The ianVisits guide to November's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Monday 1st November
Online events / webinars
Explore the history of Halloween—from its murky pagan past and supernatural associations—with Professor Ronald Hutto
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Monday 1st November
Tuesday 2nd November
The ethos of St John, our operational challenges and successes, and our vision for the future are discussed in this lecture.
6pm to 7pm
City of London
Using writings about nineteenth-century British figures alongside images of them, Professor Ludmilla Jordanova will explore the intertwined roles of biography and portraiture in public history
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
A talk about how the handshake took over as a greeting in Georgian England.
Starts at 6:30pm
Harley Street
Duncan Bowie, of the Dulwich Society, will talk about a group of Dulwich based communists in the post war period.
8pm to 9pm
Dulwich
Online events / webinars
Alec Forshaw, historian & urban designer will trace the origins & history of the terraced house in Bloomsbury
7:01pm to 10pm
More London events on Tuesday 2nd November
Wednesday 3rd November
Free
This lecture will cover the intellectual revolutions in relatively recent history that paved the way to our modern understanding of the formation, existence and interactions of atoms.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Join multi-award-winning actor and author Alan Cumming, as he celebrates the publication of his new book.
Starts at 8pm
Barbican
Online events / webinars
City Guide Jill Finch’s light-hearted guide to becoming Lord Mayor describes the route to this top title
2pm to 3pm
Explore the origins of Indian postcards as a social platform with author Omar Khan.
6:50pm to 8pm
£5.00
In this talk, Clare Gough will tour the entertaining rooms at Pitzhanger Manor, introducing some of the personalities that graced Soane’s table.
7pm to 7:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 3rd November
Thursday 4th November
Online events / webinars
Gatwick will present plans to bring the existing Northern Runway into routine use, whilst meeting all international safety standards.
5pm to 6:30pm
This illustrated talk introduces the principal elements of the traditional Islamic Garden.
6pm to 7pm
Southwark-based author C. J. Schüler will discuss his forthcoming book, The Wood that Built London.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
A personal, illustrated journey through the life of this Black British history giant with his wife Leila
6:30pm to 8:15pm
An online event with Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, founders of the design studio MinaLima when they will present the new edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
7:30pm to :
More London events on Thursday 4th November
Friday 5th November
Join Dr Andrew Bamford as he explores Sir Thomas Graham’s campaign in the Low Countries during the Napoleonic Wars.
Starts at 12pm
Chelsea
Likely to be a room filled with lots of tables piled up with transport collectables to buy.
12pm to 6pm
Elstree
In this talk, explore historic accounts of surgery before anaesthesia before discovering the common fears and myths which surround anaesthesia.
7pm to 8:15pm
Southwark
More London events on Friday 5th November
Saturday 6th November
Likely to be a room filled with lots of tables piled up with transport collectables to buy.
10am to 4pm
Elstree
A showcase of 125 years of motoring including veteran, vintage, classic, and the very latest cars.
10:30am to 4pm
Regent Street
A note that a steam train will pass through Southwest London in the late morning and return in the evening.
11am to 6pm
Online events / webinars
Explore the Square Mile's Secret Gardens!
11am to 12:30pm
More London events on Saturday 6th November
Sunday 7th November
A Muswell Hill running day is being organised for the 7th November to commemorate 30 years since closure of the garage.
All Day
See around 300 veteran cars start their long trip to Brighton early in the morning.
Starts at 7am
Better than half price entry to the Painted Hall on the first Sunday of the month.
10am to 5pm
Greenwich
A sale of an array of surplus stock, from duplicate books to printers’ furniture.
12pm to 4pm
City of London
Online events / webinars
Walk the history-packed streets (and tiny alleys!) of the City of London
11am to 12:30pm
More London events on Sunday 7th November
Monday 8th November
A special London launch event for comedian and writer, Robin Ince’s new book, ‘The Importance of Being Interested’.
Starts at 7:30pm
Islington
Online events / webinars
Join Marcus du Sautoy as he shows how mathematics can give us clever strategies for daily complex problems
7pm to 8:30pm
A talk about the cult of Mithras, an esoteric religion that existed in the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 4th centuries CE
8pm to 9:30pm
More London events on Monday 8th November
Tuesday 9th November
The extraordinary world runner and adventurer - now in her 70's and still hasn't stopped! Rosie Swale-Pope, MBE is a British author, adventurer and marathon runner.
6pm to 10pm
Strand
Steve Condie, Liz Mermin, and series consultants Prof. Jon Davis and John Rentoul will be joined by Ed Balls to discuss the making of the recent BBC 2 series.
Starts at 7pm
Strand
A conversation exploring modern adaptations, translations and the timelessness of Fydor Dostoevsky’s work.
7:30pm to 8:45pm
Camden
Online events / webinars
This talk examines the reasons why the physical building of the UK Parliament has decayed so much in recent years.
5:15pm to 7pm
In this talk, Chris Lawton (Skateboard GB) and Iain Borden (University College London) explore the rapidly developing world of skateboarding in relation to public space and urban design.
6pm to :
More London events on Tuesday 9th November
Wednesday 10th November
This illustrated lecture investigates their history and the continuing influence on our modern world.
12pm to 1pm
Holborn
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
2pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
Shopping/food events during the day and Christmas lights switch-on in the evening.
3pm to 7pm
Marylebone High St
Global yachtswomen who skippered the first all-female crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race, becoming the first woman to receive the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy and was awarded an MBE honour.
6pm to 10pm
Strand
To mark the release of her latest book, historian and author Tessa Dunlop chairs an exclusive panel featuring some of the last surviving female soldiers of the Second World War.
Starts at 6:30pm
Chelsea
Online events / webinars
In this event, listen live to the experiences of nurses involved in this historic undertaking.
5:30pm to 7pm
Art dealer and broadcaster Philip Mould presents "A Life in Art" - streamed live online.
6:30pm to 8pm
Celebrate recent contributions to the field of graphic design history, which seek to shake established narratives to expand the design canon.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Can't wait till next Halloween? Join Richard Suggett for a fascinating look at the people and places associated with witchcraft in Wales
7:30pm to 9pm
Exploring the phenomenon which entranced Victorian society
7:30pm to 8:45pm
More London events on Wednesday 10th November
Thursday 11th November
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
2pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
The Guildhall Art Gallery will open until 8pm (last admission 7pm), with its free Noël Coward exhibition, the main art gallery, Roman Amphitheatre and the Heritage centre open.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
Free
This talk starts by exploring psychiatric and sexological debates about perverted sexual desires from the late nineteenth century textbooks to diagnostic manuals in the twenty-first century.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
Join historian Dominic Selwood for an exploration of how treasures from the British Library’s collection reveal the changing identities of Britain.
7:30pm to 8:45pm
Camden
This talk is a whistle-stop tour of permanent way design principles, why railway alignments end up looking the way they do, and a pick of some of the extremes of good, bad and ugly of British permanent way.
7:30pm to 9:30pm
Islington
Online events / webinars
This talk explores the social and cultural world of the tea garden in early modern London.
5:30pm to 7pm
Travis Elborough discusses his eye-opening new history of spectacles
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Thursday 11th November
Friday 12th November
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
2pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
£12.00
If going full fontal sounds like your type of fun, be bold and let the font of all knowledge Sarah Hyndman quiz you on typography in popular culture.
6:30pm to 9pm
Covent Garden
£8.00
Two classic sci-fi/horror movies on the big(ish) screen on one night.
Starts at 7pm
Kennington
Online events / webinars
This symposium revisits art historian Linda Nochlin’s seminal question fifty years on.
11am to 2:30pm
A talk about incredible detail of the wedding but also its wider consequences for the Tudor family and for England.
2pm to 3pm
Free
Meet a variety of rogues and their victims, and find how to tell a blowsabella from a toppin cove.
2pm to 3pm
More London events on Friday 12th November
Saturday 13th November
£10.00
Run by The South London Warlords, is the biggest independent one-day wargaming and gaming event in the UK.
All Day
Victoria Dock
As is traditional on the day of the Lord Mayor's Show, St Paul's Cathedral will be free to visit.
9am to 3pm
City of London
Free
An annual grand parade through the City of London to welcome the new Lord Mayor of London.
10am to 2pm
Hampton Court Model Railway Society’s model railway show, with 20 working layouts and supporting trade stands.
10am to 5pm
Surbiton
A note that there will be a flypast of military aircraft over Central London this morning.
10:45am to 11:15am
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
2pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
Join Dr Nick Crumpton and Dr Susannah Maidment for a dino-tastic event, full of prehistoric myth-busting and fabulous fossils
2pm to 3pm
Hanover Square
£10.00
A former church in Mile End will be lit-up this weekend as part of an arts event in the newly formed Heritage and Arts centre.
6pm to 9pm
Bow
Explore the paranormal in this reimagining of the historic National Laboratory of Psychical Research established by Harry Price, paranormal investigator in the 1920s.
7pm to 8pm
Euston
More London events on Saturday 13th November
Sunday 14th November
Hampton Court Model Railway Society’s model railway show, with 20 working layouts and supporting trade stands.
10am to 5pm
Surbiton
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
2pm to 8pm
Rotherhithe
Explore the paranormal in this reimagining of the historic National Laboratory of Psychical Research established by Harry Price, paranormal investigator in the 1920s.
7pm to 8pm
Euston
Online events / webinars
Owen Davies illuminates the many fascinating forms these recondite books have taken and exactly what these books held.
8pm to 10pm
More London events on Sunday 14th November
Monday 15th November
Explore the paranormal in this reimagining of the historic National Laboratory of Psychical Research established by Harry Price, paranormal investigator in the 1920s.
7pm to 8pm
Euston
More London events on Monday 15th November
Tuesday 16th November
£5.00
Expect beautiful crafts, gifts, housewares, stationery, fashion, accessories, seasonal food & drink products
11am to 8pm
Clerkenwell
Explore the paranormal in this reimagining of the historic National Laboratory of Psychical Research established by Harry Price, paranormal investigator in the 1920s.
7pm to 8pm
Euston
Online events / webinars
Tale of posthumous ignominy inflicted on some notable corpses over the last thousand years.
2pm to 3pm
Architectural historian and Victorian Society trustee, Kit Wedd will explore the materials, design and construction of the terraced house.
7pm to 10pm
More London events on Tuesday 16th November
Wednesday 17th November
A talk about how scholars of the Holocaust find themselves confronted with the hostile reactions of various states pursuing the policies of Holocaust distortion.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
See the Museum of London's Ellipse Hall transformed into a marketplace for the exchange of ideas on the universal topic of food.
6:30pm to 9pm
Barbican
Online events / webinars
Hear the stories of Scotland's early nurses and midwives accused of witchcraft for helping others in the annual RCN Foundation Lecture.
6pm to 7:15pm
This talk will outline Gimson's life and work through the medium of his correspondence.
7pm to :
In this talk, discover lesser known histories of a group that, for the most part, tends to be overlooked.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 17th November
Thursday 18th November
Ever wondered how the history of policing is collected, curated and cared for? Curious about what’s involved in developing a brand-new museum?
Starts at 6:30pm
Covent Garden
Online events / webinars
These monthly talks explore the story of the clock tower from its beginnings, to the most complex conservation project in its history.
6pm to 7pm
The story of fruit cultivation is a story of our desires, our lasting imprint on the natural world. Join us and writer Bernd Brunner for this natural history talk.
6pm to 7pm
Web Foundation co-founders Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Rosemary Leith open a discussion to rethink how our digital world is shaped.
6pm to 7:15pm
How did Japan's 200-year lockdown under the Tokugawa government influence Hokusai's work?
6pm to 7pm
An illustrated talk exploring Rachel’s inspiration and techniques for her exquisite botanical bas reliefs, showcased in private collections and museums around the world.
6pm to 7pm
This talk will celebrate Coade’s life and achievements and also examine how she became Britain’s first nationally successful female businesswoman.
6:30pm to :
More London events on Thursday 18th November
Friday 19th November
Join Dr Anna Maguire as she explores the social and cultural encounters experienced by soldiers of the British Empire during the First World War.
Starts at 12pm
Chelsea
Explore the interplay between storytelling and Black history in the latest Era of Reclamation event.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Russell Square
Online events / webinars
William Butler shows the very human side of Britain in the aftermath of war, using significant examples of memorialisation, such as the Cenotaph created in Whitehall.
2pm to 3pm
More London events on Friday 19th November
Saturday 20th November
£3.00
There will be gingerbread, delicatessen, glassware, homemade glögg, textiles, food & sweets, candles & Christmas cards and much more.
10am to 6pm
Marylebone
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
11am to 6pm
Rotherhithe
A museum-wide day of events to engage audiences with the inherently off-kilter works of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
11am to 5pm
South Kensington
£24.00
Explore the wonders of the night sky and look through the telescopes of the Royal Observatory at a museum late event
Starts at 5:30pm
Greenwich
More London events on Saturday 20th November
Sunday 21st November
£17.95
Over 100 vehicles, spanning the decades and representing the field of conflict from around the world, are expected for our annual Military Vehicles Day.
10am to 4pm
Weybridge
£3.00
There will be gingerbread, delicatessen, glassware, homemade glögg, textiles, food & sweets, candles & Christmas cards and much more.
10am to 6pm
Marylebone
The Finnish Church will host a range of Nordic fare in their church over two weekends.
11am to 6pm
Rotherhithe
£25.30
The entire herd of Shire Horses will assemble in front of the Palace for an annual blessing.
Starts at 3pm
East Molesey
Online events / webinars
Exploring Southwark's saucy history on the 'naughty' side of the River
11am to 12:30pm
A fun-filled walk through some of the City's gruesome tales
11am to 12:30pm
More London events on Sunday 21st November
Monday 22nd November
This lecture will look at how we can understand symmetry using mathematics, and explore how the rules of symmetry can deepen our appreciation of beautiful works of art and design.
1pm to 2pm
Barbican
This lecture will explore how law has been used to respond to and try to delimit the expression of unpopular or challenging ideas.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Monday 22nd November
Tuesday 23rd November
Free
A talk about the various methods of computer compression used in modern video streaming services.
6pm to 7pm
Barbican
Online events / webinars
Dr Mark Spencer will be leading this exploration of the 'Species Plantarum', a book that underpins our understanding of plant diversity
2pm to 3pm
Discover the wealth of modern and contemporary public art in the unique square mile of the City of London.
2pm to 3pm
A talk about how London was reshaped for the monuments of Empire.
5:30pm to 7pm
This talk will chart artistic and architectural visions of hell, from the romantic depictions in Soane’s day to the satirical dystopias and troubled imaginings of contemporary artists.
6:30pm to 7:15pm
£5.00
Rob Sewell, author and editor of Socialist Appeal presents Chartist Revolution which delves into this radical episode in British history.
7pm to :
More London events on Tuesday 23rd November
Wednesday 24th November
Carol Jacobi will be speaking on the changing influence of Van Gogh on 20th Century British artists, from Vanessa Bell to Francis Bacon.
6:30pm to 8pm
Stockwell
Being you is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen?
7:30pm to 8:45pm
South Kensington
More London events on Wednesday 24th November
Thursday 25th November
A tour of our London Collections for anyone interested in the history of the metropolis.
6:30pm to 8pm
City of London
Katheryn Howard’s story is one of the saddest and most shocking episodes in English history.
Starts at 7:30pm
Carshalton
Online events / webinars
Cleve will talk about how he got started in garden design and the influences along the way.
6pm to 7pm
The meeting will cover key engineering aspects of the new Luton DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit) railway.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
More London events on Thursday 25th November
Friday 26th November
To celebrate the Museum’s opening, explore some of the collection’s highlights with its curator Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognoni.
Starts at 12am
South Kensington
There will be a pop-up store for the Raspberry Pi open for just two days.
11am to 6pm
Soho
Free
Join Robert Griffith as he explores the Battle of Almaraz and its significance in the Peninsular War.
Starts at 12pm
Chelsea
Online events / webinars
Author, Catherine Arnold, compares the two pandemics and asks: what, if any, lessons have been learned, and can we expect another Roaring Twenties?
2pm to 3pm
This lecture will look at changes in animals represented in heraldry during Tudor times.
6pm to :
More London events on Friday 26th November
Saturday 27th November
The Kiln Rooms’ Sales act as a showcase for between 80 – 100 up and coming artists and designers working with ceramics.
10am to 6pm
Peckham
There will be a pop-up store for the Raspberry Pi open for just two days.
10am to 5pm
Soho
Occasional open day at a railway cutting nature reserve in Forest Hill.
1pm to 4pm
Forest Hill
Free
A nighttime illuminated walking trail through Thamesmead to the ruins of Lesnes Abbey
5pm to 9pm
More London events on Saturday 27th November
Sunday 28th November
The Kiln Rooms’ Sales act as a showcase for between 80 – 100 up and coming artists and designers working with ceramics.
10am to 6pm
Peckham
£15.00
A low tide walk along the Deptford Creek riverbed.
10:45am to 1pm
Deptford
£1.00
Come hunt for personal treasures, rummage for bargains, and refresh your living space with unique finds from our Epic hall of salvaged olde things.
11am to 6pm
Stoke Newington
A display of model railways by The Model Railway Club
11am to 4pm
Islington
Hackney’s oldest building will be open to the public.
2pm to 4:30pm
Hackney
More London events on Sunday 28th November
Monday 29th November
This lecture looks at fantasies of artificial women (usually seen by their male creators as superior to biological women) to examine the complex connections between science and assumptions about the supposed naturalness of gender roles.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Monday 29th November
Tuesday 30th November
Online events / webinars
This anniversary year provides the ideal opportunity not just to celebrate inoculation, but to re-examine its legacy alongside its successor.
5:30pm to 7pm
An online discussion event looking at The California Child Actor's Bill, or the "Coogan Act" and its relevance for child entertainers.
6pm to :
Edmund Bird, heritage manager at Transport for London will discuss the development of London's transport infrastructure.
7pm to 10pm
An exclusive online event with the finalists of this year’s Great British Bake Off.
7:30pm to :
