragon Bar upstairs does a mean martini. Just saying.
6. Learn something new
Ever wanted to brush up on your hula-hooping skills? Make your own terrarium? Hang from the ceiling on a piece of silk? You're in luck. Indytute organises hundreds of extraordinary weekly masterclasses around the city. Who knows, you may even end up with a new party trick.
7. Dine at a supperclub
Cut out the faff of cooking for one and let someone else do it for you. All you need to do is turn up at the right address, make friends and try not spill red wine on the carpet. We love The Little Yellow Door's Ultimate Dinner Party. Held every Friday night in a Notting Hill living room, once a gourmet dinner is served, the tables are pushed back to make way for some serious shapes. Zoe's Ghana Kitchen also comes high up on our list; held at the Pop Brixton Restaurant on Mondays, you will sit down to a five-course tasting tour of Zoe Adjonyoh's Ghanaian cookbook.
8. Be a dog owner for a day
They say a dog is for life not just for Christmas. But when you live in pokey flat on the eleventh floor, the chances of getting a pet, even just for Christmas, are slim. Which is where Borrow My Doggy comes in. The site pairs dog owners with local sitters so you can have a furry new friend to explore the city with.
9. Become a poet
This is poetry for people who don't like poetry. Held once a month at The Bloomsbury Theatre, Bang Said the Gun brings together the best spoken word artists and performers from the circuit. Each night is different and with the open mic slot, The Raw Meat Stew, you can have a shot at performing on stage. Which, let's be honest, is probably best attempted when you're flying solo.
Flying solo? Check out London's best restaurants for dining alone.