Things To Do In London Today: Thursday 14 February

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BABIES: Got one to entertain? Take it to Baby Opera at the Royal Festival Hall. Tickets £8 for one adult and one child, prebook, runs throughout the day, starting at 11am.

RECITAL: At a loose end for lunch in the city? Drop by St Olave's and hear Classical Folk perform a Valentine's Day special. Say hi to Samuel Pepys while you're there. Free, just turn up for 1.05pm.

V-DATES: Left it to the last minute? Consult our list of Valentine's Day events that probably don't suck but please check the websites or call up venues to make sure tickets are available.

FILM'N'FOOD: Roxy Bar and Screen offers a romantic 3-course meal and a double bill screening of Once and Casablanca for movie lovers who get hungry. Tickets £35pp, email for bookings, doors 5pm.

MUSIC: Head to the tent at Boxpark for live music (and last minute shopping if you need to). Free, just turn up, 6-9pm.

CHOLERA: A dubious Valentine’s treat at the Wellcome Library, where the late opening features a talk on the ‘blue death’ of cholera. Free, prebook, 6pm.

BRITTEN: Conductor, Paul Kildea, gives a talk, Darkness Audible: Benjamin Britten at 100 - Middle, 1945-1970 at Barnard's Inn Hall. Free, just turn up for 6pm.

ANIMAL SEX: A slightly more amorous atmosphere unfolds at the Grant Museum, where they’ll be handing out wine and describing how seduction is done in the animal kingdom. £5, just turn up, 6pm.

LAUGHS: Enjoy a duo of comedy shows at Soho Theatre for a full night of laughs: sketch group Wit Tank are on at 7.15pm and the incomparable Cariad Lloyd starts at 9pm.

GUITAR: There are still tickets available for a Valentine's special concert from Orpheus Sinfonia, starring the guitar played by Xuefei Yang, at St George's Church, Hanover Square. Tickets £5-£25, prebook, starts 7.30pm.

WORDS: The London Liming spoken word party is a chilled out love special featuring Mellow Baku, Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze, John Agard, Jelena Curcic and Mello Baku at Rich Mix. Tickets £8, £6 concessions, starts 8pm.

LATE NIGHT NAUGHTIES: Boom & Bang Midnight Circus entertain with burlesque, cabaret and exotic circus turns (Kitty Bang Bang and Dorian Black pictured) in the Matcham room theatre at the Hippodrom, Leicester Square. Go early and have cocktails in the Heliot bar, stay all night if you want. Tickets £10-£20, book, show doors open 11.30pm.

Random London Fact of the Day

The best 51 page guide to the capital is definitely the Ladybird London book from 1980. Look, sound transport advice in language a child can understand in just one paragraph:

You must see London on foot, not in a car (you’ll never be able to park it!) If you feel tired you can hail a taxi or take one of the red buses for a short journey. The Underground System, which is an exciting challenge to the uninitiated, will take you quickly over longer journeys. It is more difficult to travel by public transport during ‘rush hours’ (between 0800 hours and 0930 hours, and 1700 hours and 1800 hours).

And wise, wise words for us all:

You can stay as long as you like in the places that interest you and not spend so long in those that don’t. You can always revisit them another time.

Good Cause of the Day

Deafblind UK have just launched a Befriending service in London, matching up compatible volunteers with a person who has combined sight and hearing loss, to visit them weekly or stay in contact by phone and email. It's easy to imagine how deterioration in sight and hearing could leave someone isolated and see them slip away from favourite activities or hobbies. Befrienders provide social contact, support and practical help, whether it's a trip to a cafe, a ramble on the heath, helping with technology or a good old gossip. Sound like your kind of volunteer opportunity? Find out more here.

Many thanks to Sue Sinton Smith for suggesting Deafblind UK on Facebook.

London Weather

It looks like the sun might put his hat on for Valentine's Day, hip hip hip hooray. Will you be spending it with the sunshine of your life? Lunchtime will be the best time for a bright wintry walk but you might end up singing in the rain. Either way, London loves you.