The ianVisits guide to December's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Friday 1st December
This Lunchtime Talk explores this important town and what the newest developments are bringing to the area.
1:15pm to 1:45pm
Euston
Aldgate’s new Community Lantern Parade will be weaving through the streets of City and East,.
4pm to 9pm
Free
Homes and businesses decorate a window, leave their blinds open and create a fabulous trail for everyone to enjoy.
5pm to 8pm
More London events on Friday 1st December
Saturday 2nd December
There will be a steam train running along part of the North London line during the morning.
9:30am to 11:30am
Celebrating 50 Years of British Cave Exploration & Cave Science at Home and Abroad.
10am to 5pm
South Kensington
Join the Institute of Imagination for a festive celebration of tinkering and making.
10am to 4pm
Southwark
Come and see amazing models of cars, cranes, trains and lots more, all built from Meccano.
10:30am to 5pm
Barkingside
Want to know more about the interwoven history of Southbank Centre’s architecture and culture?
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
A note that a steam train, pulled by the Class 4-6-2 no 35028 Clan Line will be chugging around south London.
12:20pm to 4pm
Three experts who specialize in the language, literature and material culture of war discuss life in the trenches and on the Home Front.
2pm to 4pm
Beckenham
Monthly open day at one of London's more curious and delightful museums, devoted to the history of the sewing machine.
2pm to 5pm
Tooting
Free
Homes and businesses decorate a window, leave their blinds open and create a fabulous trail for everyone to enjoy.
5pm to 8pm
More London events on Saturday 2nd December
Sunday 3rd December
Step back in history and visit the terminus building of London's original international airport - in Croydon.
11am to 4pm
Croydon
£22.00
Hunt for weird and wonderful fungi in the Cemetery Park with one of Britain's leading experts. Look out for a Lawyer's Wig, Veiled Oyster, Earthball and Shaggy Parasol.
1pm to 2:30pm
Bow
Free
Homes and businesses decorate a window, leave their blinds open and create a fabulous trail for everyone to enjoy.
5pm to 8pm
More London events on Sunday 3rd December
Monday 4th December
£5.90
This illustrated presentation will dredge the inky waters to bring to the surface colourful personalities and a Regency scandal.
6pm to 8pm
City of London
More London events on Monday 4th December
Tuesday 5th December
£5.00
Dr Juliette Desplat will talk about this turning point in the political running of the war in the Middle East.
2pm to 3pm
Richmond
Come in from the cold and breathe in a festive evening celebrating the invisible gases that flow around us, fill our lungs, can knock us off our feet and will determine the future of our climate.
5pm to 8pm
South Kensington
A lecture on the making of Wilkins Terrace, the latest project to complete within UCL’s Transforming programme.
6pm to 8pm
Euston
A late night adults only evening at the new Postal Museum.
6:30pm to 9:30pm
Farringdon
James Thornhill’s artistic success brought fame and fortune in his lifetime, but his professional career began in the relatively humble surroundings. The final of this year's Autumn Lecture Series.
6:30pm to 8pm
Greenwich
The wondrous heritage of the tree, examples of records of ancient mulberry trees in the London area and their stories.
7pm to 9pm
Herne Hill
More London events on Tuesday 5th December
Wednesday 6th December
An illustrated talk about the post-war stained glass to be found within some of the historic churches of Sir Christopher Wren.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Simon Thurley will unearth the lost mercantile buildings of medieval London and show how influential they were.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Professor Rohan McWilliam explores how the West End became one of the world's greatest pleasure districts.
Starts at 7pm
City of London
Free
Crick Chats are relaxed and friendly evening events that bring you face-to-face with researchers working at the Francis Crick Institute and partner organisations.
7pm to 9pm
Camden
Dr Julia Shaw will take you on a trip through the various ways in which your brain deceives you into believing that you can reliably form memories - particularly memories of your life experiences.
Starts at 7:30pm
Greenwich
£5.72
A line-up of expert contributors will debate the topic of ‘meanwhile’ spaces and the role they play in regeneration.
Starts at 7:30pm
Walthamstow
More London events on Wednesday 6th December
Thursday 7th December
Hear about Christmas at Fulham Palace over the centuries, including the famous children's parties hosted by Bishop Winnington-Ingram.
Starts at 2pm
Fulham
Late opening of the museum, with christmas shopping fair, wine and workshops.
5:30pm to 9:30pm
Forest Hill
The lighting of the famous Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.
Starts at 6pm
Trafalgar Square
In celebration of their new book, the experts from Fever-Tree are bringing to you a gin & tonic pairing masterclass with a festive twist.
Starts at 6:30pm
Tottenham Court Road
Join bestselling authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Philip Ardagh as they discuss all things Moomins.
6:30pm to 7:15pm
Picadilly
A talk on Roman Surgery with replicas and original instruments.
Starts at 7pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 7th December
Friday 8th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Friday 8th December
Saturday 9th December
The Routemaster Association is planning to commemorate this anniversary with a road run over the route.
Starts at 12am
An exhibition that provides a glimpse of the challenges and joys of theatrical life since the days of Elizabeth I.
9:30am to 4:45pm
Clerkenwell
These tours have been created to mark the 100th anniversary of the Johnston typeface.
Starts at 11am
Acton
The opening weekend of the Headstone Manor Museum after four years of development.
12pm to 5pm
Rayners Lane
£8.00
The Mysterium is a thoroughly modern exploration of the world’s most bizarre and enigmatic phenomena.
2pm to 5pm
Holborn
A special Christmas Lights walk with two Westminster Guides raising funds for the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans
5pm to 7pm
Marylebone High St
More London events on Saturday 9th December
Sunday 10th December
A race by glammed up pantomime horses around the streets of Greenwich.
11:30am to 1pm
Greenwich
The opening weekend of the Headstone Manor Museum after four years of development.
12pm to 5pm
Rayners Lane
More London events on Sunday 10th December
Monday 11th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 11th December
Tuesday 12th December
Best-selling maths author Rob Eastaway gives a talk about how human intuition goes spectacularly wrong.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Hendon
Spencer Dale, Group Chief Economist at BP will discuss the issues and ideas around "peak oil" and the implications this will have for the behaviour of global oil markets.
6pm to 8pm
South Kensington
Dr Michael Scott will deliver this talk as the second in an annual series of Friends of Classics Memorial Lectures.
7pm to 9pm
Camden
More London events on Tuesday 12th December
Wednesday 13th December
A illustrated talk on a hidden gem that has been living the nation’s history since 1348.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Holborn
Join Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and discover how her great great great grandfather helped to influence the way Christmas is celebrated today.
Starts at 3pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Wednesday 13th December
Thursday 14th December
An opportunity to explore Dickens’s home, dressed lavishly for Christmas, as darkness falls.
Starts at 5pm
Clerkenwell
Introduction and screening of "The Innocents" (1961). "Sometimes one can’t help… imagining things."
Starts at 7pm
Southwark
Historian Judith Flanders will bring The Victorian Christmas to life in this seasonal talk.
Starts at 7pm
Highgate
The East End of London has played a central role in the development of photography where the social conditions of the area and its people have fascinated generations of photographers in their work.
Starts at 7pm
City of London
More London events on Thursday 14th December
Friday 15th December
Free
This event will explore the capacity for innovative mixed-use development and the opportunities for the community and wider London,
8:30am to 9:30am
Euston
£15.50
An evening themed around the Moomin characters at the Dulwich Picture Gallery late opening.
6pm to 10pm
Dulwich
Meet the team behind BBC TV's hit series 'Quacks' over mince pies and mulled wine to discover how they brought the gruesome realities of Dickensian medicine to the screen.
6pm to 8pm
Camden
More London events on Friday 15th December
Saturday 16th December
The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers will be at Kew with their live steam engines
11am to 4pm
Brentford
A monthly classic car show/meet in central London.
12pm to 4pm
Southwark
Four nights of science, comedy, music and the usual shambles.
7pm to 10:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Saturday 16th December
Sunday 17th December
The Association of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers will be at Kew with their live steam engines
11am to 4pm
Brentford
More London events on Sunday 17th December
Monday 18th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 18th December
Tuesday 19th December
Four nights of science, comedy, music and the usual shambles.
7pm to 10:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 19th December
Wednesday 20th December
Four nights of science, comedy, music and the usual shambles.
7pm to 10:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 20th December
Thursday 21st December
An opportunity to explore Dickens’s home, dressed lavishly for Christmas, as darkness falls.
Starts at 5pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Thursday 21st December
Friday 22nd December
Free
Join Chelsea Pensioner, John Carbis, to explore the lives of three notable women who have resided at the Royal Hospital.
11:30am to 12:30pm
Chelsea
Four nights of science, comedy, music and the usual shambles.
7pm to 10:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Friday 22nd December
Saturday 23rd December
The famous annual clearance auction by Harts at Smithfield - cash only.
10:30am to 12pm
Barbican
More London events on Saturday 23rd December
Sunday 24th December
Take a step back in time this Christmas Eve with a visit to the enchanting Charles Dickens Museum.
All Day
Clerkenwell
Join us on a 90 min tour of the City of London where Ebenezer Scrooge lived and worked. Even though the spartan offices of Scrooge and Marley are never precisely located clues are hidden in the text which help us track the business down.
11am to 12:30pm
City of London
More London events on Sunday 24th December
Monday 25th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 25th December
Tuesday 26th December
It is on this guided walk we delve into what makes a Victorian Christmas and explore well know traditions which may be older than you think.
3pm to 4:30pm
City of London
More London events on Tuesday 26th December
Wednesday 27th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Wednesday 27th December
Thursday 28th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Thursday 28th December
Friday 29th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Friday 29th December
Saturday 30th December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Saturday 30th December
Sunday 31st December
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
