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London · 38
38 shown
Group
Discussion · Lecture Series · Philosophy
Bloomsbury
A philosophy society that meets fortnightly at Senate House, where talks given for its Proceedings are followed by discussion. The programme is the draw, and the fortnightly rhythm is long-standing.
Group
Art History · Lecture Series · Study Days
Hampstead · NW3 7JR
An arts-learning society whose expert monthly lectures are held in the Lecture Room at Kenwood House. Guests are welcome for £5, so a first visit costs little more than turning up.
Group
Bibliography · Book History · Lecture Series
Piccadilly
A society for book and print culture, running a monthly lecture series from November to May at Burlington House. Members may bring guests to the lectures and to the tea that precedes them.
Group
Leadership · Public Speaking · Speech Practice
Bloomsbury
A public-speaking club affiliated with Toastmasters, meeting twice a month in Bloomsbury. Members and guests share the same room, and the practice is the point.
Group
Discussion Group · Ideas · Philosophy
Marylebone · NW1 6XT
A free monthly discussion group at Rudolf Steiner House, taking the large questions of the present and working them through with Rudolf Steiner's ideas as a prompt. There is nothing to book.
Group
16Mm Film Screenings · Film Club
Homerton · E9 6DA
A film club founded in 2011 that screens feature films on 16mm. Its monthly screenings at The Castle Cinema in Homerton began to sell out.
Group
Archaeology · Lecture Series · Local History
City of London
A London archaeology society whose lecture programme is open to anyone: monthly online talks on archaeological research and the city's past, free to members and non-members. The rhythm is fixed, which makes it easy to become a regular.
Space
Concerts · Debate · Lecture Series · Talks
Holborn · WC1R 4RL
The home of the Conway Hall Ethical Society, with a regular programme of talks, Sunday chamber concerts, debates and community events. It is the sort of place where you can go back for a different thing each time.
Group
Astronomy · Observatory · Public Talks
Shirley, Croydon · CR0 8SD
An astronomy society that meets in a Shirley church hall roughly every two weeks for talks on astronomy and related topics, with observatory visits alongside. The talks are open to the public and need no booking.
Group
Heritage · Local History · Talks · Walks
Eltham
A local civic and heritage society for Eltham, pairing local-history walks and outings with monthly speaker events. Members and non-members both come.
Space
Geology · Public Talks · Science Lectures
Piccadilly
A learned society at Burlington House with a free monthly public lecture programme on Earth science, also streamed online. The talks are open to all and range across the field.
Group
Chess · Strategy Games · Tournaments
Bloomsbury · WC1A 2HR
A central London chess club with league teams, internal tournaments and Tuesday evening club nights through the chess season. The first two club nights are free.
Space
Lecture Series · Public Lectures
Holborn · EC1N 2HH
A college founded in 1597 that holds free public lectures by its appointed professors at Barnard's Inn Hall in Holborn. Admission is free, and the programme runs as lecture series you can return to.
Group
Lecture Series · Local History
Hornsey · N8 7EL
A local history society that runs a monthly series of talks from September to June. The same room, the same stretch of the year, talk after talk.
Space
Film Screenings · Language Conversation · Philosophy Meetup
South Kensington · SW7 2DT
A French cultural institute in South Kensington with French courses, a library and cinema screenings. Its Café Philo discussion group meets every Saturday, in French or English.
Space
Book Club · Film Club · Language Conversation
Temple · WC2R 3JJ
The Spanish cultural institute in London, whose library runs a conversation club for Spanish learners at B2 level and above, alongside book and film clubs.
Group
Book Club · Reading Group · Yiddish Literature
A bimonthly reading group for Yiddish literature, meeting on Tuesday evenings at the London Library. Readings are in Yiddish; the discussion is in English.
Group
Debate · Discussion · Public Speaking
Kingston upon Thames
A debate society meeting on Thursday evenings through its October-to-March winter session, in person in Kingston upon Thames and on Zoom. A small, friendly group with a season rather than a year-round calendar.
Group
Book Club · Lgbtqia Discussion · Reading Group
An ace and aro book club that reads and discusses a book together, meeting monthly at Gay's The Word. The rhythm is fixed: the fourth Tuesday of the month, every month apart from December.
Group
Archaeology · Lecture Series · Local History
London
A London archaeology and local-history society whose lecture programme runs from October to May. Lectures are hybrid, so you can attend in the room or online.
Group
Art History · Lecture Series · Study Days · Study Visits
London
A volunteer-led art-history society with six evening lectures a year, alongside study days, courses and visits. Membership is £40 a year, and many study events are open to non-members.
Group
Field Meetings · Lecture Series · Natural History
South Kensington
A natural history society running fortnightly talks and in-person field meetings, with a library at the Natural History Museum. Talks are free to attend, though booking is required.
Group
Debate · Public Speaking
Bermondsey · SE1 4TR
Toastmasters meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 6.30–8.30pm, in the church hall on Tower Bridge Road. Guests are always welcome to attend and observe, free of charge.
Group
Chess · Social Play · Strategy Games
King's Cross · N1C 4AG
A women-and-girls chess club meeting at Pancras Square Library in King's Cross, with free social chess every Sunday afternoon and league matches on Tuesdays.
Group
Heritage · Lecture Series · Local History
Mitcham · CR4 4LD
A local-history society for Merton, Mitcham and Morden, running monthly talks, workshops and heritage events. Members of all levels of interest are welcome.
Group
Leadership · Public Speaking · Speech Practice
London Bridge · SE1 1NP
A Toastmasters public-speaking club that meets at St Christopher's Inn on Borough High Street on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday of the month. Speech practice, feedback and leadership roles, run by the members themselves.
Group
Astronomy · Astrophotography · Discussion · Talks
Petts Wood
An astronomy society for Bromley and the surrounding area, meeting monthly for a talk by an invited speaker or one of their own members, followed by discussion and members' astrophotography.
Group
Book Club · Reading Group
Barnes · SW13 0LF
A monthly book club in the café at the OSO Arts Centre in Barnes, working through a selected novel together. £5 per session.
Group
Book Club · Film Club · Lecture Series · Philosophy Meetup
Shoreditch · E2 7EY
An independent philosophy association, running since 1998, with a monthly lecture and debate evening, a monthly film club and a reading-based book club. It meets at Kant's Cave in the St Hilda's East Community Centre, Shoreditch.
Group
Listening Sessions · Music Appreciation · Talks
Putney · SW15 2LL
A music-appreciation society that meets fortnightly to hear musicians discuss their lives and work, with musical illustrations. It runs a September-to-April season.
Group
Guided Walks · Lecture Series · Local History
Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham
A local-history society for Richmond, Kew, Petersham and Ham, with a programme of talks, walks and visits about the area. The talks run monthly from September to May, so there is a steady date to come back to through the season.
Space
Archaeology · Material Culture · Public Lectures
Piccadilly · W1J 0BE
A learned society at Burlington House on Piccadilly, with a year-round programme of public lectures and Thursday Ordinary Meetings on antiquarian research and material culture.
Experience
Life Drawing
Covent Garden · WC2N 4EH
A drop-in life drawing session every Thursday evening in a Quaker Meeting House near Covent Garden. The first hour is guided; the rest is self-directed.
Space
Discussion · English Practice · Language Conversation
East London · E1 6SL
A peer-led English conversation club for adults at Toynbee Hall, working through weekly themes to practise speaking, reading and writing. It rewards returning: the same room, the same rhythm, the language settling in week by week.
Group
Film Club
Kentish Town · NW5 1PB
A film club that screens every Tuesday evening upstairs at The Vine on Highgate Road. The audience votes on which linked film is shown a fortnight later, so the programme is shaped by whoever turns up.
Group
Archaeology · Lecture Series · Local History
Wandsworth · SW18 2PT
A local history and archaeology society that holds a talk on the last Friday of each month at the Friends' Meeting House on Wandsworth High Street. Some months are online only.
Group
Astronomy · Stargazing · Talks
Uxbridge and North Harrow
An astronomy society meeting every month except August, with talks and member astronomy-image sessions. Meetings alternate between Uxbridge and North Harrow.
Group
Family History · Genealogy · Talks
Isleworth
A family-history society for western Middlesex, meeting monthly at St John's Centre in Isleworth. Benefits of membership include the meetings, where you can meet like-minded researchers.