Monthly Museum Late: A Brief History of Surgery

The Florence Nightingale Museum is opening late on Thursday 29 October for a Halloween session called A Brief History of Surgery. It's part of their monthly late programme, which opens the galleries after hours for hands-on exploration, and this one focuses on how medical practice developed over time.

The main feature is a talk, A Brief History of Surgery, which runs for about 45 minutes with time for questions. On display for the evening is a Victorian-era surgical box on loan from the Hunterian Museum, with a history that links Nightingale to the medical practices of the Crimean War. The museum itself sits next to St Thomas' Hospital and tells the story of Florence Nightingale — 'the lady with the lamp' — from her Victorian childhood through her experiences in the Crimean War to her years as a campaigner for health reform, while also celebrating nursing today. Among the displays are a suffragette medal awarded to Pankhurst's nurse and Nightingale's own customised wheelchair, which returned to the UK after a fundraising campaign.

Doors open at 5:00pm, and the talk starts at 6:30pm. A bar serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from 5:00pm, so you can have a drink and wander the galleries before the talk begins. The museum closes at 8:00pm. Tickets are £12 for adults, £30 for families, £10 for concessions, £7 for students, and £6 for children — that's general admission, which stays valid for a full year. The museum is at 2 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EW.