The ianVisits guide to January's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Sunday 1st January
Come and enjoy these beautiful model trains in full steam on a purpose built track in the Steam Hall.
10am to 4pm
Brentford
More than 8,000 performers, representing 20 nations, will fill the West End with culture, colour, entertainment, and music.
Starts at 11am
More London events on Sunday 1st January
Monday 2nd January
Come and enjoy these beautiful model trains in full steam on a purpose built track in the Steam Hall.
10am to 4pm
Brentford
More London events on Monday 2nd January
Tuesday 3rd January
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Tuesday 3rd January
Wednesday 4th January
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Wednesday 4th January
Thursday 5th January
The first Thursday of the Month is the Museum of Freemasonry Late where they're open until 8pm.
5pm to 8pm
Aldwych
More London events on Thursday 5th January
Friday 6th January
Free
Join Vivien Morgan as she discusses the lives of young women who disguised themselves so they could enlist and fight in the armed forces.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
More London events on Friday 6th January
Saturday 7th January
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Saturday 7th January
Sunday 8th January
Monthly open day at the museum to London's first international airport - in Croydon.
10am to 4pm
Croydon
A parade and festival along Bankside to herald 12th night, with Wassails, Mummers Play and Morris Dancing
Starts at 2pm
Southwark
Expect lots of people to be riding on the tube wearing less than usual below the waistline in the afternoon.
Starts at 3pm
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Monday 9th January
The 150th anniversary of Napoleon lll’s death at his former residence - Camden Place, Chislehurst.
6pm to 8:30pm
Chislehurst
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Tuesday 10th January
Just one church, but hundreds of stories! Pete Smith, a volunteer guide at All Hallows, aims to tell some of the most colourful tales of the City of London’s oldest church.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
An illustrated talk by Kevin Brown
Starts at 6pm
Farringdon
This lecture will discuss the causes of coronary heart disease and advances in reducing its effects.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 10th January
Wednesday 11th January
£12.50
The building is of great architectural and historic importance, having been the place of exile and death of the French emperor Napoleon III
10:30am to 12pm
Chislehurst
Might we be able to harness this amazing power of microbial degradation to help remove the human-made plastic mountain, or clean up toxic waste sites?
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
Dr Amy Weldon, writer and professor of English at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, will bring to life what can now only be considered an utterly brutal sport.
Starts at 7:30pm
Highgate
More London events on Wednesday 11th January
Thursday 12th January
On the first Thursday of the month, Holborn's Novelty Automation has a bar in the store for their late-night opening.
6pm to 9pm
Holborn
This lecture explores some of the shifting ideas about breast cancer, including the appropriation of “blame” (that is, debates about “stress” and carcinogenic environments)
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
Dorothy Max Prior in conversation with Melanie Xulu of Moof Magazine & an exclusive screening of an extract of What You Could Not Visualise: Rema Rema, a film by Marco Porsia
7pm to 10pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Thursday 12th January
Friday 13th January
Join Alan Jeffreys as he examines how officership in the Indian Army was impacted by the First and Second World Wars.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Free
A parade around central London with a horse's skull on a pole.
Starts at 7pm
Farringdon
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Saturday 14th January
Transport for London’s heritage managers Gareth Leslie and Edmund Bird will be presenting a talk about this stretch of the line and Southgate station in particular.
2:30pm to 5pm
Southgate
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Sunday 15th January
A tour covering the whole of the Gardens, including the sites of the earlier houses, the Walled Garden and a large part of the existing Mansion.
Starts at 10am
North Weald
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Monday 16th January
This lecture considers the challenges we face in fighting disease while remaining a democratic, liberal society.
1pm to 2pm
Holborn
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Tuesday 17th January
Desirée Baptiste, a London-based
writer and researcher, brings together two lives, one, vastly chronicled, the other, virtually silent, and both, inextricably intertwined in an age of Empire.
Starts at 6:30pm
Tottenham Court Road
A talk by Mattie Faint, professional clown, followed by a screening of the short documentary Clown by Shane O’Neill.
7pm to 10pm
Clerkenwell
Marion Turner, the award-winning biographer of Chaucer, discusses the scandalous story of the Wife of Bath, and the legacy of medieval women, with historian Mary Wellesley.
7pm to 8:30pm
Soho
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Wednesday 18th January
A debate about historical censorship of documents held by the Royal Family.
5:30pm to 7pm
Euston
£8.00
This talk will explore the Soviet maps of Britain and elsewhere, looking at the quality of the information depicted and considering the interpretative achievements of the cartographers who produced them.
6pm to 8pm
Bloomsbury
In this talk, comic historian Paul Gravett will explore Jansson’s multiple careers, ranging from painting and murals to picture books and literature.
Starts at 7pm
Soho
Online events / webinars
Discover the story behind this legendary excavation of the Tomb of Tutankhamun
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 18th January
Thursday 19th January
Monthly late evening opening at the museum that's usually only open office hours.
5pm to 8pm
City of London
Balfour Beatty VINCI will provide updates on two different tunnelling projects across HS2 Area North.
6pm to 7:30pm
Pimlico
The talk covers the role of the Polish Air Force in the defence successively of Poland, France, and Britain from 1939 to 1945
6pm to 7pm
Ealing
This talk will look at two sculptures on LCC housing estates to examine how the LCC used place, architecture and sculpture and displayed familiar London ‘types’ on its post-war housing estates.
6:30pm to 8pm
Euston
A talk about the history of London's water supply.
7:30pm to 9pm
Farringdon
Online events / webinars
Free
A talk about how Sainsburys sparked the barcode revolution in retailing.
9:20am to 12pm
£10.88
Johan Eklöf explores the importance of natural darkness to our environment, wellbeing and life on earth.
7pm to 8:30pm
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Friday 20th January
Join Zulu War expert Ian Knight as he draws on first-hand accounts from the Battle of Rorke’s Drift to offer fresh insights into the experiences of those involved.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Join Shoe Lane Library and Richard Dacre for this talk on the extraordinary history of the Royal Albert Hall.
1pm to 2pm
Holborn
Though few in number, this talk argues that these financial women are significant to histories of female entrepreneurship and professional identity.
5:30pm to 7pm
Euston
More London events on Friday 20th January
Saturday 21st January
£22.50
Join Dr Matthew Green for an immersive whirlwind tour of London’s original – and best – coffeehouses, with free 17th-century coffee
11:30am to 1pm
City of London
London Wildlife Trust welcome the local community to awaken the apple trees to ensure a good harvest of fruit in autumn in a traditional Wassailing event.
12pm to 3pm
Dulwich
A free highlights tour and learn about St Mary Magdalene’s rich Victorian heritage.
12:30pm to 1:30pm
Paddington
£7.00
Celebrate the ancient tradition of ‘Wassailing’ in Gunnersbury’s very own orchard.
2:30pm to 4pm
Acton
More London events on Saturday 21st January
Sunday 22nd January
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Sunday 22nd January
Monday 23rd January
The introduction to the Middle Ages by the bestselling author of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
Join Sara Goodacre, founder of SpiderLab, in an evening to explore the diversity of spiders - much of which cannot be easily seen.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
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Tuesday 24th January
Van Gogh’s turbulent life forms part of the mythology surrounding the Dutch Post-Impressionist but his iconic paintings represent much more.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Museum is hosting a special opening night celebrating the launch of exhibition ‘Unfamiliar’.
6pm to 8:30pm
Camden
London-based multi-disciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori in conversation with the Design Museum's Head of Curatorial, Priya Khanchandani.
6:30pm to 8pm
Kensington
Online events / webinars
Learn about the extensive restoration and conservation of a Victorian Arts and Crafts house in Cambridge via an innovative 3D online tour
7pm to 8pm
Join the curatorial team behind the British Library’s exhibition Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth, as they share the behind-the-scenes story of putting together a rich show of treasures from many different eras and cultures.
7:30pm to 8:45pm
More London events on Tuesday 24th January
Wednesday 25th January
Free
This talk by City Guide & Lecturer Jill Finch looks at how both God & Mammon have moulded the Square Mile over 2000 years.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
Science Museum Lates are adults-only, after-hours theme nights that take place in the museum on the last Wednesday of every month.
6:30pm to 10pm
South Kensington
Dr Rosina Buckland explores the long history of collecting Japan at the British Museum, from its founding collection in the early 1700s to the present day.
6:30pm to 7:30pm
Kensington
Join a line-up of architects, artists, foragers, makers, historians, and activists to discuss the cultural and environmental role of the tree in the city.
Starts at 7pm
Barbican
Online events / webinars
Tracy Borman looks at how Elizabeth I overcame the odds to reign for 45 years.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 25th January
Thursday 26th January
£35.00
Join specialist Phil Parkes and discover the history of chain mail.
1:30pm to 4:30pm
Fulham
This lecture takes us on an unusual journey around London in the autumn of 1724.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
£11.37
Gypsies, tinkers, travellers. Join historians Anna Hoare and Geoff Simmons to hear the hidden history of one of the city’s most fascinating and forgotten communities.
Starts at 7pm
Clerkenwell
A discussion about the global shifts in international politics caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
7pm to 8:30pm
Bloomsbury
Explore the rise in the use of DNA in genealogy and forensics.
7:20pm to 8:45pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
Free
Dan Cruickshank chairs as speakers give three short talks on Egyptomania and the influence of ancient Egypt on art and architecturein the 20th and 21st centuries.
5:30pm to 6:30pm
More London events on Thursday 26th January
Friday 27th January
Join Dr Sam Edwards as he recounts the history and cultural impact of the American military presence in Britain during the First World War.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Online events / webinars
The Freud Museum welcomes Andrew Nagorski, to speak about his new biography of Sigmund Freud and his extraordinary escape to London as a refugee in 1938.
6pm to 7pm
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Saturday 28th January
The guided tours offer visitors an opportunity to learn about 87 Hackford Road’s most famous tenant, as well as the architecture, history, and future of the house.
Starts at 10am
Stockwell
Join former head of design and heritage for Transport for London, Mike Ashworth for a special tour of the award-winning design and architecture of the Jubilee Line Extension stations.
11am to 2:30pm
Stratford
A fairly rare chance to see inside a metal church in Kilburn - now used as by the Sea Cadets and community centre.
1pm to 4pm
Kilburn
More London events on Saturday 28th January
Sunday 29th January
The guided tours offer visitors an opportunity to learn about 87 Hackford Road’s most famous tenant, as well as the architecture, history, and future of the house.
Starts at 10am
Stockwell
A WW2-era history attraction that's open to the public once a month.
10:30am to 4pm
Watford
An annual march down The Mall to commemorate the execution of King Charles I will take place this morning.
Starts at 11am
Whitehall
Once a month, the oldest building in Hackney, St Augustine's Tower is open, so you can climb up to the top.
2pm to 4:30pm
Hackney
A silent film accompanied by Donald MacKenzie on the Mighty Wurlitzer.
2:30pm to 4:30pm
Brentford
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Monday 30th January
The paper will examine the ‘Fight of the Century’ - between the American John Carmel Heenan and the British boxer ‘Brighton Titch’ Tom Sayers - which took place on 17th April 1860.
6pm to 7:30pm
Euston
Online events / webinars
This talk will explore the fairy lore of Suffolk, from the 12th-century tale of the Green Children of Woolpit to the familiars of 17th-century witch trials and the world-famous Tom Tit Tot, the subject of a fairytale recorded in the 19th century.
7:30pm to 9pm
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Tuesday 31st January
This lecture looks at dice, cards, lotteries, and other games of chance. Can mathematics help us win?
1pm to 2pm
Tower Hill
This lecture explores how Christianity in particular has understood, monitored and sought to control nakedness
5pm to 7pm
Whitechapel
For one week, the interior and outside of St Martin-in-the-Fields will be filled with sound and light as a Son-et-Lumiere covers the walls with colour.
5:45pm to 9:30pm
Trafalgar Square
Frances Wilson tells the riches-to-rags story of a writer of dazzling complexity and originality whose rackety life was lived on the run.
Starts at 7pm
Soho
A talk on the centenary of the Adana printing press.
7pm to 8:30pm
City of London
The news is full of the evils of plastic. But plastic can't be evil, it's inanimate. It's plastic abuse that is morally wrong.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
