Rotary Club

Welcome back ramblers, rovers, loungers and loafers! Once again, it's time to drift. We're picking up where we left off (well, a little west of there) last month to continue our long-term unguided navigation around the whole of London. We'll stay south of the river this time and keep pushing westwards into the heartland of glorious South London, starting from Greenwich and ending up, most likely, somewhere in Lambeth, via Peckham. These are some of the liveliest, most interesting parts of the metropolis so an extended exploration is a long time coming for us! Since this is a *dérive*, I won't say much more than that. Meet out in front of Greenwich station, serviced by the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) as well as Thameslink (which cost the same as the Tube and run from big stations such as Farringdon and King's Cross) and Southwestern rail services. Check planned TfL disruptions here - there are some disruptions to certain routes on the DLR for March 15th, but Greenwich station will be fine and our day should be all clear for most everybody: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/planned-track-closures.pdf A little background on our City Drifting project here: **Now just wait a minute. What the hell is a drift ([dérive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%A9rive))?** A drift is any unplanned journey through the urban landscape in which participants practice a form of radical mindfulness, collectively exploring new ways of relating mentally, ideologically and materially to the "ordinary" urban environment we all think we know so well. First theorised publicly by Situationist thinker, artist and provocateur Guy Debord in his 1956 essay *[Theory of the Dérive](https://libcom.org/article/theory-derive-guy-debord)*, drifting is a sort of *critique of ideology* done by walking, looking, and feeling. **The urban environment of London is not a neutral space:** it is packed with surveillance equipment, anti-homeless architecture, consumerist [Gruen transfers,](https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-the-gruen-transfer.htm) crowd management systems and security perimeters, among a thousand other subtle and not-so-subtle methods of population control. Moreover, our everyday relationship to the city and its pathways is conditioned deeply by our habits of movement and our habitual perceptions: our commute to work, to school, our nips down to the shops, etc. **All these routines create what Marxists call a *reified* relationship with the urban environment: through over-familiarity it becomes something seemingly natural, "just there", ordinary, unchangeable - boring.** This boredom and familiarity kills the radical imagination, without which we're fucked. To be able to start to imagine how society could be transformed, we also need to imagine how spaces, buildings, their use, their whole purpose (and who these serve) could themselves be transformed. A necessary step in this process, according to Debord and the Situationists, is the drift. Like the 19th-century gentleman *[flâneur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fl%C3%A2neur),* by wandering the city with an attitude of "fresh eyes", we can shake loose our ingrained sense of what London and its streets are like. **As a collective, we will work to "estrange our senses" and see the streets, buildings and people differently, as if we were encountering them for the first time.** That is to say: these aren't just random walks around London - with the right frame of mind, they will be opportunities to turn the world upside down, if only for a moment! But don't take it from me - as Debord observed: *"In a dérive one or more persons during a certain period **drop their relations, their work and leisure activities, and all their other usual motives for movement and action, and let themselves be drawn by the attractions of the terrain and the encounters they find there.** Chance is a less important factor in this activity than one might think: from a dérive point of view cities have [psychogeographical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography) contours, with constant currents, fixed points and vortexes that strongly discourage entry into or exit from certain zones."* See you on the streets comrades, and remember, as [Raoul Vaneigem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raoul_Vaneigem) once wrote: *"All space is occupied by the enemy. We are living under a permanent curfew. Not just the cops — the geometry".*

**Honouring the earth** Part 3 of the book club 'Cherishing the Earth' led by Alison Bybee and David Carter. 'Changing Hearts and Minds' Join us for insightful discussions over tea and cake, as we explore a book that celebrates and reflects on our planet, searching for a spiritual response to the ecological crisis that confronts us all. We will meet on the 3rd Sunday of every month for four months. The book, *Cherishing the Earth – Nourishing the Spirit*, edited by Maria Curtis, presents a range of Unitarian responses to the global environmental crisis. Contributors include ministers, lay people, and children, writing from diverse theological and ethical perspectives, exploring what it might mean to live in right relationship with the Earth. Their insights range from the prophetic and political to the practical and intensely personal, but all share a sense of gratitude for the sacred gift of life. Maria Curtis asks what changes we need to make in ourselves and in our society if we are to work towards healing the Earth and restoring balance to the global ecosystem: *“We need to re-imagine what a healthy relationship between humanity and the natural world might look like, one conducive to the flourishing of all beings onEarth.”* Rev. Dr Maria Curtis is a Unitarian minister with a background in education and psychology. Our four book club sessions: **18th January: Prophetic Voices** **15th February: Honouring the Earth** **15th March: Changing Hearts and Minds** **19th April: Active Hope and Young Voices** Each session will be standalone so that you can attend all, several or just one. We encourage participants to buy or borrow the book and to have read the sections if possible beforehand. **Buy the book: email *[alonghurst@unitarian.org.uk](mailto:alonghurst@unitarian.org.uk)* (£12 plus £3.50 P&P) Subsidised books available by request for those in financial need, just contact: [ministryteam@rosslynhillchapel.org.uk](mailto:ministryteam@rosslynhillchapel.org.uk)** Suggested donation: £10, for those who can afford to make a contribution. We are a registered charity - please give what you can.

**You must register to attend:** [https://luma.com/d04bupgn](https://luma.com/d04bupgn) ​Attention London agent tinkerers and curious humans 🤖✨ ​Come join us for **ClawClub AI Agents Hackday** \- a bring\-your\-laptop afternoon for playing with AI agents\, agent UX \(AUX\)\, OpenClaw\, Moltbot\, or any agent idea you’ve been meaning to try\. ​No talks. No demos. Just tables, power, Wi-Fi, snacks, a shared scratchpad, and maybe a place where agents can hang out together. * ​​**bring a laptop 💻** * ​bring an agent (or curiosity) 🤖 * ​​register quick to avoid disappointment! 🎟️ * £10 ​​ticket price covers food, drinks & venue costs 🍴 * ​​hosted at [Newspeak House](https://newspeak.house/), The London College of Political Technology 🏛️ **You must register to attend:** [https://luma.com/d04bupgn](https://luma.com/d04bupgn)

The Sobell Badminton club Sundays start from 1.30pm, finishing at 3.30pm. On the Sunday session we have a coach so beginners should attend this session.All bookings & payments via the better UK app ( OR this link: https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/london/islington/sobell/sobell-badminton) when possible and IN ADVANCE. £7.30 for members and £11.15 for non-members. Once you have installed the Better App (choose Sobell as the default sport centre) and from the homepage : go via “Book activities”--> "Adult group sessions"--> choose the required date (of a Friday or Sunday session) to book a place!

***PLEASE NOTE:*** *Signup for our events must be made through the London Sailing Club website, and not via Meetup - [click here to register](https://www.londonsailing.club/Events/Calendar/View?id=201). If you are not already a member of the club you will need to become a full or social member which you can do [by clicking here](https://www.londonsailing.club/Registration/Register?isSlotReAssignment=False).* (Depart from / Return to Port Hamble Marina) **London Sailing Club Taster Day** Have you been along to one of our socials and heard about our sailing trips, or seen club trips advertised on Meetup or our club's website, but you're not quite sure whether it's for you? Here is your chance to try out sailing with the club without committing to a multi-day trip. We're sure you're going to love it out on the water with us, and will want to come out with us again! For insurance reasons all participants in club trips must be adults and full members of the club (annual membership fee is £24). We're confident you will have a great time and will want to come and sail with us again, but we're happy to refund your membership fee if, after your taster day, you decide membership is not for you. Membership benefits include the ability to join sailing trips in the UK, the Mediterranean and other European destinations, sailing skills weekends, lots of varied social events, free online Theory classes, access to our "Take The Helm" coaching programme to help you develop practical skippering experience after obtaining Day Skipper, special discounts on occasional RYA training from accredited schools, and up to 15% discount on bareboat chartering with partner companies. *Taster Day Plan* We will meet at Port Hamble Marina at 9am for introductions and a safety briefing aboard the yacht. Parking is available at the marina. We'll aim to set off before 10am to make the most of a day sailing on the Solent. Depending on the weather and the wind we might drop anchor for lunch, after which we'll make our way back to Port Hamble Marina and be off the boats around 4.00pm. Participants are welcome to stay on for drinks in the marina bar where they will likely meet other club members. If getting to Port Hamble by 9am is likely to be difficult, you are welcome to stay on the yacht the night before for an additional £20. Accommodation is in shared double cabins, though if fewer than 3 people request this option you may well have your own cabin. First time sailors may wish to [take a look at our list of FAQs](https://www.londonsailing.club/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/FAQs+for+firsttime+sailors) and we also have a [recommended kit list](https://www.londonsailing.club/Cms/Spaces/DEFAULT/Recommended+kit+lists+for+sailing+trips). *Yachts* We have chartered a 37ft yacht and will sail with a maximum of six. We want everyone to have enough space and a proper chance to be involved in the sailing. If you’re new to yachting, you’ll be pleased to know the boats have heating, hot/cold running water, a bathroom, a kitchen with a fridge, and more than enough electricity to charge your phone! *Skippers & First Mates* The crew will be led by one of LSC's fantastic and experienced skippers and depending on the level of experience on board we may also have a First Mate from the club's Take The Helm programme. *Kit* No special or expensive sailing kit required! Just bring practical footwear and clothing to suit the weather forecast. Lifejackets are provided. Foul weather gear can be hired locally if needed. Don't forget sunglasses and sunscreen and a change of clothes if the forecast suggests it! If you are staying on the boat you should bring a sleeping bag and pillow as no bedding is provided. The marina has shoreside showers and toilets, so you are not restricted to using the more limited facilities on board the boat. *Cost* This is a non-commercial trip run on a shared-cost basis. The cost is £90 per person (not including the annual membership fee for which you pay separately), which covers the yacht charter, fuel, marina fees, lunch, snacks, and soft drinks on board during the taster day, as well as a £5 contribution to the club's Muck Up Fund which allows us to help skippers on club trips manage the risk of accidental damage caused by trip participants. It doesn’t cover getting yourself to/from the trip or any meals or drinks on shore. We ask for the full amount up front to secure your place. Accommodation on board the night before is available separately at an additional £20. Note that, because this trip is being advertised via the London Sailing Club’s platforms, any participant who is not already a full member of the Club (which costs £24 per year) will need to join prior to the start of the trip. We're sure you're going to love sailing with us and will want to come along on more trips, but if you decide that you don't want to sail with us after your taster day we will refund your membership fee. London Sailing Club Ts and Cs apply.

Participation in group travel is optional. You may attend the hike using your own transport. The hike itself is free of charge. If you are attending this hike event: \-\-\- **EVENT** FREE HIKE 25km \| Tough Hilly Lewes Circular \[**[LINK](https://www.meetup.com/freehiketogether/events/312882688/)**] \-\-\- **DATE** Sunday 15 March 2026 \-\-\- **THIS OFFER APPLIES TO YOU IF** * You want to pay a £13 total travel cost for the entire day * You are happy to travel in a group of four * You understand that individual tickets cannot be issued * You will be travelling from **London Victoria** to **Lewes** and returning from **Lewes** to **London Victoria** \-\-\- **HOW IT WORKS** You pay the organiser £13 in advance. The organiser will purchase group tickets once a full group of four has been confirmed. If a group of four is not confirmed, your payment will be fully refunded and you will need to arrange your own travel. \-\-\- **REFUNDS** If a group of four is not confirmed, your payment will be fully refunded and you will need to arrange your own travel. Once tickets have been purchased from National Rail, refunds are not possible. \-\-\- **❓ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS** **Q: What if I want to leave the group and travel on my own later?** A: You cannot. You must remain with your group of four for the entire journey. **Q: Will the organiser give me an individual ticket?** A: No. The ticket issued is a group ticket and is valid only for four people travelling together. **Q: Will the organiser give a group of four people a ticket?** A: Yes. A group ticket will be provided as long as all four people stay together and travel together. **Q: Who holds the group tickets, and how do we get through the barriers?** A: The organiser will hold and present the tickets. We will pass through the barriers together as one group. **Q: How much will it cost me on the day if I buy a return ticket with a Network Railcard?** A: Around £25.30, so you will save about £12. \-\-\- **PAYMENT** Sale has ended After completing payment, please send a private message to AdrianB confirming that payment has been made. Include your transaction ID and Meetup profile name so your bank account display name can be matched to your Meetup profile. \-\-\- **CLOSING DATE** Sales close on **Tuesday 10 March at noon,** when the tickets will be purchased. \-\-\- **CONTACT** AdrianB: +44 (0) 7438 812 663 \-\-\- 📍 **LONDON MEETING POINT - GROUP TRAVEL** AdrianB will be at the meeting point holding the group tickets. 08:15 Meet at London **[Victoria ticket office](https://w3w.co/gear.deputy.orbit)** 08:30 Leave the meeting point and board the train 08:46 Train departs London Victoria 09:50 Train arrives at Lewes \-\-\- Please go up the stairs and exit via the main entrance. At the end of the hike, we will travel back to London as a group. \-\-\- You may also join the group on the train at an intermediate station, such as Clapham Junction or East Croydon, to avoid travelling all the way to the main meeting point. However, you must first purchase a valid ticket to pass through the barriers at those stations when entering and exiting. \-\-\- **IMPORTANT** Please ensure you arrive at the meeting point on time. If you are not there when we leave to board the train, the group will proceed without you. \-\-\- Anyone who has signed up but has not paid will be removed from the event to allow others who are ready to pay to take their place. \-\-\- **GROUPS** Adrian - Paid Ashvin - Paid Angela - Paid Denise - Paid \-\-\- Ranji - Paid Sandra - Paid Stavros - Paid Sherban - Paid —- Adam - Paid Emily - Paid Federica - Paid Stpehen - Paid \-\-\- **NOTE** If you prefer to arrange your own group travel, you can purchase tickets directly from National Rail **[HERE](https://ticket.southernrailway.com/daysave/2026-03-15/VIC/4/)**.

Discover the World at International Cafe! We are a group of Christian volunteers set out to create a friendly community that welcomes everyone! Come and practice speaking English with our English speaking volunteers. You will learn more about British culture and discuss life with NEW topics each week. We also include a Bible story at the end of our sessions. At International Cafe, we start our meet up with refreshments, snacks and continue in engaging conversations. Each week, we'll look at NEW topics about British culture and history, so you can learn and socialize. Best of all, it's a free event and open to everyone! So mark your calendars: 🕕 Time: **Sunday at 2:30 PM** 📍 Address: ECIR OEA, Inspire at St James Questions? Text Organiser at 07708228436.

Is one of your 2026 goals to have more valuable engaging chats with like-minded people who are into what you're into thereby adding more brilliant relevant people to your life? Then come and try something different for a perfect New Year adventure swith **group matched topic** based conversation. Time is precious. Here, we believe life is richer when you spend more time enjoying the things you love, with similar people who genuinely love them back too. This is not just about bespoke socialising but ensuring fully engaging, soulfully enriching and inspiring interactions that leave you a bit wiser than when you arrived. No awkward hovering. No boring small talk with “so what do you do?” No meaningless icebreakers, No dull uninspiring mind numbing generic chats! Just relaxed meaningful but exciting conversations with people who share your passions, interests and hobbies. Whether you’re into creativity, music, travel, films, health and fitness, curiosity, science, food, politics or great outdoor adventures, you’ll find your inspring conversations here. **=== CHOOSE YOUR HIGH LEVEL TOPIC ===** Instead of walking into randomness - **when you RSVP** choose **your specialist topic that you are able** **to** **converse articulately and endlessly with passion.** You’ll then join a small group of people with the same interests from: * **Music** * **Films, Theatre & TV Shows** * **Books** * **Health, Fitness, Sports & Nutrition** * **Fashion** * **Spirituality** * **PPE** (Politics, Philosophy & Economics) * **Art** * **Outdoors & Nature** * **Space, Science & Wonder** * **Food, Eating Out & Cooking** **=== HOW IT WORKS ===** * **Pick your topic when you RSVP** so you’re matched with people who share your interests / passions. To keep conversations truly engaging for everyone, only select a topic that you can talk about with passion and knowledge * **When you arrive**, head to the **table area** (location and host contact number will be posted in the comments). * **Check in with host** — I’ll have a quick chat to make sure you’re comfortable with your topic and **introduce you to your topic group**, connecting you with people who want to talk about the same things as you * **Enjoy relaxed, easy conversation** over a drink with interesting and engaging people who actually share your hobbies, passions, and curiosity, not just any irrelevant Tom, Dick & Harry * **Meet a mix of relevant like‑minded people**, ensuring high quality enjoyable organic conversations that flow naturally & endlessly * If you get easily bored like me - I will re-alllocate you a different group with your secondary area of interest **=== VENUE ===** This historic, cosy, and much‑loved Islington bar serves everything from hot drinks to wine, beer, and food. So arrive with curiosity and connect with a table full of people who might just become your new friends Lucas - The Social Butterfly Polymath

**Spring is here and to make the most of the amazing colours of the season starting to come into bloom, we've got your Sunday sorted with our latest Social Walk and Pub trip!** And for this month's social walk, we'll be hiking from Southwark Park to Waterloo. To kick things off in Southwark Park - you'll be allocated a group/team for an initial mix of fun games designed to help you break the ice and get to know your fellow walkers a little better. We’ll then set off on our 2-3 hour hike wandering past the serene channels and lakes of Canada Water, Stave Hill Ecological Park and the wild and rustic Russia Dock Woodland. We will before heading west along the River Thames to Waterloo, past some of the many of the famous sights of the capital, such as the Tower of London, London Bridge and Shakespeare's Globe. Best of all, we’ll be ending up at one of our favourite pubs near the Southbank, where we’ll be dusting off our **huge collection of board games for you to enjoy.** And so you’ll be able to rest your legs and have a couple of drinks, get to know your fellow 20s and 30s, and play some games. Owing to capacity at the pub, we will sadly be having to cap numbers and so do make sure you nab your place as soon as you can - as we will be having to turn off RSVPS when we’re nearing the capacity limit. **\- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \-** **WHERE/WHEN WE WILL MEET** Meet Point - Southwark Park Bandstand, Southwark Park, Gomm Rd, London SE16 2TX ([https://goo.gl/maps/tFhFJjuaKQegM2xC9](https://goo.gl/maps/tFhFJjuaKQegM2xC9)) Closest stations: Bermondsey (5 min walk) Destination: Thirsty Bear, Waterloo Walk Finish time: 5:00pm (approx) Pub Finish time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm **\- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \- \-** **JOIN THE COMMUNITY** Set up in November 2021, our community project was set up to help 20s and 30s in London meet, connect and hopefully build life-long friendships. To help make this happen, we also host all kinds of events from free social walks, games evenings, day trips, social events, activity nights to picnics. To learn more about our community or to follow us on social media, please follow one of the links below. **Website - [https://friendship-project.co.uk](https://friendship-project.co.uk/)** **Instagram - [https://www.instagram.com/great.friendship](https://www.instagram.com/great.friendship)**

This will be the first ever Book Club Meet up for this group! * We will be discussing Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (if you would like a free EPUB copy of this book to read on kindle, message me & I can send you the ebook) * ***Changed the book from Daggermouth due to it being independently published and hard to find in print**** * Feel free to attend even if you haven't started or finished the book ◡̈ ! * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! * Even if the meetup event shows full, you are welcome to come. If you can no longer attend the event, no worries, just please try to update your status on meetup for it.

Bring your business cards and network in person with other business professionals! Gold Star Referral Clubs is one of the most established professional networking organizations in the country, with multiple groups in central Ohio. Join us!

**Our March pick is *God of the Woods* by Liz Moore.** **This month’s novel is an award-winning literary mystery that blends family drama with psychological suspense. It explores women’s voices and relationships while delivering an exciting, eerie, and deeply suspenseful story. The book is 576 pages in print or 14 hours and 35 minutes on audiobook.** Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

Join us as we get together to see Ryan Gosling and Sandra Huller in the highly anticipated sci-fi adventure, PROJECT HAIL MARY! The film is based on the best-selling novel of The Martian and follows a man who awakens on a spacecraft before realizing his mission to save Earth. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event: DESCRIPTION: A science teacher wakes up on a spaceship, light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission to save the Earth. The film is directed by the filmmaking due Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (21 and 22 Jump Street, Into and Across the Spider-Verse) and is based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir (The Martian). The film stars Ryan Gosling, Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall, The Zone of Interest), Lionel Boyce, Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYsnngkS_U BUZZ AND REVIEWS: The buzz and reviews for PROJECT HAIL MARY are off-the-charts good! The film is earning a 95% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics call it an “old school blockbuster crowd-pleaser” and “a new sci-fi classic!” It’s “deeply hopeful,” well-acted,” funny,” “dramatic,” and “exceptionally rousing throughout!” Others call it “something truly magical” and one that “we’ll be talking about this one for decades to come!” And I believe Slashfilm says it best: “It will lift up and squeeze your heart, crack you up with laughter, and give you a sense of hope and wonder in a way that few movies have been able to inspire.” MOVIE PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 2:30pm SuperScreen DLX showing and meet in the lobby area between 2:05 and 2:15pm! Tickets already on sale and will likely move fast for this hot ticket / opening weekend showing so advance ticket purchase as soon as possible is advised! Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments section of this event. As a head’s up, this is a longer movie at 2hrs 36mins. DINNER PLAN: Dinner immediately following the movie at 5:30pm at group favorite, FUGU SUSHI, located just next door! Separate RSVP required for the Dinner / Movie portions of this event. An RSVP here means you're signed up for the MOVIE! This portion will be open as long as seats remain. If you also plan to join for dinner, please also RSVP in the separate event listing for the dinner portion of this event. Should be a good one, Dan

Welcome, readers! Our March read is **_The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver._** The story follows Taylor Greer, a young woman from rural Kentucky who leaves home for the West, only to find herself unexpectedly becoming the guardian of an abused Native American toddler named Turtle. In Tucson, Arizona, they form a makeshift family with a diverse group of people, including Guatemalan refugees and a single mother, exploring themes of motherhood, community, belonging, and finding hope in hardship. The story blends humor with serious issues, creating a story about finding family in unexpected places. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Ready for a night of music, laughter, and fun? Join us at Thunderwing Brewery for Music Bingo — a lively twist on classic bingo where songs replace numbers and good vibes are guaranteed! RSVP to secure your spot. Text Renee (614-257-9389). (Headcount needed to make sure staffing can accommodate the group) Arrive early to get a seat - **bring a camping chair for extra seating.** Often the brewery has food trucks or you can bring in your own food. Bonus - You can bring your dog!