British Museum
Late night opening: Thursday and Friday, to 8.30pm
bmcolumnsRegular lunchtime (1.15pm) gallery talks are free. That page also details film showings, study sessions and other events. The daily Eyeopener talks, conducted by trained volunteers, are also free, as are the handling sessions, when you can hold a piece of history in your hands. (And on occasion you’ll meet me; I run handling sessions in the HSBC money gallery and the Enlightenment Gallery.) There are also 90-minute highlight tours, which cost £8/£5.

British Library
british library Exhibitions and talks. There’s a preview of what you can see, from the Magna Carta to a recording of Florence Nightingale here.

Victoria and Albert Museum
Late night opening: Wednesday, until 10pm, and on the last Friday of the month.

There is a comprehensive daily listing, which also provides links to the weekly and monthly pages.

Tate Modern
Late night opening: Friday and Saturday until 10pm.
Current exhibitions and talks and discussions.

Tate Britain
Late opening: first Friday of each month
Exhibitions listings and mostly free, mostly short gallery talks


Different Views

The Original London Walks – does what it says on the tin; the most reliable, and always decent quality. Walks usually last about two hours, and are never strenuous.

Untold London – focusing on the city’s multicultural history

The London Adventure – occasional walks and talks focusing on the dark side of the (mostly) 19th and early 20th-century city.


Seminars and Lectures

Many of the events listed on these sites are free and open to the public, but please check first!

Institute for Historical Research

Wellcome Trust Centre (History of Medicine)

Centre for Editing Living and Letters