What we’re about
Welcome to the London Cultureseekers Group!
If you're interested in exploring London's history & culture with other like minded people, then this is the only group you need to join! We are London's largest & most active cultural and history group!
We meetup 2-3 times a week to explore museums, art galleries, historical buildings, go on guided walks and attend history talks. We also have historic treasure hunts, visit the theatre, coffee evenings, social evenings, meals and attend classical music concerts. In the summer we also have day trips outside of the capital by train or coach to explore historical towns and the countryside.
The group is very friendly, we have members from 20 to 80 years old and across all backgrounds. The group has been running for over 16 years and is a great way to meet and make new friends. Plus after events we generally head to a local pub or cafe to chat.
You can either pay as you go at events or we do have an optional annual membership fee (details below).
Membership Fee
The group charges an optional annual membership fee of £14 per person.
Benefits of paying the membership fee and becoming a Full Member are:
- Discounted entry at 11 museums and galleries around London (You can view them here: https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768500)
- 10% discount on any purchases at Foyles bookshops or from their website
- All treasure hunts we do will be FREE (normally £7 each)
- The 'Wren City Churches', 'Charlie Chaplin', 'Roman Wall', 'Have I Got Mews For You', ‘What’s in a Name’ and 'Shakespeare's London' Guided Walks will all be FREE (normally £7 each)
- All talks the group does will be FREE (normally £6 each)
- All Thames foreshore visits will be FREE (normally £6 each)
- Guided highlights tour around the Museum of London & Museum of London Docklands will be FREE (normally £6 each)
- All ‘London’s Lost Rivers’ hikes will be FREE (normally £6 each)
- All day trips by train out of London will be FREE to attend (normally £6)
- All coach day trips out of London will be discounted by £6 per trip
- All the Blue Badge guided walks we do will be discounted by £2 per walk
- Entry to 20-30 paying museums & historical buildings that we visit across the year will be discounted by £2 each
Once you pay the membership fee, you will receive a membership card, go to (https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/dues) to pay online or you can pay cash at an event.
Events
Have a look at the events page: https://www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/events/ to see what's coming up and where we have been. London Cultureseekers is a brilliant place to make friends in London whilst experiencing some of the very best areas of culture and history which the city has to offer.
We keep costs low and the quality high and have a star rating of 4.6 out of 5 from 19,340 reviews!
Our events always go ahead, regardless of the weather. Feel free to email or text me if you have any questions or would like to suggest somewhere we can visit.
Click on the video clips below to view our day trips to Bath and walking the Seven Sisters:
https://youtu.be/WAXipRxXtnc
https://youtu.be/06scGec8CcY
RSVP'ing
Click on the 'Join Us' button below, enter your details and then RSVP Yes to any events that you would like to attend, it's that simple! All new events get sent out on Friday evenings, so keep a lookout then.
When you turn up for an event, look out for the red & blue 'London Cultureseekers Group' flag and then come over and say hello.
Please be aware of the groups rules, which you can read here: https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478
Hope to see you at an event soon!
Robert - 07905 901 834 (text only please) / general@cultureseekers.org
I'm a member of the AGTO (Association of Group Travel Organisers) and in 2022 I was a finalist in the GTO (Group Travel Organiser) of the Year Awards!
You can follow us on:
The group blog: www.cultureseekers.blog
YouTube: Cultureseekers channel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LondonCultureseekers/
Twitter: @Culture_Seekers
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Guided Tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea!Sloane Square Tube Station (outside the station - across the road), London, AL
Come along on Wednesday 1st May for a guided tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea!
About the hospital
Until the 17th Century, the state made no specific provision for old and injured soldiers. Care for the poor and sick was provided by the church or monasteries. Most of this provision ended following the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.In 1681, responding to the need to look after these soldiers, King Charles II issued a Royal Warrant authorising the building of the Royal Hospital Chelsea to care for those 'broken by age or war'.
Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design and erect the building.
The chosen site, set adjacent to the River Thames in the countryside of Chelsea was completed in 1692. By the end of March 1692, the full complement of 476 Chelsea Pensioners were in residence.The tour tells the story of the 332-year history of the Hospital, taking in the splendour of the Grade I and II listed buildings, inclusive of artistic masterpieces. The tour will bring to life the long-standing ambassadorial role of the Chelsea Pensioners, inclusive of anecdotal personal stories of their time at the Hospital.
The tour lasts about 1h 30mins and is guided by a Chelsea pensioner. We will then be able to visit the museum.
Cost
Tour cost is £15 per person (payable on the day by cash).Go here to become a Full Member - https://www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/dues/
Afterwards
After we will head to the 'Rose & Crown pub' 90-92 Lower Sloane Street from 4:00pm.If you can make it, please come to the pub afterwards, as its a great way to meet and get to know others after the visit.
Please note, we only wait outside the station for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be early or on time.
If you can't see us outside the station, please text.
Look out for the red and blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign.
Hope to see you there!
Robert
07905 901 834 (prefer text)On the day, if you can’t make the visit, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it.
Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478
- Cultureseekers Midweek Coffee Evening - Foyles Bookshop Cafe, Charing Cross RdFoyles Bookshop (in the 5th floor cafe), London, AL
On Wednesday 1st May at 6:30pm, we will be having a Midweek Coffee Evening!
It's a chance to meet and chat with others in the group in a relaxed setting over a hot drink.
On the day, come up to the cafe on the 5th floor, grab a drink and come and join us.
The cafe closes at 8:30pm and the bookshop closes at 9:00pm.
Hope to see you there!
Robert
07905 901 834 (prefer text)On the day, if you can’t make the trip, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it.
Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478
- Day trip by coach - the pretty villages in the Chiltern Hills! (NOW FULL)Coach bays on Tothill Street (nearest tube: St James's Park), London, AL£31.00
THE TRIP IS NOW FULL, IF YOU WISH TO GO, ADD YOURSELF TO THE WAITING LIST AND I WILL CONTACT YOU IF SOMEONE DROPS OUT.
Come along on Saturday 4th May for a day exploring some of the pretty villages in the Chiltern Hills and some caves!
About the area and the day
The Chilterns is an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) which covers an area of 322 square miles stretching 45 miles in a southwest to a northeast diagonal across the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire. Set within them are pretty little villages tucked away.The villages we will be visiting are:
Great Missenden
The childrens writer; Roald Dahl lived in Great Missenden for 36 years, weaving features of the village into many of his stories. His former house is now a museum. The very first episode of the T.V series 'Midsomer Murders' was set in Little Missenden.
In 2011 in a newspaper article, Great Missenden was remarked as being "prime stockbroker belt for over a century" and on its "ancient churches, beech woods, deep valleys, rolling Chiltern Hills, higgledy-piggledy streets. That's why Dahl chose to live here."Turville
Turville is a beautiful village, one of the most attractive in the Chilterns area. All around the village are beautiful cottages dating from the 16th to the 18th century.
It has been featured in the film - the 1942 film 'Went the Day Well?'. Additionally it was used in T.V episodes for: 'Goodnight Mr Tom', 'I Capture the Castle', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Lewis', 'Marple', 'Jonathan Creek', 'The Day Of The Triffids' and recently in 'Killing Eve'.
The village was the location for outdoor scenes in the 1990's sitcom 'The Vicar of Dibley'. In the series, the church of St. Mary the Virgin was renamed "St Barnabus".Hellfire Caves
Under the Chiltern Hills lies Hellfire Caves, a network of man-made chalk and flint caverns which extend 260m underground. They were excavated in the 1750's and sit directly beneath the remains of St. Lawrence's Church.Coach seating
- If you wish to reserve a seat on the coach in advance, after you pay please look at the seating plan in the photos here and then email me (general@cultureseekers.org) with the seat number/s you wish to reserve. Its first come first served.
- The seat you sit on when you board the coach is yours for the day. If you wish to change seats on the coach during the day, you will need to get permission from the individual who is seated there.
Cost
Cost is £25 per person for Full Members and £31 per person for everyone else.After you RSVP:
- you will need to make payment (its not automatic), so either send a direct PayPal payment to: general@cultureseekers.org or if you email me via Meetup here and I will send you my bank details to make a bank transfer payment.You have 3 days to make a payment, if no payment is received within 3 days, your place will be offered to the first person on the waiting list.
Once you RSVP and then pay, I will confirm your place.
Go here to become a Full Member - www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/dues/
Cost
Entry and tour of the caves is £8 per person (payable on the day by cash or PayPal)The Caves entry and tour is optional, you don't have to do it, you can explore the surrounding countryside or sit in the cafe instead.
Food & drink
Its up to you whether you wish to bring your own food and drink or purchase items whilst we are there.If you can't see us on Tothill Street, please text.
Please note, we only wait for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be early or on time. The coach has to leave at a specific time.
Look out for the red and blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign.
Hope to see you there!
Robert
07905 901 834 (prefer text)On the day, if you can’t make the visit, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it.
Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing -
https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478 - 'Beer, Biscuits & Beautification - Lesser known Bermondsey' Guided WalkBermondsey Tube Station (outside the station), London, AL£12.00
Come along on Sunday 5th May for a Blue Badge Guided Walk in historic Bermondsey!
We have 2 guides, Diane Burstein & Kim Dewdney. Please indicate which guide/time you wish to go with when you RSVP and come along for that time.
About the walk
A tour exploring Bermondsey’s past as the larder of London where famous food brands such as Peek Freans biscuits, Hartley’s jam and Crosse and Blackwell sauces were produced.Up until the docks and factories of this area closed, people came to Bermondsey to seek work and the green fields were soon filled with housing for the workers. However living and working conditions were hard and in the early 20th century an enlightened council tried to alleviate these conditions by building new homes and improving health, influenced by the ideas of two dynamic councillors.
We will hear the story of Dr Salter and his wife Ada, the first woman in London to hold the position of Mayor, who who set up a “Beautfication Committee” to bring “fresh air and fun” to the locals. Discover their legacy and visit a road where they lived which featured in the BBC’s acclaimed documentary series “The Secret History of Our Streets”.
In addition to the Salters’ story the tour will feature a famous entertainer, an elegant classical church, a park on the site of an 18th century pleasure garden and the surviving gatehouse of Bermondsey Abbey.
The walk is a private walk for the group, we will be guided by Blue Badge guides Diane Burstein & Kim Dewdney.
Payment
Full Members of the group will be £10, everyone else the cost is £12 per person (payable via cash on the day or in advance via PayPal).Alternatively, if you wish to pay in advance, send a direct PayPal payment to: general@cultureseekers.org.
To become a Full Member, go to: https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/dues
Afterwards
After we will head to 'The Pommelers Rest Pub' (a Wetherspoons pub), 196-198 Tower Bridge Road for a chat over a drink. We finish not far from Bermondsey & London Bridge Tube Stations.If you can make it, please come to the pub afterwards, as it’s a great way to meet and get to know others after the visit.
Please note, we will only wait at the station for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time so please be early or on time.
Look out for the red & blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign outside the station.
Hope to see you there!
Robert
07905 901 834 (text only)
On the day, if you can’t make the visit, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it.
Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478