London Network Social - September 2024

First Thursday of the month is our perennially popular Retro Bar social!

Located just off The Strand (2 George Ct, London WC2N 6HH), Retro Bar is a safe and inclusive LGBT+ venue that is somewhat of a London institution. We have the private upstairs bar booked out so the space is only for Civil Servants. There is no need to register – feel free to turn up any time after 6pm.

Retro Bar socials are a fantastic way to meet other colleagues and are always popular; we regularly see around 50 to 100 people attend. Finding venues that are available and as inclusive as possible at no cost to accommodate everyone’s needs and tastes is incredibly difficult, but the London organisers are always open to suggestions (please email london@civilservice.lgbt) and we host a variety of events throughout the month. For colleagues who are sober or uncomfortable with a bar setting we also have an alternative social available in the form of our pre-meet; please see the events page for details. If you’re nervous about attending your first social and are looking to break some ice, the pre-meets are also a great opportunity to meet some colleagues in a quieter setting, although the first half hour of Retro Bar is usually reasonably quiet.

Accessibility: Regrettably Retro Bar is not a fully accessible venue, as the upstairs space is accessed by a steep flight of stairs. We have control over the music played and ensure it is kept quiet, to maintain accessibility for neurodiverse colleagues and those of us with auditory processing disorders. There is ample seating available. Although a single occupancy toilet is available, this is up an additional flight of stairs accessed from our private space. The nearest accessible toilet is approximately one minute away in Five Guys (11 Villiers St, London WC2N 6NA).

If you have questions about this event, or you have an idea for a future event, you can contact our London Organisers.

For all the latest updates from the London region, check the London page

London also has a Google Groups, for more information on this and how to join please check out the ‘Groups’ pages.