Website solace for lonesome drinkers

Lonesome drinkers looking for mates to go to the pub with have been logging on to a new website in their thousands. The website, www.drinkingbuddys.co.uk, was set up by former Whitbread regional manager Mark Payne, 32, who reckons it could eventually rival Friends Reunited. He had the idea after moving to Newbury, in Berkshire, and finding himself without any chums to share a pint with. "I had moved to Newbury and all my friends were 50 miles away. I found myself in the local video shop one night with a four-pack of beer and takeaway and saw that there were half-a-dozen people in the same position." He went home and tried to find a website that would help him meet people to drink with, but all he found were dodgy dating sites. His service helps people meet fellow drinkers in their geographical area, and they then arrange to meet in a local pub. "It helps people hook up to visit their local," said Payne, who also manages a fast-food restaurant. "If you are new to an area, it feels a bit sad to go and sit in a pub by yourself. The modern lifestyle means people are moving around loads so they can end up living miles from their friends." More than 500 people have registered with his £5-a-month subscription site, and in two days last week alone there were 55,000 hits due to national press coverage. "I'm single, but this isn't about meeting ladies," Payne insisted. "It's about getting people together to socialise in pubs and whatever happens, happens.