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- [ONLINE] Cultureseekers Midweek Coffee EveningLink visible for attendees
On Wednesday 11th September at 6:30pm, we will be having an online Midweek Coffee Evening!
It's a chance to keep in touch and chat with others in the group.
So nearer the time, pour yourself a coffee (or tea) and click on the link after you RSVP.
Hope to see you there!
Robert
07905 901 834 (prefer text)Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478
- Open House (Sat) - Westminster Archives Centre & Thorney Island Society ArchivesSt James's Park Tube Station (outside the station), London, SW1H 0BD
Once a year in September, 800 private buildings in London open their doors for the weekend and let the public in to look around and admire their architecture. We are going to take full advantage of this visiting buildings on the Saturday and the Sunday.
On the Saturday we are visiting 2 buildings.
City of Westminster Archives Centre - built in 1995
Modern red brick building purpose-built to house the City of Westminster's historic records. Opportunity to visit the conservation studio and see treasures of the archives. Its Westminster's first ever purpose-made Archive building and is situated over five floors. The earliest records go back to 13th century. There is a tour at 2pm lasting an hour.Finish at 3:00pm and walk to the next building.
Arrive at the Thorney Island Society building - 3:10pm.
The Thorney Island Society Archives building - built in the 1990's
The society has an archive containing books, engravings and files relating to the extraordinary history around us from Parliament, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey to St John’s Smith Square. The Thorney Island Society is a voluntary amenity and civic society which came into being in 1985. It is concerned with the heritage and welfare of the 'Westminster Village'. It organises visits and social events, reviews planning applications and maintains a local archive. There are currently around 400 members.Finish at 4:30pm and head to the pub.
Cost
Entry to all buildings is free!We will spend about 1h 30mins in each building. All the buildings are within walking distance of each other.
Afterwards
After, we will head to 'The Sanctuary pub', 33 Tothill Street (we finish not far from St. James's Park Tube Station).Look out for the red & 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 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
- Open House (Sun) - the RSA, British Academy & Royal Society buildings!Embankment Tube Station (outside the station - Villiers Street exit), London
Once a year in September, 800 private buildings in London open their doors for the weekend and let the public in to look around and admire their architecture. We are going to take full advantage of this visiting buildings on the Saturday and the Sunday.
On the Sunday we are visiting 3 buildings.
RSA building (Royal Society of the encouragement of Arts) - built in 1774
The RSA is this year celebrating the 250th anniversary of moving into the building. The building was designed as part of the Adam brothers' Adelphi complex and the architect was Robert Adam. The House boasts several original Adams features, including the cornice in the Great Room, iconic Adam stairwells, 14 Adam fireplaces and extensive vaults. The Great Room showcases James Barry’s series of paintings started in 1777 and completed in 1801, alongside portraits painted by Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds.Finish at 1:40pm and walk to the next building.
Arrive at the British Academy building - 2:00pm.
The British Academy building - built in 1827
One of London's finest examples of Georgian architecture, Carlton House Terrace is a Grade 1 listed structure originally designed by John Nash and built between 1827 and 1833. Today the townhouse at no 10-11 is home to the British Academy, the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. The creation of a British Academy was first proposed in 1899 so that Britain could be represented at the new International Association of Academies.Finish at 3:30pm and walk to the next building.
Arrive at the Royal Society building - 3:45pm.
The Royal Society building - built in 1831
A spectacular Grade I listed building designed by famed architect John Nash. Built in 1831, these former townhouses have undergone refurbishments throughout their history. The building is now home to the UK's national science academy. The first meeting of the Royal Society in 1660. Since then it has resided in numerous properties and moved here in 1967,Finish at 5:00pm and head to the pub.
Cost
Entry to all buildings is free!We will spend about 1h 30mins in each building. All the buildings are within walking distance of each other.
Afterwards
After, we will head to the 'Silver Cross pub', 33 Whitehall for a chat over a drink (not far from Charing Cross or Embankment Tube Stations).Look out for the red & 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 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 - Sutton Hoo & the coastal town of Aldeburgh! (NOW FULL)Coach bays on Tothill Street (nearest tube: St James's Park), London£31.00
THE TRIP IS NOW FULL, IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND, ADD YOURSELF TO THE WAITING LIST AND I WILL CONTACT YOU IF A PLACE BECOMES AVAILABLE.
Come along on Saturday 21st September for day trip by coach visiting historic Sutton Hoo and the coastal town of Aldeburgh!
About the day
We will be going up the Suffolk coast to visit the Anglo Saxon site of Sutton Hoo and then onto the pretty coastal town of Aldeburgh.Sutton Hoo
Sutton Hoo in Suffolk is the site of two Anglo Saxon cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries. Archaeologists discovered the site in 1938, when a previously undisturbed ship burial containing a wealth of Anglo Saxon artefacts (including the Sutton Hoo helmet, which is in the British Museum) was discovered. It is still one of the best preserved archaeological finds that has ever been found in Britain!The site was first excavated by Basil Brown, a self-taught archaeologist, under the auspices of the landowner Edith Pretty, but when its importance became apparent, experts from the British Museum took over. The story has been told recently in the 2021 Netflix film; 'The Dig'. Part of the site has also been re-excavated recently for the T.V series 'Time Team' and was live streamed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYtVvEG8414
The artefacts the archaeologists found in the burial chamber include a suite of metalwork dress fittings in gold and gems, a ceremonial helmet, a shield and sword, a lyre, and silver plate from the Byzantine Empire. All these are now in the British Museum.
We will be having a guided tour for the group, where we will be able to get onto the burial mounds. The site also has a cafe and a good sized museum about the dig. You can also visit Edith Pretty's former home.
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a very pretty small town on the Suffolk coast. Its pastel-coloured 19th Century holiday villas line the promenade and to the east, the pebble beach with fisherman’s huts selling the daily catch.Its historic buildings include a 16th-century 'moot hall' (a place to have meetings) and a Napoleonic-era Martello Tower. It was home to composer; Benjamin Britten and the crime writer; Ruth Rendell. The annual Aldeburgh Literary Festival (setup by Britten) takes place every May.
When we get to Aldeburgh, I will give you a mini tour of the town, before leaving you to explore on your own.
Entry & Tour Costs
Entry and the guided tour at Sutton Hoo is £20 per person, I will collect this on the day (by cash or PayPal). For National Trust members, entry is free and the tour is £5 per person.Sutton Hoo entry is optional, if you don't want to come in, you can go to the cafe or look around the nearby village of Woodbridge. If you don't want to do the tour, the entry cost is £15 per person.
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.Go here to become a Full Member - www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/dues/
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.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)Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing -
https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/messages/boards/thread/53768478
![[ONLINE] Cultureseekers Midweek Coffee Evening cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/f/a/event_509100506.webp "[ONLINE] Cultureseekers Midweek Coffee Evening")
