A WOMAN is hoping to combat loneliness with her bid to make Brighton “Britain’s first talking city”.

Sue Epps established the initiative Table Talk in a bid to get people talking to one another once again.

It initially focused on cafés. The venues put a Table Talk Brighton sign on one of their tables where customers should sit if they are happy to talk to other people on it.

Sue said psychological studies show people are often surprised by how much they enjoy interacting with others they didn’t previously know.

“It’s an absolutely fabulous way to meet new people while helping to reduce the number of people feeling isolated and lonely,” said Sue.

“Table Talk is a small thing you can do to slow down, spend time with people and create a warmer community.”

The idea has now spread to Brighton and Hove Buses.

The bus company carries Table Talk signs on tables on the top deck of its 30 new Route 5 buses, as well as on its Route 12 Coaster buses between Brighton and Eastbourne.

“With loneliness in the UK now at epidemic proportions, being part of something that actively encourages and enables people to talk to each other is a great idea,” said Victoria Garcia, accessibility and communities manager at Brighton and Hove Buses.

“Buses are already a way of connecting people – like Table Talk does – so it was the perfect project for us to get involved with.

More than 40 cafes have now signed up to the scheme. Brighton and Hove Buses has produced a map showing which of its buses serve each café.

“We are thrilled to partner with Brighton and Hove Buses,” said Sue. “It’s a very important connection as buses are the best way to get around the city and ensure all our Table Talk cafes are accessible.”

The initiative began earlier this year when Sue saw research showing that people were going for days and weeks without talking to anybody.

Her first attempt failed when the talking sign she paid for and erected in a Brighton park was stolen within 24 hours.

Undeterred, she linked up with Team Domenica, a café in Preston Road that works to help young people with learning disabilities find and retain meaningful employment.

The response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and soon more and more cafes were agreeing to sign up and put up a Table Talk sign.

The idea spread through word of mouth and has now reached a point where cafes are getting in touch and actively wanting to sign up to Table Talk.

Next year Table Talk is hoping to expand to 100 cafes and connect some of them with GP surgeries.

It also wants to introduce volunteers who will be there at specific times to chat to people.

“We want Table Talk to be a means of sharing Christmas kindness and a way to encourage people to slow down and take time to talk in what can be a very hectic time of year,” says Sue.

The Table Talk interactive map is available at www.tabletalkbrighton.org