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Listings
BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at Emirates Stadium, O2 Centre in Swiss Cottage, The Ecology Pavilion in Mile End and Sainsbury’s in New Cross. See site for terms and conditions
ART FAIR: Handmade in Britain’s Spring Craft and Design Fair takes place at Chelsea Old Town Hall this weekend, starting today. £5/£7, prebook 11am-7pm
BAKE-OFF: Great British Bake Off semi-finalist Beca Lyne-Pirkis is holding a demonstration kitchen at Borough Market, sharing tips on creating choux pastry. Free, just turn up, 12pm-2pm
IMPERIAL FESTIVAL: The Imperial College 2014 Festival takes place at the South Kensington campus with talks, workshops, demonstrations and more, for all ages. Free, just turn up, 4pm-10pm
PRIVATE EYE: At the National Theatre, Craig Brown hosts an evening of literary goodness with Eleanor Bron, Jan Ravens and Peter Serafinowicz, author AN Wilson, and editor of Private Eye, Ian Hislop. £4, prebook, 6pm
VIKINGS: The British Museum hosts an evening event with music, performance poetry and standup comedy, all inspired by the Vikings. Free, prebook essential, 6.15-8.40pm
MORE MUSEUMS: It’s Friday, which means late opening at many of London’s big museums and galleries. As well as the British Museum, get nocturnal culture at The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy, V&A and Tate Modern. Times vary
MUSICAL BACKGROUND: Singer-songwriter Devon Sproule will be at the British Library to perform some of her music and talk about her life and background — she grew up in a commune in Canada and eco-village in Virginia, and believes that this upbringing has had an influence on her music. £8/£6/£5, prebook, 6.30pm
STRUGGLING AUTHORS: Sir Ronald Harwood hosts a panel discussion about the financial perils of being a writer and the assistance the Royal Literary Fund offers. Panelists are Claire Tomalin, Jeremy Lewis and Richard Holmes. £5/£4/£3, prebook, 6.30pm
SHOREDITCH PUB CRAWL: Spray Paint and Shots is a tour and pub crawl of the Shoreditch area, taking in some of the art and unique watering holes of the area. £5, prebook, 7pm
RUBY WAX: Comedian Ruby Wax gives a talk at Bishopsgate Institute about the human brain and how we use it. £18/£22, prebook, 7.30pm
GITS AND SHIGGLES: The Islington on Tolpuddle Street hosts a comedy night headlined by Henning Wehn, also featuring Philip Wragg and Quint Fontana. £10, prebook, 7.30pm
TWO-MAN PLAY: The Shroud at Rich Mix is a two-man play exploring Hindu myths, memories and personal letters. £12/£10, prebook, 7.30pm
CIDER AND CHEESE: Foodies should head to Hackney Wick for an evening exploring the history of cider, including six tastings of cider, which will be paired with six different cheeses. £20, prebook, 7.30pm
FRIDAY NIGHT SKATE: The London Friday Night Skate is a marshalled street skate open to all rollerbladers and roller skaters able to stop, turn and control their speed on hills. Starts at Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner. Free, just turn up, 8pm
APRES-SKI: If you’ve just finished a ski season, or are a general snowsports fanatic, head to The Coronet in Elephant and Castle for the Apres Party London 2014 with live DJs, beer pong and a snowboard simulator. £12, prebook, 8pm
Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings.
Upcoming London Theatre: This Flesh Is Mine
Following their acclaimed production of Richard II at the Globe to Globe Festival (4*, The Guardian) Palestinian theatre company ASHTAR and Border Crossings come to London’s Testbed1 with This Flesh Is Mine, a reworking of The Iliad which brings together Homer’s Troy and the Middle East of today.
This Flesh is Mine by Brian Woolland is at Testbed1, Battersea from 19-25 May 2014. Tickets cost £10-£15 and can be booked online here.
Today’s Things To Do In London is sponsored by This Flesh Is Mine.
Good Cause of the Day
Book ahead for tickets to Spring Awakening, a gala evening supporting the National Aids Trust. The event takes place next Wednesday, 14 May, at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly. Clive Anderson and Jimmy Somerville perform, and Christopher Biggins returns as auctioneer. Auction prizes include a trip to Majorca and a chance to appear as an extra in upcoming film Cover Girl. Tickets cost £95-£125, and are available here.
London Connection Puzzle
Your complete set of clues are BRIDE LANE, TALBOT ROAD, PARKGATE ROAD and NASMYTH STREET. Spotted the London connection? No need to email in, as we have a winner.
From the Archive
Tomb it might concern: This time last year we were leafing through Terry Philpot’s 31 London Cemeteries To Visit Before You Die, which takes a bit of a side swipe at the current trend of do-before-you-die lists. The book gives useful tips for visiting 31 burial grounds in and around the city, including nearby attractions and cafes. At least a few people reading the book will spend eternity in one of these 31 spaces; you might as well get to know your neighbours in advance.
Name That Statue!
East London is full of beards and vintage military jackets, but this chap pioneered the look many decades ago. Can you name him, and the location?