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- Day trip by coach - to Cambridge! (ONLY £25 EACH)Coach bays on Tothill Street (nearest tube: St James's Park), London, AL£31.00
Come along on Saturday 23rd March for a day trip to the historic city of Cambridge!
About the day
Cambridge lies on the River Cam, about 50 miles north of London. It is known for it's university, museums and fantastic Gothic architecture.The university dates back to 1209 after being established by students escaping the hostile townspeople of Oxford. The university is ranked amongst the top 5 universities in the world and has produced countless numbers of famous people, from various heads of state from around the world (which includes 15 British Prime Ministers) to sports people, mathematicians, scientists and business leaders.
Aprox Itinerary
9:00am - leave London
10:30am - arrive in Cambridge
10:45am - guided tour of the town, in which we will also visit Queens College
12:45pm - stop for lunch, bring your own food or there are plenty of pubs and coffee shops in the town
2:00pm - visit the Fitzwilliam Museum
3:30pm - freetime: do punting on the river or look around the town
5:30pm - meet back at the coachCoach 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/
Entry/Tour of Queens College and the Guided Walk
Entry and tour of Queens college, plus the guided walk of the city is £16 per person (payable on the day by cash or bank transfter). The Fitzwilliam Museum is free.The tour of the college and city are optional, you don't have to do it, you can do your own thing if you wish.
Other Things To Do
Trinity & Kings Colleges are now only guided by the college staff, so its £5 per person for Trinity entry & tour & £14 per person for Kings entry & tour.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 - Visit Kensal Green Cemetery!Kensal Green Tube Station (outside the station), London
Come along on Sunday 24th March to visit Kensal Green Cemetery!
About the cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery opened in 1833 and was inspired by the cemetery of Pere-Lachaises in Paris. It comprises 72 acres of grounds, including two conservation areas, adjoining a canal. This distinctive cemetery has a host of different memorials ranging from large mausoleums housing the rich and famous to many distinctive smaller graves.Some of the most famous people buried here are:
Charles Babbage (1791-1871), mathematician, computer scientist
George Birbeck (1776-1841), adult education pioneer
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), engineer
Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849), engineer
Harold Pinter, playwright, director, actor
Steve Peregrin Took (1949-1980), musician, founder of rock group T-Rex
Sir Terence Rattigan (1911-1977), playwright
William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863), writer
Anthony Trollope (1815-1882), novelistThere are three royal burials:
Prince Augustus Frederick (son of King George III)
Princess Sophia (daughter of King George III)
Prince George (grandson of King George III).Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), singer with the rock group Queen and the actress, Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) were both cremated here.
Going in March, we should see some Spring colour in the trees. The tube station is in Zone 2.
Cost
Entry is free!Go here to become a Full Member - https://www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/dues/
We will go round in small groups using maps supplied.
Afterwards
After we will head to the 'Masons Arms pub', 665 Harrow Road for a chat over a drink. The pub is very close to the tube station.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.
If you can't see us, 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
- [ONLINE] Cultureseekers Midweek Coffee EveningLink visible for attendees
On Wednesday 27th March 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
- Visit Strawberry Hill House & Gardens!Strawberry Hill Railway Station (outside the station), London, AL
Come along on Saturday 30th March to visit Strawberry Hill House & Gardens!
About the house & gardens
Strawberry Hill House’s story begins in 1747, when writer & politician Horace Walpole (1717-1797) discovered and purchased ‘Chopp’d Straw Hall’, one of the last remaining sites available on the banks of the River Thames in fashionable Twickenham.He set about transforming what was then a couple of cottages into his vision of a ‘little Gothic castle’ with pinnacles, battlements and a round tower. Thus Strawberry Hill House was born – the House became a tourist attraction in Walpole’s lifetime and beyond.
Built as Walpole’s summer residence, the castle (or villa) soon became of interest to local inhabitants. Walpole allowed four visitors a day – with tours conducted by his house-keeper – and published rules for their guidance (no children allowed). Walpole also delighted in entertaining foreign ambassadors, royalty and English aristocracy, several of whom were near neighbours: ‘Dowagers like flounders inhabit all around’ he wrote.
Walpole was as meticulous in designing and developing his gardens as he was improving his house. He saw the modern English garden as a point of perfection and was a follower of William Kent, one of the originators of the English landscape garden. The gardens are Grade II* listed.
The visit should last about 2 hours and is self-guiding.
Location
Strawberry Hill Railway Station is located in Zone 5, so you just need money on your Oystercard. Trains go there from Waterloo at: 11:01, 11:31 and the same times past each hour (about 36mins journey).The house and gardens are about a 5min walk from the station.
Cost
Group entry to the house is £12 per person (ArtFund Members are free of charge). Payable on the day by cash or bank transfer.Go here to become a Full Member - https://www.meetup.com/London_Cultureseekers/dues/
Afterwards
After we will head to the house cafe from 3pm for a chat over a drink.If you can make it, please come to the cafe 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