Well, we have the Trailer Park for hanging out and shooting the breeze!
You seem to have put a lot more thought into it than I have, and I am not sure about "meet-up groups" v "cliques", and how they might be defined and different from each other? But responding to a first post that says nothing but suggesting a meet-up seems like setting myself up on a blind date.

Sounds like your experience was less than positive, so maybe more on-line prep work ahead of the face to face would have helped?

I guess, in short, for me at least, being British in a foreign country (or married to a UKC) is not sufficient reason for me to have any interest in meeting you. It might be a starting point, and I suppose that us being here on BE proves that is, but so what? I didn't have 60 million friends when I lived in the UK.

I had arranged to meet Guindalf a couple of weeks ago, unfortunately our schedules didnt mash in the end. I'm sure we when he gets back from Blighty though

Good points. No, nobody showed up to the meetup I organized, and since I don't find it easy to propose or organize such things, it was a bit discouraging. I'm more like you in that I have few friends, but the ones I do have, I mostly met online, including my husband! So I don't have as much reluctance to meet "Internet people", paradoxically. I know that's not true of everyone. I suspected it would be more true of people who have an Internet presence.

Quitter

Well, I did say a cold day in Hell, did I not. How does January in Beaumont work for you?

People who know me don't want to meet up with me.

I went to a Brit New in Town meetup when we first arrived, back in 2002. It was dire. The first inkling was when the venue was decided on a supermarket café - WTF Then when I turned up, there was a gay couple from California who had come to the wrong meetup, 2 American realtors who were looking for people who needed apartments, and another Brit guy who was ticked that there was no beer....so we left, had a couple of swiftys in a bar down the road, discovered we lived about 50 miles apart, promised to keep in touch and never seen him since! I guess it has sort of colored my view of meetups a little....

Although, we did go to the only Houston meetup in recent history last year (SM/CB - not sure when yours was, but think it was before that? Or hope so - would hate to think you were meeting up behind our backs!) Meetup went fine - no-one turned out to be a 2-headed axe murderer and no-one tried to sell me anything. We've tried a couple of times since, but folk are busy with different schedules depending on whether they have kids in activities, are single/retired/whatever. The only thing that came close to a meetup recently was coordinating a bacon and pork pie purchase!! Nothing personal, maybe it'll happen one day ... I like SM's Brazos Bend idea, and the weather is looking like taking a turn in the right direction....

Beaumont is particularly Hellish at that time of year...

Actually, too specific...Beaumont is particularly hellish at any time of year!

The meet-up I went to was years back at The Baker Street Pub in Cinco, a long trek for us southsiders but it was fun, only one moaning minnie that I recall. SM and I are both southsiders and facebook pals so we met up (by ourselves, sorry) for lunch one day.

I think Brazos Bend would be fun too, I think if everyone has to drive a little bit no-one feels like they are having to drag themselves all the way to the other folks. Downtown is another alternative but then parking is an issue and there's nowhere particularly kid friendly.

Brazos Bend in October

Start checking your calenders kiddos!

I found some pork scratchings the other day (not under the fridge). the $24 price tag made the TAS veto them very quickly.

More of a case that you hope not to meet up with a axe murderer...lets face it, in a foreign country, could be days before family/friends back home would know you're missing

Random violence from strangers? Here in the US? Say it ain't so.

isn't it just that the noobs are convinced they can never make a friend with the locals and MUST find other brits asap. Once they have been here a while they realizes they can talk to the locals and some are even friendly lol and the brit need lessens?

My daughter is friendly with a couple of kids, who are sisters, on her climbing team. The kids are Asian descent, I've seen their Mum around a few times, and thought I'd go try make a 'friend' tonight so went to chat to her. Turns out she's Scottish I can't try to the locals even when I want to