Episode 2: Bryony Bishop on a building sense of connection and belonging
What happens when you uproot yourself to a new place for work and you feel lonely, even if your colleagues are amazing?
Meet Bryony Bishop , a quietly tenacious connector whose story weaves through heartbreak, heritage, and hard-won community. She left Kent as a teenager and returned decades later, newly single and starting over in Margate. She came back for an exciting role at Turner Contemporary, just as the gallery’s arrival was stirring debate in the local community.
A seasoned communications and marketing consultant, Bryony’s career has taken her from the British Museum to BookTrust, English National Ballet to grassroots domestic abuse charities. But despite a career spent helping others find their voice, she has some honest reflections on the challenges of making friends in midlife, and why introducing yourself at a party can feel unexpectedly loaded.
Unable to find her ideal community, she decided to build it
The arrival of a new gallery space in the town wasn't popular at the start, as local people feared regeneration and change. Bryony was getting trolled daily before "trolling" was even a term, and the influx of hate messages was relentless. She couldn't socialise locally in Margate because people would recognise her as working there.
A longing for connection is what led her to create Bee’s Bookshare, a joyful, opinionated, open-to-all community group to talk about books, with no pressure to perform and no expectations around commitment. It has been going for 13 years and sparked a wealth of friendships and projects.
In this episode
We spoke about how hard it can be to make new friends as an adult, laughed at the hobbies we’ve tried (and failed at) while trying to meet new people and how the need for belonging doesn't lessen with age.
What I took away from our chat
A great job isn’t enough to meet your emotional needs
The word "community" is everywhere, but real connection takes effort, transparency and authenticity
We experience different types of friendships as our life evolves
Being ghosted by a friend can feel worse than a relationship breakup
Don't have any expectations when trying a new activity - pottery and creative writing didn't work for us!
Starting something small and grassroots can become super powerful
“People are in your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime”
Bryony reflected on how her friendships have evolved over time and said there may be fewer connections now, but they are deeper and more meaningful.
It got me thinking about how our professional relationships evolve too. Bryony and I know each other through networking and our jobs. But over time, we have noticed similar values and approaches to life that are connecting us beyond that. I love how connections can change in this way.
Join our conversation about friendship, identity and what we need to feel like we belong.
Music: Morning Span provided by Mobygratis #mobygratis