The lost (and found) art of London Socialising: The Social Club

Imagine you’ve just moved to London. You may be shocked at how a city so densely populated can feel pretty cold, and in the midst of a hectic work life, perhaps extremely lonely. You may wonder why your next-door neighbour is so reluctant to say hello, yet the drunken stranger in a pub has glowing conversational skills. Making friends can be quite a daunting experience! But for those who are still optimistic about meeting new people in settings other than pubs and nightclubs, there may be a little ray of hope – thanks to the return of the social club.

Now a good ol’ social is nothing new. Somewhere in my distant memory I’m sure I remember trudging along to such gatherings. This particular one that comes to mind – my family‘s very own ‘Domino’ club -  entailed middle-aged men slamming dominoes on a tiny wooden table they’d somehow managed to fit around. Every so often, one of the men would shout “Domino!” smashing down the dotted slabs, and shaking – not stirring, his glass of over-proof rum.  Not exactly my favourite past-time, aged just six at the time. Still, the monthly get-together was cherished by the gentleman, and as I got older, one I couldn’t help but feel envious of.

So in efforts of re-living this family tradition I set about joining a club of my own. Unfortunately, being a 20-something, outgoing female may not always work in your favour. Let’s just say the local Bingo hall was not quite what I had in mind.

Thankfully, hope was underway. I stumbled across The Cultural Expose – a site for “hip and arty urban adventurers”, and signed up to their frequent meet-up, ‘The Culture Club’. The breakdown: a members-only club connecting like-minded people in London. Registration is simple, and similar to a gym subscription, offers three ‘levels’ of membership. For those who prefer to try before buying, there’s even a free option.

It wasn’t long before the first event takes place; the ‘I Love Movies’ quiz night. Hosted by founder Matilda Egere-Cooper, the Monday evening event manages to attract an eclectic range of people. Luckily everybody in attendance has one agenda. To leave the office politics behind and indulge in something too often reserved for weekends: FUN.

After a little small talk and lots of high-spirited banter, the members split into three teams. We compete in a selection of games including a re-vamped version of Charades and random movie quizzes. I think it’s fair to say the former makes us all wish we’d paid closer attention in Drama class; our acting is that bad. The latter? Never underestimate the power of watching classics like Coming To America over and over. Because only you would be able to link that film to the saying “Go on honey. Take a chance!”

Throughout the evening, it dawns on me that passers by could easily mistake The Culture Club quiz night for a college reunion. Nothing like awkward after-work drinks; instead conversation flows naturally amongst us. Okay, so we may not be exchanging phone numbers, but we are, in the very least, exchanging Twitter names. Why hadn‘t we been to one of these nights sooner? Matilda fills me in on the big idea behind The Culture Club.

“A lot of people following The Cultural Exposé blog wanted to know how they could get in on all the good times I was documenting on the site.” She explains. “So after spending a month in New York and being inspired by their social scene, I thought a club for like-minded people could work in London. So far, people are really enjoying it.”

Actually, Matilda may be onto something, as there are plenty other social clubs popping up around London. Love Art London also allows members to explore the art scene, whilst City Socialising focuses more on getting like-minded people together. And that’s just to mention a few. The Culture Club member Keda, 28, shares what she loves about these new initiatives.

“My friend recommended me to join The Culture Club. I’m a student so my studies keep me pretty busy, and I’ve not always got time to find new things to do. Having an organisation that removes some of that leg work is perfect for me, and I’m guaranteed to see a few friendly faces. All I’ve got to do is turn up.

Keda makes valid points; overall, it was a fun night, seemed to be enjoyed by all. Well, excluding the one guy who looked as though he took losing quite sorely. Most of us realised just how competitive we were, our inner underdogs finally given a chance to rise to the surface. And the winners took home excellent prizes. Most importantly, it was such a relief to swap the little black dress, painful heels and sweaty environment for a night of real conversation, interesting people and, fortunately for me, not a domino in sight.

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