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London Social Detours - make friends exploring the capital! cover photo

London Social Detours - make friends exploring the capital!

7,590 members · Public group

Organized by Denise

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What we’re about

Welcome to London Social Detours this group is dedicated to enjoying London to the full! The Meet-ups will be themed and cover things like:

• Concerts - so far we have done the Royal Academy of Music and the London Symphony Orchestra.

• Walks - we have done a St. Valentine Day themed walk which was featured in the Islington Gazette. That's Entertainment.

• Strolls along the Regent's canal.

• Museum Lates - have done the V&A - National Portrait Gallery & even Christie's!

• Slap-up Suppers - we did Vapiano but more on the horizon.

• Comedy nights & Nights at the Flicks - we recently went to Angel Comedy, brilliant night!

• Trips to the Theatre - The Globe is amazing.

• Vistas - We've been to Skyline & The monument too.

• Mystery street games - we had a whodunnit in and around Temple - so good I am going to do more!

To top it all off, the organiser is a Qualified London Tour guide and will treat you to some themed walks with a bit of socialising thrown in. This promises to be lots of fun and it will be a great opportunity to make lots of new friends.

Upcoming events (4+)

Tue, May 13, 2025, 12:30 PM BSTLunchtime Recital @ St Lawrence Jewry + Talk: Making Sense of Modern Art +Social
St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall, London
Another Two for One event just for you! A lunchtime recital (where a cuppa cost a quid!) and one of our regular talks @ Guildhall Library and also a 'Spoons' Social at Crosse Keys Pub!!!

To start: Let's visit this golden nugget of a church St. Lawrence Jewry for a Lunchtime Recital. Located next to the historic Guildhall, St. Lawrence Jewry is the official church of the Corporation of London and seeks to be a beacon of Christ's light and peace in the midst of the bustling City.
There has been a church on this site for almost a thousand years, with the current building designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1670.
Music recitals have been a regular feature at St Lawrence Jewry since they were introduced by Margaret Cobb (the church organist at the time) in 1957.
The programme is formed to create an invaluable platform for both professionals and conservatoire students to perform in a prestigious central London location.

Today we will hear:
Valentina Wang & Kosta Popovic Piano, Cello
deFalla

After this, we'll nip along to the Guildhall Library which is just around the corner for their Lunchtime Lecture: Making Sense of Modern Art
They say: Society changed more rapidly in the twentieth century than at any time in the previous four thousand years. So did art. This lecture will explain many modern movements and the artistic response to political and social upheavals, including both World Wars, which inspired some masterpieces of modern art. Recent decades have seen a questioning of the nature and language of art, with post-modernism and the Turner Prize. Join Arts Society Lecturer Val Woodgate to learn more.

We'll then meander along to: The Crosse Keys 'Spoons' for an eats and drinks social.

I have got the tickets for the talk for our group, so please keep your RSVP up to date and in good time. I will meet you by the entrance of the St. Lawrence Jewry Church, which is in Guildhall Yard.

The Meetup fee for this event is £3.00 – which is payable on the day.
If you do not see us please call/text me on: 0739 623 3874 – text is best! - psssst! Don't forget to say your name in the message.
Please keep an eye out for the Meetup sign.
However, before sending any message please check the site in case I have added an update. We will only wait for 10 minutes and I cannot take calls thereafter.

Hope to see lots of you there :)

NB. As usual there will be others coming along from my other Meetup family ;)
18 attendees+13
Not open
Mon, May 19, 2025, 5:00 PM BSTAn Introduction to Opera @ Guildhall School of Music & Drama + Social!!!
Barbican, London
YAY! Let's go back to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama to see what promises to be be another excellent concert!

This acclaimed school has produced some of the countries finest, past alumni include: Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Michelle Dockery, Damian Lewis, Lily James, Sarah Lancashire - so you maybe looking at a star of tomorrow!

Tonight we are going to see & hear: An Introduction to Opera
Guildhall's third-year undergraduate singers present a staged performance of The Fairy Queen’s Midsummer Night, a combination of scenes from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and spoken text from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as arranged by Linnhe Robertson.
Combined, they form the story line of the Fairy Queen Titania, the King of the fairies Oberon, his naughty henchman Puck & the Queen’s fairies. Bottom, the mechanic, drunkenly stumbles into the Fairy Grove and becomes a useful tool for Oberon to get revenge on his wife Titania for defying him.
Led by Linnhe Robertson and Charlie Morgan.
Performed in English

Afterwards, we'll head to a local pub (venue TBC) for a drinks social (optional) on the day. All in all, it's a nice night out!

I will meet you by the exit of Barbican Tube Station.
The Meetup fee for this event is £3.00 – which is payable on the day.
Please keep an eye out for the Meetup sign. If you do not see us please call/text me on: 0739 623 3874 – WhatsApp text is best! - psssst! Don't forget to say your name in the message. However, before sending any message please check the site in case I have added an update.

Please be aware that we can only wait for 10 minutes and I cannot answer calls once the event has started.

Hope to see lots of you there :)

NB. As usual there will be others coming along from my other Meetup family ;)
43 attendees+38
Thu, May 22, 2025, 1:30 PM BSTLet's revisit: Chelsea in Bloom 2025 + Eats & Drinks Social @ Civil Service Club
Sloane Square Station, London
They say - Thursday is the new Friday so let's revisit the Chelsea in Bloom Tour! We have been coming here for a few years now and have come to know what an outstanding exhibition this is in its own right!!!

Chelsea In Bloom 2025 - Flowers in Fashion
They say: The world class alternative floral art show is back for its 20th anniversary, transforming the streets of Chelsea, with breathtaking displays made of fresh flowers.
Produced by Cadogan, in association with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the annual competition continues to grow year on year, with Chelsea’s best retailers, restaurants and hotels adorning themselves with creative designs, competing for the coveted awards.
2025’s theme is ‘Flowers in Fashion’, celebrating Chelsea’s place at the heart of many iconic fashion movements and it being one of the world’s most stylish destinations.
‘Flowers in Fashion’ will see the neighbourhood transformed into London’s most elegant runway, with inspiration taken from its fashion legacy, style icons, muses and more.
The competition will see participants showcasing floral displays, each reflecting their own unique interpretation of the theme. The displays will be judged by an expert panel, with the winners announced on Tuesday, 20 May.

With loads to see this truly is the 'alternative' Chelsea Flower Show - without an expensive ticket! Talk about Flower Power - Chelsea really does go for it!

I will organise a route for us and the plan is to finish off with a hop on the the tube for an eats & drinks social (optional) at:
The Civil Service Club in Great Scotland Yard which is a unique organisation in a special building at the historic heart of government in Whitehall. Upon her accession to the throne in 1952, Her Majesty The Queen made the premises available to the Club to provide 'a social facility within the reach of all.’ Today the Club is thriving as never before, with more than 12,000 members and a mission true to its original founding.

I am a member and I have booked tables for us. Therefore, it is important to keep your RSVP up to date, especially if there's a waiting list. Our tables are booked for 16:00 hrs.
Here's a link to view the menu:
[[CSC-Bar-Menu-Jan-2025.pdf](http://csc-bar-menu-jan-2025.pdf/)](https://www.civilserviceclub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CSC-Bar-Menu-Jan-2025.pdf)
Drinks are reasonably priced too...

As we will be walking do wear suitable footwear and don't forget to bring your camera📷

The Meetup fee for this event is £4.00 – which is payable on the day.
Please keep an eye out for the Meetup sign. If you do not see us please call/text me on: 0739 623 3874 – text is best! - psssst! Don't forget to say your name in the message.

However, before sending any message please check the site in case I have added an update.

Hope to see lots of you there :)

NB. As usual there will be others coming along from my other Meetup family ;)
39 attendees+34
Not open
Sun, May 25, 2025, 1:00 PM BSTSunday Stroll @ Belgravia in Bloom 2025 + 'Roastie' Social @ Civil Service Club!
Sloane Square, London
Let's have another blooming good time and visit Belgravia in Bloom!!! We'll return and take another tour of this annual flower festival which takes place in shops, bars and restaurants around Belgravia, coinciding with the nearby Chelsea Flower Show. Belgravia in Bloom will be returning in full blossom. The already beautiful streets of Belgravia will become even more so, as the annual floral festival takes over the area’s elegant streets...

The Belgravia in Bloom festival is returning for its tenth year!
They say: Visitors can expect eye-popping floral displays and unique experiences across the neighbourhood. This year's theme is 'Seasons' with installations reflecting spring, summer, autumn and winter.

TAKE A SELFIE WITH SHOWSTOPPING FLOWER DISPLAYS

Discover Belgravia in Bloom’s epic floral displays, created by world-famous Belgravia florists, including Neill Strain, Moyses Stevens and Judith Blacklock.

We will stroll along and marvel at the beautiful displays. There'll be some surprises along the way too...

I will organise a route for us, and we'll make our way to: The Civil Service Club in Great Scotland Yard which is a unique organisation in a special building at the historic heart of government in Whitehall. Upon her accession to the throne in 1952, Her Majesty The Queen made the premises available to the Club to provide 'a social facility within the reach of all.’ Today the Club is thriving as never before, with more than 12,000 members and a mission true to its original founding.

I am a member and I have booked tables for us. Therefore, it is important to keep your RSVP up to date, especially if there's a waiting list. Our tables are booked for 16:00 hrs.
The Sunday Roast is very reasonably priced at £10.00 - £11.00
Here's the menu:
https://www.civilserviceclub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sunday-menu.pdf
Or you can opt for their daily menu:
[[[[CSC-Bar-Menu-Jan-2025.pdf](http://csc-bar-menu-jan-2025.pdf/)](http://csc-bar-menu-jan-2025.pdf/)](http://csc-bar-menu-jan-2025.pdf/)](https://www.civilserviceclub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CSC-Bar-Menu-Jan-2025.pdf)
Drinks are reasonably priced too...
As we will be walking do wear suitable footwear and don't forget to bring your camera 📷 🤳
I will meet you by the exit of Sloane Square Tube Station.
The Meetup fee for this event is £4.00 – which is payable on the day.
Please keep an eye out for the Meetup sign. If you do not see us please call/text me on: 0739 623 3874 – text is best! - psssst! Don't forget to say your name in the message.

However, before sending any message please check the site in case I have added an update.

Hope to see lots of you there :)

NB. As usual there will be others coming along from my other Meetup family ;)
47 attendees+42
Not open

Past events (784)

Thu, May 8, 2025, 12:00 PM BSTVE Day: Poppies @ Tower + Art @ OXO + Riverside Walk + Civil Service Club Social
This event has passed
35 attendees+30
Not open

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