'You don't need to be in a relationship to make the most of life'

Travel, eating out, or even a cosy evening at home are seen by many as experiences best shared - but others are finding joy in living life's best moments alone.

From taking on epic journeys across a continent to buying a new home after a divorce, women have spoken to the BBC about the pros and cons of being single.

While the majority of people in England live with someone else, the latest Office for National Statistics figures show the number of people living alone rose by 800,000 from 2014 to 2024.

It means approximately 8.4 million homes in the UK are single occupancy - a third of all households.

"Buying a house [alone] was the scariest thing I've ever done," said Amy Cook, who has been living alone for four years following a divorce.

"I was worried about the amount of money and whether it was a good investment, but I love living on my own; it's my sanctuary."

For 82-year-old Anita van Rossum, living alone has been an opportunity to be adventurous and "make the best of now".

"When I hit 80, I thought 'All right, so if I have, with luck, another 10 years, I'm going to be 90, but what kind of a state am I going to be in? Am I going to be well? Am I going to be mobile?' So therefore I need to make a plan to make the best of now," she said.

Rossum, from Stroud, launched her Living Boldly podcast at 80 after spending three months travelling by land to Istanbul and back on her own.

"The podcast and the trip was all about bringing into a reality my profound belief that the way you think affects the way you feel - and it also, of course, therefore affects the way you live your life," she told BBC Radio Gloucestershire as part of the station's Thriving Solo series.

She said: "In a way, the opportunity to be on your own is a new opportunity that can open doors."

However, she said other people's attitudes can sometimes be hurtful.

"I can get upset going into a restaurant, as going in alone can be challenging in itself and can make you feel like a sore thumb," she said.

"Then the approach of most restaurants or cafes is to say 'how many, what, just one?' with an expression on their face saying, 'what's wrong with you'.

Cook, a fashion designer who runs a bridalwear business near Cirencester, has felt similarly.

"I think the only time I feel awkward is when I'm going, say, into a pub to meet friends. Going in on my own, I feel ever so slightly self-conscious," she said.

However, she said the key to enjoying being single was to not let it prevent you from "living your life just because you don't have someone to do it with".

The challenge of eating out alone is something staff at Hidcote, a National Trust property near Chipping Campden, are trying to combat.

Welcome manager Sue Gould introduced a sign in the cafe for solo visitors to place on a table while they queue for food.

"We saw there was a problem as you could get every goodie you wanted, your scone and your cup of tea, and then actually find there's nowhere to sit," she said.

"If you're a couple or with a friend, it's much easier as somebody can hold a table for you."

Behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings, who lives on her own, said it was important for people in relationships to be careful with language and not to "rewrite singledom as a problem that got solved".

"It's often unintentional," she said. "It's not because they're not caring, but your emotional reference points shift once you're partnered.

"Marriage can be a bit more memory-selective and that gap in understanding creates blind spots."

"Being single is a complex lived experience," she added.

A new group Singles Swimble and Mingle has started at Court Farm Lakes in the Forest of Dean for single open water swimmers.

Swimmer Rachel Garside said it was not just about meeting people.

"It's about having experiences, doing the things that you want to do," she said.

"You've got to think about the time you've got left. Don't be waiting for other people, just go and do what you want to do - I think that's what's important."

Journalist Nicola Slawson said she was inspired to write The Single Supplement newsletter, which covers the positive aspects of living alone, after seeing a lot of literature about dating and trying not to be single.

"Sometimes it can be really difficult [to be single], but other times, you can see the flip side and it's actually sometimes easier because you may have fewer ties or responsibilities.

"You can go away for work or, if you live on your own, be open to moving to a different part of the country, so there's some pros and cons," she said.

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