Sherlock Holmes

This early British sci-fi explores the possibilities of futuristic television technology. * Director Maurice Elvey * With Jameson Thomas, Benita Hume * UK 1929. 95min * 35mm * With live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney A British sci-fi thriller set in 1950s London, involving a plot by evil arms dealers to blow up the Channel Tunnel and fly planes into buildings. Based on a stage-play by Noel Pemberton-Billing MP, the film features imagined variants of television used for broadcasting and televisual telephony. A very British vision of the future, it was unquestionably influenced by Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. [Buy cinema tickets for High Treason | BFI Southbank](https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=EDDF0B80-2A7E-409B-A85D-3037E2D665ED&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=9C3F35F9-78CD-4365-A7A8-87FFBE23E64A)

Our women-only badminton sessions are open to players of all abilities, from beginners to more experienced players. This session is designed to be friendly, inclusive, and supportive, providing a comfortable space to play, learn, and improve at your own pace. Cost : £7 per session Rackets are available but please bring your own and wear appropriate shoes. Free parking available Pay before you play, please join our WhatsApp community for more details. https://chat.whatsapp.com/HDfdoIcvxmD66kMVeWBpm8

New and Experienced Players Welcome! 🤗 Ever played Werewolf, Mafia or Secret Hitler? Well this game is like that but on steroids! 😈😇 Ever watched The Traitors and wished you could have a turn? Well now you can! Suitable for complete beginners, experienced veterans and everyone in between, we Play **'Blood on the Clocktower'** a game where you never know who you can trust... A great way to meet new people in a fun interactive way, at a bar serving food and drinks Continue reading for a general description of the game: Blood on the Clocktower is a bluffing game enjoyed by 5 to 20 players on opposing teams of Good and Evil, overseen by an experienced Storyteller. During a 'day' phase players socialize openly and whisper privately to trade knowledge or spread lies, culminating in a player's execution if a majority suspects them of being Evil. At 'night' time, players close their eyes and some are woken one at a time by the Storyteller to gather information, spread mischief, or kill. Use all your powers of deduction and deception to survive this game of murder and mystery. The game will be fully explained at the event. However if you'd like to learn more now watch: https://youtu.be/M-aZP47Nm9g?feature=shared

Casual multiplayer *Magic: The Gathering* Commander session Join our [MTG Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/darkspheremagic)!

Come along on Sunday 18th January for a treasure hunt around the Science Museum! The treasure hunts are a good way to get to know a museum, gallery or area whilst meeting new people. This treasure hunt is based around the Science Museum. **About the museum** The museum was founded in 1857 under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts and surplus items from the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Science Museum now holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including such famous items as Stephenson's Rocket, Puffing Billy (the oldest surviving steam locomotive), the first jet engine, a reconstruction of Francis Crick and James Watson's model of DNA, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, and working example of Charles Babbage's Difference engine. **How it works** Come along at 1:30pm and you will be randomly divided into teams of 3 people (or you can choose your own team beforehand). For fairness, any London Guides or Blue Badge Tour Guides won't be allowed to take part. Then each team will be given 15-20 written clues which you have to find the answers for. It's up to your team to work together to find the answers. You can answer them in any order and you will be provided with a map of the museum to help you. It's not a race, so you can take your time getting to know the museum. The answers to the clues will be found on the information cards of the objects or on the object itself. The treasure hunts are a good way to get to know the museum whilst meeting and getting to know new people! **Prizes** The team to get the most correct answers and then return to base (a local pub or cafe) will win book vouchers for Waterstones bookshops of £10 per person. If more than one team gets the top score, there will be a tie break question back at the pub. A £5 gift voucher per person will be given to each member of the team coming in second place and prizes will be given to each member of the team with the best team name. **Cost** Its £7 per person to take part (payable by cash on the day), apart from Full Members where it is free! **Become a Full Member** To become a Full Member (£14 a year), either: \- Pay cash at an event \- Pay via Bank Transfer \(TSB Bank plc\, Sort code: 77\-66\-65\, Account no: 00030809, Account name: Cultureseekers)) \- Pay via credit card on the day or in advance \([https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QLAX8AUI](https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QLAX8AUI)) \- Pay via PayPal\, send a payment to general@cultureseekers\.org\, using the ‘Friends & Family’ option Benefits of becoming a Full Member [here...](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/531979527/) We will be marking the scores back at the pub/cafe at 4:30pm, so it should all be over by 5:00pm. Look out for the red & blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign/flag. If you can't see us, please text. Look forward to seeing you there! Robert 07905 901 834 (prefer text) or email: [general@cultureseekers.org](http://general@cultureseekers.org) ***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/photos/22974682/523578875/Group_Rules/](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/523578875/Group_Rules/)***

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/organiser/cerus-volleyball-club/games **Game Description:** Come and join a Mid-intermediate and above volleyball session run by Cerus Volleyball Club at one of the best venues in London. We welcome everyone with good skill of play. This is a social rotation session. 🚨ONLY sign up to this game if your technique/fundamentals are Mid-intermediate level & above. We will cancel you from the game and refund you if we don’t believe you meet this level. This is nothing personal at all, we just need to ensure good quality games and rallies 🔥 Directions: \- 3 minute walk from Latimer Road underground station Rules Be respectful and have a great time!

For the first meeting of 2026, we will read Andy Weir's 2022 novel, *Project Hail Mary*. 'Set in the near future, it centers on school teacher and former biologist Ryland Grace, who wakes up aboard a spacecraft afflicted with amnesia.' (Wikipedia) ''Charting the desperate last-chance mission of a lone astronaut to safeguard our planet, *Project Hail Mary* is a riveting interstellar adventure from the bestselling author of *The Martian*." -Waterstones https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54493401-project-hail-mary The meeting will take place at The Folly on Gracechurch St (the weekend vibe there is quite different from the weekday evening one...). Join us for a delicious brunch/lunch as we dive into this sci-fi thriller! N.B. We will be charging an event fee of £3, non-refundable, to discourage no-shows and contribute to the running costs of the group. Please only sign up if you intend to come along as space is limited to make for an effective discussion!

We will be meeting at The Racketeer! We will divide into smaller groups to discuss this month's book. It will be very obvious when you arrive to the pub, where our group is, but please feel free to give me a call if you are struggling to find us. For new members, shoot me a message on meetup and I will send through my phone number!

Venue: Civil Service Club Date/Time: Sunday 18 January, 3-8pm and possibly beyond! First timers - please kindly read below about bringing your board, meetup fee, purchasing drinks and food, Etiquette etc Dear Backgammon Lovers, We had an absolute blast at Gest, with around 25 backgammoners turning up for an evening of dice, laughter, a ton of doubles, and delicious food... well mine was great! The staff, the venue, were all top-notch. It was fantastic to welcome many new backgammoners and to catch up with so many familiar faces. For now we will also continue to meet at the CSC which has it's own individual charm. Social Backgammon Whether you're a seasoned backgammoner or a newbie looking to learn this fabulous game, our social event is open to all. This is also the perfect chance to sharpen your game, and share a laugh (or a lucky double six!) over backgammon. Add in a drink, maybe dinner, and you’ve got the recipe for a fun and relaxed evening. Venue Food and Drink Just a little reminder that when we use the Civil Service Club, we’re asked to buy at least one drink whilst we’re there! The Club also has a nice range of food and snacks on offer, all at really good prices, so it’s a great chance to relax and make the most of the day. About our backgammon social group Our group has been running for 10 years since June 2015 and we have held over 450 official backgammon meetings - along with a further 200 off-grid (non meetups) since then. We are the largest backgammon group in the UK with nearly 2,000 backgammon members. What makes our group special are its members and the warmth, humour and friendliness whilst playing this splendid social game over a few drinks... usually fortnightly, and on a Sunday. We have about 30-odd regular members who play socially and we very much welcome new players too - so do come along. Dinner Time and Drinks and Food In between the rounds of backgammon many of us sit for a meal around 6pm, but you can order drinks and food whenever you like. RSVP Please RSVP asap - . Often I need to provide the Club with an indication of numbers. Bring your own Backgammon Board - no problem if initially you don't have one. Love seeing the different styles and size of boards - my boards have somehow gotten larger over the years. Please bring your own backgammon board and should you not have one please let us know in advance via the Meetup message board so that others can make the effort to bring theirs. Meetup Fee I will ask for £4 as the meetup fees etc have increased substantially over the past year or two. This also assists paying other admin costs including Club membership and tips. Other Games We sometimes play other games in the evening such as Rummikub, Yahtzee, and a type of Gin Rummy... so ask and watch this space! Etiquette Just a quick reminder- it’s always nice to say thank you to the staff at the CSC when you can. Let’s also keep things warm and friendly with each other and enjoy the game. If anything comes up, please feel free to have a word with me or whoever is hosting that day. Backgammon Rules With one or two exceptions our group plays international backgammon tournament rules. I have outlined these rules on our meetup page. My Contact Should you get lost or need to get in touch my number is: 07956 263451. Would advise you not to post messages two hours before the meetup commences as there's often chance I will not see it. Best wishes again to all you Backgammoners for 2026! Chris Sattaur

Salam, Dustan! ‘[Abbas Kiarostami](https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/search_results/keyword/abbas+kiarostami)’ has created some of the most inventive and transcendent cinema of the past thirty years, and *[Close-up](https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/search_results/keyword/close-up)* is his most radical, brilliant work. This fiction-documentary hybrid uses a sensational real-life event—the arrest of a young man on charges that he fraudulently impersonated the well-known filmmaker [Mohsen Makhmalbaf](https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/search_results/keyword/mohsen+makhmalbaf)—as the basis for a stunning, multilayered investigation into movies, identity, artistic creation, and existence, in which the real people from the case play themselves. With its universal themes and fascinating narrative knots, *[Close-up](https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/search_results/keyword/close-up)* has resonated with viewers around the world.” – Janus Films We’ll meet 10 minutes before the film and after for a chat and drinks at the cinema. Reservation link for the 6pm screening: [https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/close-up-cinema/e-bgqjlx](https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/close-up-cinema/e-bgqjlx)

For January, we’re reading Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy. For fans of Flight Behavior and Station Eleven, a novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world's last birds--and her own final chance for redemption. Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the ocean's tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the world's last flock of Arctic terns and track their final migration. She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his eccentric crew with promises that the birds will lead them to fish. As the Saghani fights its way south, Franny's dark history begins to unspool. Battered by night terrors, accumulating a pile of unsent letters, and obsessed with pursuing the terns at any cost, Franny is full of secrets. When her quest threatens the safety of the entire crew, Franny must ask herself what she is really running toward--and running from. Propelled by a narrator as fierce and fragile as the terns she is following, Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations is both an ode to our threatened world and a breathtaking page-turner about the lengths we will go for the people we love.

Join us for Slow Horses and a Book Exchange! In addition to our usual chat about the book, we’ll be exchanging books. Bring two books you’re willing to part with and we’ll exhange books. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Welcome to the thrilling and unnervingly prescient world of the slow horses. This team of MI5 agents is united by one common bond: They've screwed up royally and will do anything to redeem themselves. This special tenth-anniversary deluxe edition of a modern classic includes a foreword by the author, discussion questions for book clubs, and an exclusive short story featuring the slow horses. London, England: Slough House is where washed-up MI5 spies go to while away what's left of their failed careers. The "slow horses," as they're called, have all disgraced themselves in some way to get relegated there. Maybe they botched an Op so badly they can't be trusted anymore. Maybe they got in the way of an ambitious colleague and had the rug yanked out from under them. Maybe they just got too dependent on the bottle-not unusual in this line of work. One thing they have in common, though, is they want to be back in the action. And most of them would do anything to get there-even if it means having to collaborate with one another. When a young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten to broadcast his beheading live on the Internet, the slow horses see an opportunity to redeem themselves. But is the victim really who he appears to be?

Joins us as we get together to see possible-future-Oscar-nominee Amanda Seyfried in THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE! This biographical-musical-drama follows Ann Lee, who was the founding leader of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century. Here’s a description, trailer and plan for this event; DESCRIPTION: The film follows Ann Lee, the founding leader of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century. Based on true events, it depicts her establishment of a utopian society and the Shakers' worship through song and dance. The film is directed by Mona Fastvold, who co-wrote the script with Brady Corbet (The Brutalist), and stars Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard and David Cale. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zK_nzG36mk BUZZ: Reviews have been solid but Amanda Seyfried’s performance has been universally praised. The film is earning an 89% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which says: “Illuminated by Amanda Seyfried's sterling performance, The Testament of Ann Lee accepts The Shakers' founder on her own terms and reaches its own rhapsodic highs as a result.” According to Next Best Picture, “The Testament of Ann Lee is an undeniably moving and inspirational story….effectively brought into the 21st century through powerful, stirring music.” PLAN: Please purchase your ticket for the 7:30pm showing and we’ll meet inside the theater lobby between 7:00 and 7:15pm! Advance purchase is advised. Once you have yours, please list your seat number in the Comments below. Note: If you purchase your ticket on the Gateway's website, be sure to change the ticket from "70mm" to "evening rate," which will save you $3.00. PARKING: Close, convenient parking is available in the nearby garage (located between 9th and 11th, just off High St). Bring your ticket with you and have it validated at the theater and for $2, you’re covered for the night! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

**Our January novel is: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan** **This month's featured novel is a 20th-century biographical fiction, coming-of-age, historical romance, women’s fiction, world literature, student biography, heartfelt, magic, and feel-good novel. The book is 311 pages in print and 7 hours and 8 minutes on audiobook.** 1950: Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it's just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: "Where did Narnia come from?" Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers. Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life. After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."

Great small park; for me the concretions are always the highlight. Gravel trail with a couple of inclines - poles can be helpful on these. The loop is around 2 miles; plan on doing it twice (if you want less mileage you can drop off after the first loop). Optional lunch after the hike; location tbd. When you enter the park drive to the parking lot straight in front of you vs the one to the left.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Sunday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at noon on Sundays. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 12:00 - quick intros. 12:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 1:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 1-1:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Sunday!