Things To Do In London Today: 18 December 2012

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APOLOGIES: To everyone who got an email from us yesterday with suggestions for 13 December. We've fixed a glitch with our flux capacitor, which means it won't happen again.

GIVE BLOOD: The YMCA Hall at the Barbican is open and awaiting your arm. Go donate today. Free, just turn up, 9.30-11am and 12.15-4.15pm

BOOKS: David Aaronovitch, TED fellow Rachel Armstrong, Carole Stone of YouGov and others gather at Foyles to decide who will win a battle of the books. Free, prebook, 6.15pm

SINGALONG: Canary Wharf's Christmas singalong takes place at East Wintergarden on Bank Street. For anyone who loves Christmas and loves singing. Free, prebook or turn up, 6.30pm

CAROLS: St Mungo's Christmas Carol Concert takes place at St Bride's, with readings from Jeremy Paxman. £30 (suggested donation), prebook, 6.30pm

CRAFT: Head along to Hackney Attic (in the Hackney Picturehouse) for The Make Escape's Christmas crafting evening, a chance to knit, sew, cut out felt and other crafty activities while having a chinwag with friendly types. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

DRAWING: Art Macabre hosts another evening drawing class, this time themed around King Midas and gold. The doodly action takes place at Cass Art, Islington. £9.13, prebook, 7.30pm

COMEDY: Alternative Comedy Memorial Society are mounting a pantomime at the Pleasance, hosted by John-Luke Roberts and Thom Tuck and starring Joe Lycett, Colin Hoult, Sara Pascoe, Waen Shepherd, Howard Read and more. Expect the usual leftfield shenanigans plus tinsel. £8, prebook, 7.30pm

Random London Fact of the Day

In 1852, Alexis Soyer staged what might just be the biggest Christmas dinner of all time. The celebrity chef put on a meal for 22,000 of London's poorest citizens in Ham Yard, Soho, just behind Piccadilly Circus. The banquet included some four and a half tons of roast and baked meat, five thousand pints of porter, over a ton of potatoes and much more besides. The full menu can be seen in Ruth Cowen's biography of the chef, which is partly available in Google Books.

London Weather

The daytime will be consistently dry and bland, like a discount bag of salad leaves from Tesco. In the evening, expect to see menacing dark clouds — analogous to those bitter red leaves that nobody likes. Yuck. BBC Weather has a less crunchy forecast.