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@Dooks-Fatberg
I had a tough first year out here in East Kent. Big adjustment in lifestyle to commuting, lost touch with friends because of diminishing post-work social time etc. Hard to know how much of that was having a kid and Mrs Fatberg giving up work to care for toddler full-time and how much was to do with physical household relocation. I suppose I still would have been rushing back home to SE23 to do bath and bed if we hadn't moved out of town so who knows...
Anyway, after eighteen months despairing that i'd ruined my life and that I'd never meet my people out here (which was exacerbated after some mis-steps going for drinks with dull blokey neighbours) I eventually fell in with a bunch of (yes, also DFL) peeps with whom I feel entirely comfortable sharing my fears that we'd moved to a racist backwater. We haven't though, it's fine. We just stay out of the pub, mentioned in previous posts, that, unbeknownst to me, they had been referring to as "The Jolly Bigot" for years. There are plenty of rainbow-flag flying micro-breweries and tap rooms for us to get pissed on cheap craft ale round here for me to mourn the loss of one very Brexitty local
I am also getting involved in plenty of local shiz which is a good way of meeting folks. I've been doing some stuff for a refugee charity. My wife has been volunteering for the local historical society and now i'm getting a local environmental campaign all of which have led to meeting plenty of new people for all walks of life.
To be honest though, all the people we've made genuinely close friends so far with have been though my wife going to baby play-groups and classes. Through that route I met a few of the husbands and then through them met other friends till I found myself in a group of about half a dozen dudes any one of whom i'd happily go for a pint or a ride with.
Can't comment on the generality that a sense of community is lacking out here in Smalltownfordshire. I got on great with my old neighbours in London and seemed to have lucked out here too. We get on great with both sides.