The ianVisits guide to February's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.
Thursday 1st February
A talk about work to reassess a garment knitted of fine blue silk believed to have been worn by King Charles I at his execution.
5pm to 6pm
Picadilly
An evening exploring the long, rich and inspiring history of LGBTQ+ lives through fascinating and potentially challenging items from the RCP archives, museum and heritage library.
5:30pm to 8pm
Camden
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 will make the case for the robust constitutional protection of LGBT rights.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
As the Lunar Year dawns, join the Science Museum to celebrate the Year of the Dragon and the opening of Zimingzhong, their new exhibition about Chinese clockwork.
6:30pm to 10pm
South Kensington
Alan Powers asks whether ‘good taste’ is simply boring and vulgarity more appealing where shops are concerned.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
A candelit Southwark Cathedral evening of debate with acclaimed historians Dr Nicola Tallis, Nathen Amin and Matthew Lewis
7:15pm to 9:45pm
Southwark
£11.00
An evening of spoken reportage, illustrated essays & psycho-acoustics on doubt and troublesome rhythms in the former Soviet bloc 1970-80’s.
7:30pm to 11pm
Clerkenwell
More London events on Thursday 1st February
Friday 2nd February
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Friday 2nd February
Saturday 3rd February
£11.55
Enjoy storytelling, crafts and singing, with a Wassail Master to oversee proceedings.
10am to 1pm
Barnes
A talk by Transport for London’s heritage managers Gareth Leslie and Edmund Bird about this stretch of the line and Southgate station.
2:30pm to 4:30pm
Southgate
More London events on Saturday 3rd February
Sunday 4th February
Kirkaldy's Testing Works preserves Kirkaldy's unique Universal Testing Machine - the huge hydraulic powered machine he designed and had built in Leeds - in full working order in the premises he built to house it.
10:30am to 12pm
Southwark
£15.00
Join Queer ecologist and entomologist Connor Butler to discover plants that change sex, ferns which have evolved to live in social colonies, and woodlice that no longer have a use for males.
2pm to 5pm
Chelsea
£10.00
Fiona Fox takes us behind the scenes of some of the most contentious stories in science over the past two decades.
3pm to 4:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Sunday 4th February
Monday 5th February
This lecture will explore digital humanitarianism and the visual politics of refugeehood.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
£17.27
Explore the future of our universe, and how scientists are using computers to unravel its mystery.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
Online events / webinars
In this talk, I clarify some misconceptions about Hopi cosmology and explain how collaborative research
The Cosmology of the Hopi Tribe of Arizona
Dr
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Monday 5th February
Tuesday 6th February
Join Michael Wheeler to discover the history of the Athenaeum Club and its members’ impact on Britain’s scientific, creative, and official life
1pm to 2pm
Picadilly
Increasing strategic competition is dividing world politics. Does the liberal order have a future in a dividing world?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Tuesday 6th February
Wednesday 7th February
Explore the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) 500-year history with an expert guide.
1:30pm to 2pm
Camden
In this lecture, we’ll find out how disease outbreaks, the rise of civilisation and even the invention of agriculture have left their traces in our DNA.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
How can these resorts, with their wealth of cultural heritage, forge a new future?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 7th February
Thursday 8th February
£12.00
At this special evening event, hear from leading experts as they discuss the many factors that influenced the outcome of the First World War.
5pm to 9pm
Chelsea
Investigate the weird and wonderful world of romance and sex in nature with a tour, a quiz and some drinks.
6pm to 8pm
Picadilly
This lecture describes what is known of the causes and consequences of reading difficulties and how they relate to other common conditions that affect learning.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
A talk about the trial of two young drag act men.
6:30pm to 6pm
Covent Garden
£15.00
The second lecture in the series Twentieth Century Shops: From Arndale to Zara, marking the publication of 100 20th Century Shops.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
The launch of Abby Innes's new book, Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Online events / webinars
Sacha Coward takes us on an illustrated Zoom talk through the hidden queer history of myths and monsters.
7:30pm to 9pm
More London events on Thursday 8th February
Friday 9th February
Dr Eamonn O'Keeffe highlights the role and importance of military music within British society during the Napoleonic Wars.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
The role of this tiny plant in horticultural histories, mythologies of capitalism and social and cultural repercussions of colonialism.
6pm to 8:30pm
Picadilly
£20.00
AFter hours access to the tropical paradise of the Princess of Wales Conservatory as they celebrate the orchids of Madagascar.
6pm to 10pm
Richmond
More London events on Friday 9th February
Saturday 10th February
To mark Lunar New Year, there will be a spectacular lion dance through Borough Market.
Starts at 11am
Southwark
Weekend Vintage fair at a large Victorian school that has an amazing 1960s extension, in south-east London. 50 selected traders each day, in two huge, contrasting halls.
11am to 4am
Catford
A 3-hour candlelit evening of history talks supporting the charity Papyrus who are dedicated to the prevention of suicide in young people.
6:30pm to 10pm
Southwark
There will be a private fireworks display for the Chinese New Year from a barge moored in the thames in front of the Royal Naval College.
10:15pm to 10:25pm
Greenwich
More London events on Saturday 10th February
Sunday 11th February
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Chinatown London.
10am to 6pm
Trafalgar Square
The collection includes instruments by Gavioli, Marenghi, Hooghuys, Wilhelm Bruder Söhne and Gebr.Weber.
11am to 5pm
Amersham
Weekend Vintage fair at a large Victorian school that has an amazing 1960s extension, in south-east London. 50 selected traders each day, in two huge, contrasting halls.
11am to 4am
Catford
More London events on Sunday 11th February
Monday 12th February
A leading-edge new vision of biology that will revise our concept of what life itself is, how to enhance it, and what possibilities it offer.
7pm to 8:30pm
Hanover Square
More London events on Monday 12th February
Tuesday 13th February
Free
There is increasing concern that Internet-mediated sex is having a negative impact on humans. What’s the evidence for that? And what does the future hold?
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
This event seeks to navigate the complex interplay between society and religion, discussing the relevance of faith to the challenges we face today.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Online events / webinars
This Russia-Ukraine Dialogue (RDU) will examine evolving battlefield dynamics and prospective developments in 2024.
3pm to 4pm
£10.00
Kate and Ariane's discussion will span the collections of Holbein’s work in Basel and within the Royal Collection.
7pm to 8pm
More London events on Tuesday 13th February
Wednesday 14th February
Free
Why have people believed in dragons, and what were they actually?
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
This event looks into the history of marginalised loves, of LGBTQ+ men and young women, in the twentieth century with Luke Turner and Dr Sian Edwards.
6:15pm to 7:30pm
Holborn
More London events on Wednesday 14th February
Thursday 15th February
Join Caroline Derry for a talk exploring how lesbians are represented in Agatha Christie’s work and the insights they offer into the criminal justice system’s attitudes to lesbianism in post-war England.
6pm to 7:30pm
Holborn
Join author and professor of Ottoman history, Edhem Eldem, for a different look at Western archaeological collections and to ask: what about the Ottoman side of the story?
6pm to 7pm
Russell Square
This talk will discuss some of the most striking and influential boutiques and look at interiors designed by architects.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
A new history of queer identity and creativity, through seven lives and the spaces that made them.
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
The Performer explores the relations between performing in art (particularly music), politics and everyday experience.
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
Enjoy special after-hours access to the exhibition, music, talks and workshops that immerse you in everything from colourful East End fashion to the glitz and glamour of Carnaby Street.
7pm to 10pm
Poplar
More London events on Thursday 15th February
Friday 16th February
Hear from Dr Catherine Wynne as she examines how Irish soldiers were represented and represented themselves from the late Victorian period to the First World War.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
£20.00
AFter hours access to the tropical paradise of the Princess of Wales Conservatory as they celebrate the orchids of Madagascar.
6pm to 10pm
Richmond
£20.00
Step through the gates of the Charterhouse in the early evening after work and discover a different world hidden behind the ancient walls.
6:30pm to 8pm
Clerkenwell
Online events / webinars
In this illustrated talk, join them to look at some of the riches of the Cabinet Papers from 1916 to 2003.
2pm to 3pm
More London events on Friday 16th February
Saturday 17th February
A day of insightful talks on London's Housing Crisis, where we'll discuss the challenges and potential solutions
10am to 4pm
Southwark
More London events on Saturday 17th February
Sunday 18th February
Sprawling throughout the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Multi-Storey Car Park, The Great London Flea Market is London's largest indoor flea market, hosting over 100 traders of vintage home decor, & peddlers of preloved bargains.
10am to 5pm
Stratford
More London events on Sunday 18th February
Monday 19th February
£10.00
This panel discussion will use the politically motivated public work of Philip Guston as a starting point for a discussion around muralism with insight from experts, artists and activists.
7pm to 8:45pm
Southwark
Online events / webinars
Unveil the roots of disinformation, its political impact and the actionable solutions to combat the era of deception.
7pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Monday 19th February
Tuesday 20th February
Join brothers Nicholas and Adrian Reed for an evening exploring the story of their father, the legendary MI5 spymaster Ronnie Reed.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Southwark
More London events on Tuesday 20th February
Wednesday 21st February
In this talk, Jason will tell the extraordinary story of the Doves Type and share some of his favourite mudlarking finds from the River Thames.
Starts at 6pm
Chiswick
An evening of science, art and history about the brain
6:30pm to 9:30pm
St James
Online events / webinars
Explore how the lives of LGBTQ+ people, and attitudes to sexual and gender diversity, are reflected in the archive, heritage library and museum collections of the Royal College of Physicians.
7pm to 8pm
More London events on Wednesday 21st February
Thursday 22nd February
This talk by City of London Guide & Lecturer Jill Finch looks at The Office of Wren in the 17th century Square Mile.
2pm to 3pm
City of London
A talk about the early history of the railways.
5pm to 6pm
Picadilly
This evening brings together stars of stage and screen* to read excerpts from some of Shakespeare’s famous (and lesser known) works
6:30pm to 9pm
Euston
£15.00
This talk will reflect on the fundamental ways in which the shopping experience was transformed, and the technologies and ideas that enabled it.
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
An evening with Margaret Willes as she takes you on a fascinating journey through the rich history of the people of Southwark.
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
More London events on Thursday 22nd February
Friday 23rd February
Join Dr Doris Müller-Toovey for a talk to mark the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
12pm to 1pm
Chelsea
Join The National Archives and History of Parliament Trust for a look at Britain’s most tumultuous years.
2pm to 4pm
Richmond
As part of the ‘Burtynsky: Extraction/Abstraction’ exhibition, Saatchi Lates offer Art After Dark on selected Fridays.
6:30pm to 9pm
Chelsea
More London events on Friday 23rd February
Saturday 24th February
See thousands of mudlarking artefacts in this beautiful building in Central London.
10am to 4pm
City of London
An exhibition to mark the 200th anniversary of the 200th anniversary of the first scientific description of a non-avian dinosaur, the Megalosaurus -- will be open on one Saturday.
10am to 4:30pm
Picadilly
Annual Stories of Cats day all about our feline friends
10am to 5pm
Southwark
Community open day at the local fire station in Bermondsey
12pm to 3pm
Southwark
A discussion of the past realities of London’s Black, Queer community and to celebrate the present possibilities (and realities) of kinship in that community today.
7pm to 8pm
Soho
More London events on Saturday 24th February
Sunday 25th February
See thousands of mudlarking artefacts in this beautiful building in Central London.
10am to 4pm
City of London
A WW2-era history attraction that's open to the public once a month.
10:30am to 4pm
Watford
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
More London events on Sunday 25th February
Monday 26th February
No events are listed for today. Sorry.
More London events on Monday 26th February
Tuesday 27th February
Join the guided tour of Oxford House's listed Victorian building. Peek into our archives, visit our 'secret chapel' and take in 360°degree views of East London on the spectacular rooftop.
12pm to 1pm
Bethnal Green
More London events on Tuesday 27th February
Wednesday 28th February
Join us as we survey the birdlife of the Creek.
10:30am to 12:30pm
Deptford
Every month at Frameless, in partnership with ArtscapesUK, they will be delving deeper into the stories behind the art.
12:30pm to 2pm
Marylebone
This lecture explores how our understanding of autism has changed, and directions for future research.
1pm to 2pm
Holborn
Join Mariia Zolkina as she reveals the data-based findings about real public moods in Donbas, starting from spring 2014 and afterwards.
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
Well-known broadcaster LIbby Purves talk to the daughters of famous cartoonist Mel Calman, known for his put upon "little man" line drawings.
6:30pm to 8:30pm
West Kensington
Online events / webinars
Join international bestselling author, Philippa Gregory in conversation about her latest book, Normal Women.
7:30pm to 8:30pm
More London events on Wednesday 28th February
Thursday 29th February
£15.00
St Bride Foundation, located behind Fleet Street, houses the history of print and the skills that made Fleet Street the undisputed home of printing and publishing in London.
11am to 1pm
City of London
A rare opportunity to step inside the Second World War air raid shelter at St. Leonards Court in East Sheen.
11am to 11:45am
Mortlake
This lecture critically evaluates the relationship between English law and capitalism and explores how legal changes over the past 30 years
6pm to 7pm
Holborn
£15.00
This talk will share the findings of the research project, which included around 40 visits made to shopping centres
Starts at 6:30pm
Clerkenwell
This talk challenges the myth that Keats was unengaged with the business of literature.
6:30pm to 8pm
Hampstead
What trials did Elizabeth I face in her challenging early life? Find out at this talk by acclaimed historian Dr Nicola Tallis
6:30pm to 8pm
Southwark
Running and shaping cities is among the most complex and challenging areas of public policy. What is it like to be a Mayor?
6:30pm to 8pm
Holborn
£11.55
Two talks about the history of the water supply in London.
Starts at 7pm
Clerkenwell
Delve into the evolution of explosive chemical experiments.
7:20pm to 8:45pm
Hanover Square
