Collecting Groups London

Tour of the Barings Bank Art Collection & Archive! (Full Members only)

Come along on Wednesday 7th October for a tour of the Barings Bank art collection and archive! **About the collection & Barings Bank** Barings Bank was a British merchant bank based in London, and the world's second oldest merchant bank. It was founded in 1762 and was owned by the German-originated Baring family of merchants and bankers. The bank collapsed in 1995 after suffering losses of £827 million resulting from poor speculative investments, primarily in futures contracts, conducted by its employee Nick Leeson, working at its office in Singapore. The story was turned into a film called *'Rogue Trader'*, which came out in 1999. The Dutch bank ING, purchased Barings Bank in 1995 for the nominal sum of £1. The purchase included Barings extensive art collection and historical documents going back to its formation in 1762. We will have a 2 hour curator guided tour of the art that ING purchased from Barings. It is situated in the companies hallways and meeting rooms. **Please note: there is a limit on how many people we can take on the tour, so I will randomly draw 20 names out from the list of RSVP's 10 days before the visit. I will then let you know.** **Its only open to Full Members only.** **Cost** Tour cost is £7 donation per person (payable by cash or credit card on the day). The charge goes to ING's charities ([DKMS](https://www.dkms.org.uk/) \- a blood cancer charity & [Greenhouse Sports](https://www.greenhousesports.org/) \- a sports coaching charity\)\. Could you also please bring some photo ID on the day please for when we enter the building. The bank offers free wine and nibbles when we arrive. **Afterwards** Afterwards we will head to 'The Counting House' pub, 50 Cornhill for a chat over a drink. If you can, please come to the pub afterwards, as its a great way to meet 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 & blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign. Hope to see you there! Robert 07905 901 834 (text only) ***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/photos/22974682/523578875/Group_Rules/](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/523578875/Group_Rules/)***

Childfree Collective First Birthday Party

Visit the Postal Museum & Ride the 'Mail Rail'!

Come along on Sunday 11th October to visit the Postal Museum and ride the 'Mail Rail'. **About the museum** Based near the sorting office at Mount Pleasant in Clerkenwell, the Postal Museum, or Post Office Museum, charts over 500 years of the postal service in England from the time when King Henry VIII first came up with the idea of private delivery boys to the present day. The museum opened in 2017 and amongst the exhibits on display is the 'Penny Black' stamp, the world's first postage stamp, to cryptic Victorian Valentine cards. The museum also includes cars, bicycles, uniforms and posters from the 1930's. Also included is a trip on the 'Mail Rail', a 100 year old miniature train used to transport letters and packages between the sorting offices. It ran from 1927 to 2003. The 'Mail Rail' journey is about 1 mile and lasts about 15 mins. **Cost** Entry cost is £18 per person or if you have the ArtFund card, its £10.25 per person. Pay by cash or credit card on the day. **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)) \- go to PayPal \- [https://www.paypal.com/uk/](https://www.paypal.com/uk/), then click on 'Pay & Get Paid‘, then click on 'Send Money’, put in the email address: [general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org) in the 'Send Money' box, then 'Next' and then enter the amount to pay. Click 'Next', then 'Goods & Services', then 'For Friends & Family', then 'Continue' Benefits of becoming a Full Member [here...](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/531979527/) **Afterwards** After, we will head to the 'Cafe in the Postal Museum' for a chat over a drink. 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. Please note, we only wait outside the station for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be early or on time. 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/)***

The Badminton Collective Stratford Club Night

DETAILS Registration and Payment Please book through our new booking system: https://tbc.shuttlestats.app/sessions £14 per session. Important: Please make sure you register via the link above before attending. Sessions can fill up, and if you[ turn up without registering, you may](https://tbc.shuttlestats.app/sessions) be turned away. The session is Every Thursday 7PM till 10PM. This is for all levels, so after the training you will be able to play games and use what you have learnt. Just like the saying practice makes perfect. Any queries on what levels you may be or just any questions please don't hesitate to contact us. **PARKING:** Parking is available and Free onsite. (The postcode is E15 3PA) This at the previous address on New mount Street. Press the buzzer and they will let you in. IMPORTANT NOTES We shall be starting at 7PM sharp so if you miss the start you'll have to just catch up I'm afraid How to get there If you use the provided postcode it will take you to the front of the school By all means message me if you are having troubles There is now a water fountain so please bring a bottle to fill up, this is in the main building while they fix the one near the sports Hall The Badminton Collective and School 21 are not responsible for any injuries or loss of items

Southbank Vinyl

FOR ONE MONDAY ONLY! We're now back to where Southbank Vinyl began in 2017 - The Roebuck Pub in Borough (50 Great Dover St, London SE1 4YG). We're now meeting the first Wednesday of each month at the Roebuck, where great food and drink options are available and we have our own room upstairs to play our records on the deck. Come along with a bunch of vinyl you'd like to play and share with us! October’s theme is ‘Animals’. And it's a Monday for once! Back to Wednesdays after. We’re celebrating the entire animal kingdom, from the deepest depths of the ocean to the dizzying heights of the sky. Fins, flippers, wings, claws, paws and everything in between are all welcome. So whether you were born to be wild, fancy striking a Buffalo Stance or have an eye of the tiger, join us for a stampede of a musical menagerie as we welcome you to the jungle. Please don’t feed the animals. Grab a drink, enjoy some records. And don't forget to RSVP!

The Badminton Collective Newham Club Night

**DETAILS** Registration and Payment Please book through our new booking system: https://tbc.shuttlestats.app/sessions £14 per session. Important: Please make sure you register via the link above before attending. Sessions can fill up, and if you [turn up without registering, you may](https://tbc.shuttlestats.app/sessions) be turned away. The session is Wednesday 7.00PM till 9.55PM. All 4 courts will be available for games. Players are requested to finish the games by 9.50PM and leave the premises by 9.55PM. All levels are welcome. We pride our sessions that everyone plays with everyone to keep it a friendly and fun session. We also understand that there is a need for being competitive and we welcome that also. **Important informatio** Notes to be aware of that when warming up please don't use the game shuttle and please return the old shuttle for the new shuttle Parking is available for free onsit There is a water fountain so please bring a bottle to fill If you have any questions please contact us. Also we love to hear your views, so please drop us a line with your thoughts and suggestions in messag **Photographs / Video** As a club from time to time we post clips, pictures on social media to promote the club. We are also aware that players would like to video themselves to analyse their games. So if you have any concerns over that, please bring it to the host's attention, so that appropriate action can be tak **Disclaime** The Badminton Collective and Royal Docks Academy are not responsible for any injuries or loss of ite

Free Exhibition at the National Archives and optional visit to Kew Gardens

Every exhibition I have seen at the National Archives has been superb and the latest one sounds no different. Join me to see this Exhibition that marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. The exhibition charts the emergence of the United States of America, featuring original maps, correspondence, first-hand accounts and reports. Also on display is a rare, original ‘Dunlap broadside’ of the Declaration of Independence, printed on the night of 4 July 1776. To compliment the exhibition, and straight from London's West End, there will also be the opportunity to see a small exhibition of iconic costumes from the hit musical Hamilton. We will likely stay at the exhibitions for around 1.5 hours total. Following the exhibitions, for those who fancy, we can move on to visit Kew Gardens that has a special entry price of £10 on this day (Members free and Boundless Card free). In particular, we can explore as a group some of the sculptures of Henry Moore which are temporarily dotted all over the Gardens and are an absolute delight. If anyone is a member of Kew Gardens and has the ability to take in a guest for free, then please let me know in the comments below and and any savings can be shared out among the group to make the entry price cheaper for all. Please note that a fair amount of walking will be involved in our visit around Kew Gardens. As we will be moving between two events, I suggest that you either bring a packed lunch or eat a snack at the National Archives Café. We will not have time to visit another of the restaurants in the area, as we have a packed day. As always, please only sign up if you are intending to attend. The first event is free, then the optional visit to Kew Gardens is £10 (pay yourself on the day, but may be cheaper if other attendees can take a guest in). In addition, a £2.50 fee is charged to help cover Meetup fees that the Group has to pay. The £2.50 is none refundable, even if you cancel and Meetup will also charge you a small amount on top which does not come to the group. If we have to cancel the event for bad weather or other reasons beyond our control, then your £2.50 will be brought forward as a credit against a future event as refunds are all but impossible to manage. We would appreciated it if you cancelled no later than 2 days before the event and to please avoid cancelling on the day as that may get you removed from the group. We are meeting at Kew Gardens station at 11.00am and we will leave at that time. We will not be stopping for food before the exhibition, so please eat beforehand or get a drink etc, should you desire. Once we are on the move you may not find us. Therefore, please be on time. It is a 20 minute slow walk from the station.

Kentish Town 2 Picture Hunt

We meet outside Kentish Town tube station. Please bring a pen. We mark up at the cheapest local pub. How are your detecting skills? Welcome to another of our many outside Picture Hunts this year. This time, the event will be centred around shop fronts, buildings and features on one side of Kentish Town Road. There’s no crossing of busy roads. If you’re new to Picture Hunts, check photos below and previous events for winners and clue sheets. Pkease aim to turn up for 1:00-1:30 when teams are being arranged. As usual, portions of the road are split up into three or four areas where teams search for the locations of photographed items in the street, buildings or shop windows, and then record where they found them. Picture Hunts are a great new way to get up to speed with slices of London history while sleuthing around the area. Everyone is presented with twenty partial photos of objects around an area. Your team mission is to find them. Some well known, some well unknown! This makes Picture Hunts more interesting and challenging, bringing out the best of your teams detecting skills. You will also have a map of the area. It will be sub-divided into four sections, P, Q, R, S. Each photo will come from one of these. Generally, four players max per team, but the lower number teams get a point per player start from the biggest team. For example, four teams of one, two, three and four. Four player team, no advantage, (the biggest and theoretically the more knowledge between them, except it doesn't always work like that). Three player team, one point start. Two player team, two point start. One player team, three point start. The most points a team can score, allowing for handicap starts is 20. In the event of a tie, there is a general knowledge local question related to dates. Nearest to wins. Scores are always close and around the 15-20 points mark. How many players do you want in your team? There's a dilemma! The clipboard holder enters one of the letters to note its area location. Dead simple, right? 90 minutes to do the hunt. We have the usual prizes of chocolate, including some great new varieties. There is also an equal prize for the funniest team name. Names win prizes too! So there’s everything to play for. We mark up at the cheapest local pub. Hunts are good fun and the proven experience so far is that members get to know each other better after working in teams as you all have to communicate. Great icebreakers. This is what Meetup is all about. Come and join us. There is a £7 cash/card charge for this event. Contact number on the day is 07422334411 if your transport is delayed. **If you can’t make it, please cancel using the “Edit RSVP Button”.** **Your consideration is greatly appreciated.**

R is for Renoir and Love Exhibition at the National Gallery, London

**Join us at the Renoir and Love Exhibition at the National Gallery.** Discover Renoir’s gift for showing love, friendship, and everyday emotion in this Impressionist exhibition. See couples waltzing in the summer air and lovers stealing a glance, families sharing a quiet moment and friends raising a glass, all through the eyes of an artist unmatched in capturing the complexities of how people connect. Experience Renoir at his peak in the 1860s to 1880s, experimenting with style and theme to become an innovator of Impressionism. Walk with him through Montmartre in his iconic painting 'Bal au Moulin de la Galette' (1876) from the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, on display in the UK for the first time. Explore the sun-dappled gardens and swirling dance halls of Paris through 40 paintings, brought together from collections across the world. Linked through friendship and love, enjoy the tenderness and joy of some of Renoir’s most modern, uplifting and admired paintings. **Read more here:** [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/renoir-and-love](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/renoir-and-love) **MEET DETAILS:** **FROM 2:00pm: MEET AT ESPRESSO BAR (optional)** Meet in the Espresso Bar on the ground floor (Level 0, Annenberg Court) of the National Gallery, located in the heart of the Gallery, near the Portico Entrance (i.e. main entrance). Address: Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN Look out for the LoMAZ sign on the cafe table and host/s who will be wearing LoMAZ badges. **2:30pm: ENTER THE MUSEUM/EXHIBITION** Address: Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5DN **4:30pm-Late: PUB SOCIAL (optional)** We'll head to a local pub/ coffee for a social chit chat over drinks. *Location tbc 48 hours before event* **TICKETS:** **You will need to purchase your own ticket for this event.** **Please book the 2:30pm time slot (or thereabouts).** **Please book here:** **[https://my.nationalgallery.org.uk/events?k=Renoir&view=calendar&startdate=2026-10-01&queueittoken=e_generalsale~ts_1789059793~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_42cec9bf6f66ccec195f2d7fa49e032db34cb687d631eef0b992d4b0b2b488fcand](https://my.nationalgallery.org.uk/events?k=Renoir&view=calendar&startdate=2026-10-01&queueittoken=e_generalsale~ts_1789059793~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_42cec9bf6f66ccec195f2d7fa49e032db34cb687d631eef0b992d4b0b2b488fcand)** Ticket: £25 Ticket with Art Pass: £12.50 Members: free, no need to book **GETTING THERE:** **[https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/plan-your-visit](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/plan-your-visit)** **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:** Please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. The link will be posted in the Event Comments 48 hours before the event, for those on the confirmed going list. *NB* *Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.* **PLEASE READ:** LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. This event has an attendee limit as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. If you RSVP but can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible, otherwise you will be marked as a 'no show'. Please see the **[About Us section](https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-lomaz/)** for more information about the group and how it works. **Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.** 📸 Follow LoMAZ on **[Instagram.](https://www.instagram.com/londonmuseumsatoz/)** Image credit: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

MACS Goes To... Childhood in War at Imperial War Museum 🎖️

**Join MACS at the Childhood in War exhibition at Imperial War Museum on 10 October! 🎖️** **Childhood in War** is a free, interactive exhibition exploring how children have experienced conflict from 1914 to the present day. Let their unique perspective show you their adaptability and resilience, despite extraordinary and challenging circumstances. Bring history to life as you step inside recreations of an evacuee train carriage and a Cold War-era kitchen, offering a glimpse into everyday life during times of conflict. Through personal stories, immersive displays and hands-on discovery, you can explore how war affects everything from school and play to home and health. Read more here: [Children in War at Imperial War Museum](https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/childhood-in-war) **MEET DETAILS FOR 10 October:** **☕️ FROM 1:45PM: MEET AT IWM LONDON CAFE** (optional) Address: Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ Look out for the MACS sign on the café table. **🏛️ 2:30 PM: ENTER THE MUSEUM/EXHIBITION** Address: Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ **🍻 4:15 PM- LATE: PUB SOCIAL** (optional) We'll head to a local pub to chat over drinks! Address: *Location tbc 48 hours before event.* **🎟️ TICKETS:** FREE to attend, with no need to book in advance! **📍GETTING THERE:** [How to get to Imperial War Museum](https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london/getting-here) **📲 EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:** Please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find us on the day. The link will be posted in the event comments around 48 hours before it starts. N.B. Joining the WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group. **🌟 PLEASE READ:** All MACS events are run entirely by volunteers, so please note we do what we can with the time and energy we have available! Our events have an attendee limit as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. If you RSVP but can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible so that we know numbers. Thank you for being part of MACS! 🧡🏛️🩵 Image credit: [[DeFacto](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:DeFacto) \- Creative Commons Attribution\-ShareAlike 4\.0 International at Wikimedia\]

Thames Foreshore Visit - Custom House! (Full Members only)

Running through the heart of London; the River Thames has played a central role in the history of the city, and when the tide is low, the capital’s longest archaeological site is revealed. Come along on Sunday 4th October to explore London’s dynamic history... **About the foreshore** I will be your guide as we will be going down to the Thames foreshore at low tide, where we will have about 1h 30mins to have a look around for objects before the tide comes in. I will tell you more about foreshore, the industry in the area and will be on hand to identify and date objects you find. Most objects you can spot sitting on the foreshore after being washed in on the tide (we are not allowed to dig or scrape the foreshore surface). You will find everything from bits of pottery, clay pipes, bottles, animal bones to ship items. Most of the things we find are from the Medieval to the Victorian period or you might be lucky and find something Roman or older. **The Thames Foreshore is private land, so before we go down, I have to give everyone a short talk on health & safety on the foreshore. As per the conditions of my group permit, you will need to be present for this, if you are late, I won't be able to accommodate you.** **Footwear** The foreshore is very stony and at this location and a bit muddy, so please wear sensible shoes (preferably walking boots/shoes or wellington boots). Plastic gloves and bags will be provided. **Cost** This is for Full Members of the group only and will be 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)) \- go to PayPal \- [https://www.paypal.com/uk/](https://www.paypal.com/uk/), then click on 'Pay & Get Paid‘, then click on 'Send Money’, put in the email address: [[[general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org)]([mailto:general@cultureseekers.org](http://mailto:general@cultureseekers.org))]([mailto:general@cultureseekers.org](http://mailto:general@cultureseekers.org)) in the 'Send Money' box, then 'Next' and then enter the amount to pay. Click 'Next', then 'Goods & Services', then 'For Friends & Family', then 'Continue' Benefits of becoming a Full Member [here...](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/531979527/) We will be finished by about 2:00pm. **Afterwards** After we will head to the 'Liberty Bounds pub', 15 Trinity Square for a chat over a drink. Please note, we only wait at the meeting point for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be on time or early. If you can't see us at the station, please text. Look out for the red & blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign. Hope to see you there! Robert 07905 901 834 (prefer text) or email: [general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org) ***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/photos/22974682/531979527/](https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/531979527/)*

Knockholt Circular

A truly wonderful 9.5 mile walk in the glorious beautiful Kent countryside. There may be some stiles and a few hills so you have been warned ! Using our Oyster Cards we shall take the train at 10.40am that arrives at Knockholt at 11.20am so please arrive by 10.25am. Or you may decide to drive. The walk shall commence by 11.25am. Please bring packed lunch, water, snacks etc, waterproof jacket and walking shoes or trainers. You should have adequate insurance for this type of activity and be able to walk 2.5 miles per hour. We shall aim to take the train back to London from Knockholt at 4.43pm. Meetup fee £5 payable in cash or by bank transfer in advance. Please only post photos of others with their consent. My no 07714250849.