How do you make new friends in later life?

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NWR website here
This is the organisation that I would really recommend for getting beyond acquaintances to friends.

I certainly shouldn't accept it as being part of growing older!

Join U3A - if there is an active one they will have groups for every interest. Another really good organisation is the NWR (National Women's Register) -just google it. It started off for young women at home with children, but they don't have time these days and the original members are still there- generally 60+
Volunteering is the easiest way to get to know people because it gives you something to do.
I moved to an area where I knew no one once I retired and have found it the easiest time in my life to make friends- everyone has time.
It depends on your hobby- I have just joined the local family history group.

When I retired, I thought it would be as easy making new friends in my older years as it had been in my younger ones. Unfortunately, six months prior to my retirement, my second best friend died and six months after my very best friend died. It did leave me bereft and feeling alone.
I did charity work, joined different local groups, etc. However, although I made lots of aquaintences, none of them became friends.
Do think that friendship is based on common, shared experiences.
Still have one friend from old times fairly nearbye, but do not like to see her too often and wear out our friendship. My SiL, with whom I was also very close moved far away last year and although I can now go and spend a few days with her every so often, it is not the same as having someone I could just drop into for a cup of coffee and a chat.
I do feel pretty friendless these days, but have to accept it is part of the price of going older.

I grew up in a dysfunctional family.....we were set a pretty poor example by our parents about making friends. Its taken me a long time but it suddenly dawned on me that you have to give of yourself without expecting anything back to really connect.
Being brave and volunteering helped - I just thought about what I could do and pushed myself. After a few months of putting others first I suddenly realised I was actually really connecting with people.
I shall never be the sort of person who has a mad social whirl because deep down I know that sometimes I just do not feel up to being in company. Funnily enough even though its my choice not to mix I can still feel lonely.....but I'm just not up to being sociable sometimes. Its almost as if its just too much hard work.
That being said the few friends I have slowly acquired over the last few years are through getting involved and helping others or sharing an interest and we can easily pick up where we've left of if we do not see each other for months. Also just striking up a conversation with someone can eventually lead to something - an acquaintance rather than a bosom friend but a familiar cheery smile is always a mood lifter.

One has to make an effort. My old friends are scattered all over the country so I do not have anybody who I can ring and say, fancy coffee or lunch. I have made friends at my local Macular Society but I do not encourage full or partial sight loss to gain friends!

For over 3 years now I have met up monthly with 3-4 other GNs for coffee. That takes effort to organise but we get on so well together.

I was a member of the Townswomens Guild but it broke up and because I have had so much done to my house recently I have not had a chance to look for anywhere else.

She works full time but there are some evening WIs also.

Does she live in a busy city/town? Has she got transport because that can be a problem. She has to make an effort and look around, nobody will come knocking on her door.

Are you happy as you are? I have a couple of acquaintances who are quite happy without friends but this lady isn't happy. I'm useless to help really cos I've got friends from school days, friends from when my children were small, friends from my interests, friends from church-all different but great all the same. Some I've known for a long time and some only a couple of years. So there's always someone if I want to meet up.

That's the million dollar question, it seems. There was a big thread on the same subject a while back: it seems a lot of people have friends, some have none, but a very rare few have a real, good, 'talk about to anything' friend.
I'm afraid I've no advice, because I'm in the 'friendless' category.