Where Can I Get a Pen pal in London England?

sherlock holmes has many fangroups in the world http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/ http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/society/society.htm

I found a few web sites devoted to helping people find pen pals. I put the links below. I don't know how reputable they are, so proceed with caution! BTW, at least some of the sites charge a fee. Signal Pen Pals appears to have first been a print magazine and claims to have been around for many (over 40?) years. There web sites look rather amateurish, yet seem to have quite a few people with listings (the listings are viewable). This site appears to be free of charge, but I once again really must urge caution. The InterPals web site appears more "slick" and professionally designed; that isn't necessarily a reason to choose them instead, but maybe more safety protocols are in place to help you pair up. The British Penpals site seems a bit more adult, because there is a fee and they do personals ads for those seeking "relationships". That may not be what you're looking for, and it may not be all they offer, but considering it targets your specific request, I felt I should include it. There is also another international site called pen-friends which has a page specifically for England. I think the best general interest pen pal service I found is the Letter Exchange, if you are particularly looking to write. There is a cost for a subscription to the magazine where the pen pal listings are. But a great feature is that they forward your letters to keep your address private (evidently for as long as you like). The link below explains how they do it, and the cost does not seem unreasonable either annually or for a single issue. Placing an ad to find a pen pal is free to all subscribers, and the the ads are placed in categories of interest like photography, movies or literature. This looks like it might be a fairly safe venue to use; although WHO you choose for a pen pal might be another story. But probably the best way to find a pen pal is to look for online groups related to your hobbies, such as your interest in Sherlock Holmes. I've put links to a couple pages that list groups interested in Sherlock Holmes below, as well as a yahoo group which seems to have a fair bit of recent activity. In the past, I have seen hobby magazines that have a pen pal section, such as the UK magazine "Simply Knitting" and the web site knitting-crochet.com. So it may even be helpful to check the web sites of magazines to which you subscribe for a message board or write a letter to the editor asking about such a feature. So if you have any other hobbies, I would suggest joining UK groups focused on those. There are bound to be others for whom you would feel more of an affiliation than simply a random person who wants to "be a pen pal". One last idea is to ask people you personally know if they are acquainted with anyone in the UK. Perhaps an aunt or grandparent knows someone who moved there (job or marriage). That UK person can ask around and may find that their own sibling, child or friend would love a pen pal. Make sure you give them enough info so the other person can decide if they want to strike up a friendship. And don't be personally offended if they don't follow through or don't like you (for whatever!) or maybe you don't like them! So take it easy at first in your correspondence; how often, how much and what you write. Finally I am listing Easy Pen Pals which has reviews of pen pal sites; could prove helpful. And e-how has a bunch of articles on how to be and become a pen pal, how to find different types and where to find them. So e-how.com seems like a good place to start your search. And because it can't be emphasized enough... PLEASE be careful out there! I hope you have a pleasant time finding and then writing to your future pen pal!